Language Assistant Programs and CLIL: Developing and Validating Questionnaires to Determine Program Training Needs

Research on language assistants in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) classrooms in the context of Spain has been scarce. Given the unique, demanding nature of CLIL instruction, more investigation into the implementation of language assistant programs in CLIL using validated research tools is essential. Therefore, this paper outlines the process for developing and validating questionnaires created to analyze the perceptions and training needs of language assistants, CLIL teachers, and bilingual program coordinators in relation to effectively implementing language assistant programs in CLIL. In this study, three questionnaires were created for three specific cohorts (i.e., language assistants, CLIL teachers, and bilingual program coordinators). The first step of the double-fold pilot process used to validate the questionnaires entailed an expert rating approach, where the experts rated each item’s clarity, precision, and relevance, followed by rating the entire questionnaire’s logical order, number of items, and content validity. The second step involved a pilot study conducted among all three cohorts. Next, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for each section of the three questionnaires, except for demographic information, and for each questionnaire as a whole. The results show that all sections and questionnaires are internally consistent and thus could be used in a wide array of studies analyzing the implementation of language assistant programs in CLIL. The questionnaires allow the use of data source triangulation to determine the training needs of three cohorts in both their CLIL pedagogical knowledge and language assistant program implementation skills, specifically in a secondary school classroom setting.