A Rasch/Guttman Scenario Scale to Measure Teachers' Promotion of Sociocultural Integration

• In Event: Defining and Operationalizing Sociocultural Competence in Dual-Language Education

Abstract

Objectives
This research seeks to a) propose a revised definition of sociocultural integration (SCI) that is teacher-centered and explicitly incorporates teachers’ racial/ethnic identity development in the evolution of their actions to support SCI; and b) operationalize this definition to build a scale for measuring the SCI continuum using innovative “lived experiences” scenario items.

Conceptual Framework
SCI is included in the frameworks of successful bilingual programs (Author, 2007; Scanlan & López, 2014). SCI considers the dynamics of relationships as being built in the context of one’s racial/ethnic, cultural, and linguistic background (Brisk, 2006; Authors, 2014). Acceptance and appreciation of cultural difference is critical for teachers’ practice (Bennett, 2003), and a number of pedagogical frameworks center teachers’ role of cultural brokerage as a pathway to foster positive student outcomes (Grant & Sleeter, 2006; Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2001; Villegas & Lucas, 2002).
I propose a definition of SCI that recognizes individual educators’ positionality as both a defining factor and potential context for promoting SCI in their daily practice. This research works at the intersection of SCI and racial identity development theory, exploring the interaction between teachers’ racial/ethnic and cultural affiliation, their awareness as their levels of racial/ethnic identity development change, and their daily practices in support of SCI. The Sociocultural Integration Teachers Scale (SCI-T) represents three facets of SCI: self-identification, promotion of self-esteem, and agency for power equity. These facets relate SCI to sociocultural competence in the recent understanding of teacher identity as a mediator of practice and critical consciousness as it relates to agency for equity promotion.

Methods
The SCI-T was designed using the Rasch/Guttman Scenario scale development methodology, drawing from Rasch measurement theory (Rasch, 1960), and facet theory item construction techniques (Guttman, 1954, 1959). Items developed using this approach, called scenarios, combine rich descriptions as stems that provide a common anchor for response options to increase the scale’s validity (Author, 2020). The SCI-T development included a cognitive lab, pilot (n=68), and a final study (n=163) with teacher characteristics closely resembling national averages.

Findings
The SCI-T shows desirable psychometric properties, including scenario difficulties that adhere to their theoretical rankings, good spread along the SCI continuum, and Cronbach’s alpha above 0.9. Moreover, differential item functioning analysis suggested that the meaning of enacting sociocultural integration was invariant across Non-Hispanic White teachers and Non- White teachers, supporting the proposed model that places the focus on racial/ethnic and cultural identity development level instead of group affiliation.

Scholarly Significance
The responsibility to bring asset-based pedagogical frameworks to life, and to live up to their potential, is in the hands of educators. Specifically within the context of dual language education, teachers’ ability to promote SCI requires that they are supported in their examination of the intersection of their identities and their practice. The SCI-T is a measure that provides this support via a score interpretation table with clear guidelines supported by the innovative RGS framework, which allows mapping teachers’ progression over time.

Author

• Maria Eugenia Baez Cruz, Georgia Institute of Technology