Validation of a Questionnaire Designed to Measure Tunisian Physical Education Student Teachers’ Concerns

Abstract

Student teachers’ concerns correspond to what really matters to them. They encompass perceptions, values and deep-rooted attitudes, and frequently result from changes in the roles and responsibilities normally assumed (Philippot, 2014). In that sense, they show the actor’s interests and/or intentions, and reflect needs that he may be experiencing. A careful study of student teachers’ concerns is recommended since scientific literature shows these beliefs bring negative emotions associated notably with stress, occupational burnout, but also with a reduced professional commitment (Barroso da Costa and Loye, 2017). Such studies are necessary as well to improve training mechanisms and learning conditions available to future teachers, and to prevent early drop-out from the job. The findings of research carried out so far about student teachers’ preoccupations should be interpreted with caution (Meek and Behets, 1999; Tsangaridou, 2006) since available measuring tools are unstable and yield hardly transferable results. Tunisia is currently lacking any valid instruments in French allowing to identify and assess the relative weight of student teachers’ concerns.

This paper is a collaborative effort between a team of Physical Education specialists of the University of Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) and a researcher from the Institut supérieur du sport et de l’éducation physique (ISSEP) Ksar Said of Tunisia. Its purpose is to describe the adopted systematic approach with a view to developing a tool to measure Tunisian Physical Education student teachers’ concerns and testing its psychometric qualities. A total of 349 valid questionnaires (77.56%) were collected from a representative sample of graduating Physical Education student teachers from four Tunisian ISSEP (Ksar Said in Tunis [48.71%], le Kef [12.32%], Gafsa [15.47%] and Sfax [23,50%]) who were willing to participate in the study (men: 57.87%; women: 42.12%). This questionnaire was composed of 51 items drawn, on the one hand, from Murray-Harvey and collaborators (2000), and formulated, on the other hand, by specialists from both countries. A systematic and rigorous exploratory factor analysis protocol using polychoric correlations (Baglin, 2014) was implemented to build an instrument well-adapted to the context of initial training in Physical Education in Tunisia. Analyses were performed with SPSS Software (v. 21) and Factor 9.2 Software (Lorenzo-Seva and Ferrando, 2013).

The results obtained enabled identifying a parcimonious (13 items) and robust (communality: .398 to .962; factor loadings: .540 to .904) two-factor solution accounting for 73.204% of total variance. Consisting of eight statements, factor 1 refers to the Apprehensions about teaching practice which relate to piloting, planning, collaboration and classroom management skills. It has a relative weight that represents 54.461% of the variance. Factor 2, called Apprehensions regarding third-party assessment, has five statements which correspond to 18.743% of the explained variance. The school representatives (school principal and associate teacher), the representative of the university (academic supervisor) and the beneficiaries of educational services (pupils) are the three sources of apprehension. This factor also includes a statement relating to the causes and possible consequences of judgment (difficulties and failures).

Preoccupations act as a collection of filters. They shed light on how student teachers understand the reality of the training traineeship, help identify their sensitivities and allow to anticipate how and in relation to what they intend to commit themselves during this experience. The findings obtained indicate that the instrument is sufficiently robust in order to move through the confirmatory factor analysis of its psychometric qualities. In terms of identified dimensions, this tool is consistent with findings of several research studies which, for example, show that the evolution of student teachers’ concerns won’t systematically go through all stages pinpointed by Fuller (1969). It clearly states that teaching skills development in Physical Education is a source of preoccupations for them, and the same is true about judgments made by other influential figures, involved directly or indirectly in the training, regarding their skills and the consequences of these judgments with respect to the formal evaluation of training. However, these overlaps must not strip out elements which stand out from those portrayed in existing literature with regard to the content of identified dimensions.

To what can we attribute these elements that stand out? To what extent does the Tunisian culture of training in school and university settings influence the nature of student teachers’ concerns in Physical Education? Is initial training provided to future Physical Education teachers in Tunisia over- theoretical or all too often far from field experience or actual practice? Are practicum experiences sufficient in both quantity and quality? Is the administration of the survey questionnaire at a later date could have produced quite a different picture of participating student teachers’ concerns? Those questions remain open for discussion and will incite further investigations during the confirmatory factor analysis.

Keywords

• Concerns,Tunisia,physical education,student teachers,stress,questionnaire,validity

Validation d’un Instrument Pour Mesurer Les Préoccupations D’enseignants Stagiaires en ÉPS Tunisiens

Abstract

Cet article présente la démarche d’élaboration, de validation et de vérification exploratoire des qualités psychométriques d’un questionnaire sur les préoccupations des stagiaires tunisiens en enseignement de l’éducation physique et sportive. Une étude attentive des préoccupations est indiquée car la documentation scientifique montre qu’elles sont porteuses d’émotions négatives associées notamment au stress, à l’épuisement professionnel, mais aussi à un engagement professionnel amoindri. Un total de 349 questionnaires (77,56 %) collectés dans les quatre instituts tunisiens de formation en ÉPS auprès de stagiaires finissants a mené à l’élaboration d’un questionnaire cohérent et robuste composé de 13 énoncés répartis en deux facteurs expliquant 73,204 % de variance. Le facteur 1 (54,461 %) appelé Appréhensions face à la pratique de l’enseignement regroupe 8 énoncés. Le facteur 2 appelé Appréhensions face à l’évaluation par un tiers (18,743 %) en regroupe 5. Ce questionnaire recoupe certains éléments de la documentation scientifique alors qu’il présente aussi des spécificités. Ces éléments de convergence et divergence font l’objet d’une discussion sur les plans de la recherche et de l’intervention.

Keywords

• stress,questionnaire,Préoccupations,éducation physique,stagiaires,validité

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