Development of a survey for constructivist teaching practices

Victor V. Hafalla Jr, Ph.D.1 and Ellen M. Halover, Ph.D.2
1University of Baguio, Baguio City, 2600 Philippines
Email: vicwin123@yahoo.com

2University of Baguio Baguio City, 2600 Philippines
Email: ehalover@yahoo.com

Abstract

The role of todays’ teachers in the learning process has now evolved from the traditional transmitter of static information to a facilitator, adviser, content expert, coach, group facilitator, gatekeeper, and orchestrator of collaborative knowledge creation, all of which involve constructivist teaching methods and techniques. The study investigated the feasibility of developing an instrument to measure constructivist teaching practices among practicing teachers through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Respondents of the study included 187 teachers from 16 teacher education institutions. Results of reliability analysis revealed good to excellent Cronbach’s alpha values indicative of a reliable instrument. School culture sensitivity analysis revealed it to be not school-type specific. Preliminary results indicated a five-factor model conforming to the theoretical number of latent factors proposed. Results also revealed high factor loadings of the variates unto their parent latent factors indicative of the convergent validity of the instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis, however, indicated revisions in the proposed model with highly correlated endogenous variables suggesting a grouping to student-group methods and tutorial methods. Model fit indexes and measurement model fit further revealed a marginally acceptable model.

Key words: constructivist teaching, peer tutoring, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, factor analysis