Validating a Questionnaire on Confidence in Speaking English as a Foreign Language

Despite repeated calls for reliability and validation of data elicitation instruments,
research continues to be published based on questionnaires which do not report
reliability or validation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process by
which a questionnaire, in this case one designed to measure confidence in
speaking English as a foreign language (CSEFL), can be created, reVised, and
validated. Special attention is given to content validity, criterion validity, and
construct validity. lne concept and definition of validity is discussed and specific
steps and procedures for the validation process are given. A pilot study is briefly
summarized followed by the results of the present study. It is concluded that
while the majority of the questionnaires used in ESL classroom research in Japan
are not valid, the present study provides the necessary steps and procedures by
which teacher-researchers can construct valid and reliable research questionnaires.