Construction and Validation of Self-Assessment Inventory for English for Academic Purposes: A Case of Iranian Tertiary Students

Abstract

Self-assessment helps learners to acquire self-confidence and gives them insightful<br />feedbacks. There is no valid self-assessment inventory for learners of English for<br />academic purposes (EAP). This study aimed at developing an academically<br />appropriate instrument to measure tertiary students' English in academic situations.<br />The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in developing the selfassessment<br />inventory (SAI). Sixty students were interviewed for the qualitative part<br />of the study. For the quantitative phase, 600 students were selected through<br />multistage random sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed by a constant<br />comparative method. In addition, a questionnaire survey was used to assess the<br />validity and reliability of SAI. A 41-item SAI was developed, the content validity,<br />construct validity, and reliability of which were ensured by expert review, factor<br />analysis, and internal consistency. This scale constitutes a validated self-assessment<br />inventory of EAP.