Development, Validity, and Reliability of the Four Language Skills Self-Assessment Scale (FLSSAS) for Middle School Students

Abstract

As English continues to function as a global and scientific lingua franca, supporting language learning through the development of both cognitive competence and affective confidence remains essential. During middle school, students begin to develop stable self-perceptions that significantly influence their motivation and engagement in language learning. However, no validated instrument currently exists to assess learners’ competence and confidence across the four core English language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate the Four Language Skills Self-Assessment Scale (FLSSAS), a self-report instrument designed to measure middle school students’ competence and confidence in these four domains. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 432 students aged 11 to 14 in Türkiye. An initial pool of 40 items was developed based on Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and Marsh’s Self-Concept Theory. The instrument was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and its internal consistency, composite reliability, average variance extracted and known-groups validity were evaluated. The results supported a two-factor structure (competence and confidence) within each language skill, demonstrating strong reliability and theoretical coherence. In addition, the FLSSAS exhibited developmental sensitivity across grade levels and robust construct validity. These findings indicate that the FLSSAS is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing students’ self-perceptions in English language learning and support a multidimensional framework applicable to both educational research and classroom assessment.