[Paper Review] Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring Instructors' Attitudes toward Concept-Based or Reform-Oriented Teaching of Introductory Statistics in the Health and Behavioral Sciences

Rossi A. Hassad|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 19, 2010

Statistics Education and Methodologies279 references13 citations

TL;DR

This study developed and validated the FATS scale—a 25-item, five-subscale instrument with internal consistency alpha of 0.89—to measure tertiary-level instructors' attitudes toward concept-based or reform-oriented teaching in introductory statistics within health and behavioral sciences. The scale demonstrated strong construct validity, differentiating between low- and high-reform practice instructors, and revealed age as a significant factor in attitude variation.

ABSTRACT

Despite more than a decade of reform efforts, students continue to experience difficulty understanding and applying statistical concepts. The predominant focus of reform has been on content, pedagogy, technology and assessment, with little attention to instructor characteristics. However, there is strong theoretical and empirical evidence that instructors' attitudes impact the quality of teaching and learning. The objective of this study was to develop and initially validate a scale to measure instructors' attitudes toward reform-oriented (or concept-based) teaching of introductory statistics in the health and behavioral sciences, at the tertiary level. This scale will be referred to as FATS (Faculty Attitudes Toward Statistics). Data were obtained from 227 instructors (USA and international), and analyzed using factor analysis, multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The overall scale consists of five sub-scales with a total of 25 items, and an overall alpha of 0.89. Construct validity was established. Specifically, the overall scale, and subscales (except perceived difficulty) plausibly differentiated between low-reform and high-reform practice instructors. Statistically significant differences in attitude were observed with respect to age, but not gender, employment status, membership status in professional organizations, ethnicity, highest academic qualification, and degree concentration. This scale can be considered a reliable and valid measure of instructors' attitudes toward reform-oriented (concept-based or constructivist) teaching of introductory statistics in the health and behavioral sciences at the tertiary level. These five dimensions influence instructors' attitudes. Additional studies are required to confirm these structural and psychometric properties.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the persistent challenge of student difficulty in understanding statistical concepts despite over a decade of educational reform.
• To investigate the role of instructor attitudes as a critical but under-researched factor influencing teaching quality and learning outcomes.
• To develop a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring attitudes toward concept-based or reform-oriented teaching in introductory statistics.
• To validate the instrument’s reliability and construct validity across diverse instructor demographics and teaching practices.
• To identify demographic and professional factors influencing instructors' receptiveness to reform-oriented pedagogies in statistics education.

Proposed method

• Data were collected from 227 instructors across the USA and internationally through a structured survey instrument.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to identify underlying dimensions of instructor attitudes toward reform-oriented teaching.
• Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied to examine patterns in attitude groupings and validate the scale structure.
• Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency, yielding an overall alpha of 0.89 for the full scale.
• Construct validity was evaluated by comparing FATS scores between instructors with low-reform and high-reform teaching practices.
• Bivariate analyses were conducted to assess associations between instructor attitudes and demographic variables (age, gender, employment status, etc.).

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the underlying dimensions of instructors' attitudes toward concept-based or reform-oriented teaching in introductory statistics within health and behavioral sciences?
• RQ2 How reliable and valid is the developed scale (FATS) in measuring these attitudes across diverse instructor populations?
• RQ3 To what extent do instructors' attitudes differ based on their teaching practices (low-reform vs. high-reform)?
• RQ4 Which demographic or professional characteristics (e.g., age, gender, academic qualification) significantly predict differences in attitudes toward reform-oriented teaching?
• RQ5 How do perceived difficulty and other subscales of the FATS scale relate to actual teaching practices and instructor behavior?

Key findings

• The FATS scale consists of five distinct sub-scales with 25 items and demonstrated strong internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.89.
• Construct validity was supported as the overall scale and four of five subscales significantly differentiated between instructors with low-reform and high-reform teaching practices.
• Age was the only demographic variable that showed a statistically significant association with instructors' attitudes toward reform-oriented teaching.
• No significant differences in attitudes were found based on gender, employment status, professional organization membership, ethnicity, highest academic degree, or academic concentration.
• The perceived difficulty subscale did not significantly differentiate between low- and high-reform practice instructors, suggesting potential limitations in its discriminant validity.
• The scale is considered a reliable and valid instrument for measuring attitudes toward reform-oriented statistics teaching in tertiary-level health and behavioral sciences education.