Initial Validation of the TESOL Competencies Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to collect and evaluate initial validity evidence for the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Competencies Scale in the context of a 15-month professional development program for in-service teachers of English language learners and school leaders. The scale was developed to assess attitudes and competencies toward teaching students who are English language learners. The scale was administered to the participants before and after the professional development, along with open-ended questions about their attitudes toward English language learners, as well as approaches to working with these students. Many of the participants also took a standardized certification test for teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. The validity of the scores from this new scale were supported by the participants’ teaching portfolios, open-ended survey responses, and positive correlations with the certification exam and scores on a scale for attitudes towards English learners. The results of this study support the further refinement of the scale with a larger sample of teachers with a more diverse set of experiences with English language learners. The TESOL Competencies scale can be used by school districts to quickly assess their teachers’ needs for professional development for working with English language learners; no such instrument currently exists.