ATTITUDE TOWARDS INTERCULTURAL LEARNING COMMUNITY: AN EXPLORATORY AND CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF MEASUREMENT FOR A STUDY ABROAD CONTEXT
Keywords:
intercultural posture, intercultural learning community, EFA, CFA, WTCAbstract
This study uses rigorous validation procedures to validate an attitude towards the intercultural learning community (intercultural posture) scale. 180 Arabic learners at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) were given a questionnaire with 25 items represented five sub-dimensions. Exploratory factor (EFA) and confirmatory factor (CFA) respectively applied to validate the final measurement model. SPSS and Amos were used for Data analysis. The final findings yielded only four sub-dimensions to support intercultural posture construct as a multidimensional concept represented: Attitude to Intercultural Tendency, Intercultural Friendship Orientation, Intercultural Working Group, and Intercultural Group Cohesiveness. A validated Intercultural posture of 12 measured items remained in the CFA result that confirmed the final valid instrument. The instrument scale would promote the identifications of variables in the sense of study abroad context which stimulus students’ engagement in intercultural communication in learning the English language.
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