Development and Validation of Research Skills Instruments for Pre-service Biology Teachers

Research skills are essential for navigating the demands of the 21st century, as they allow students to become accustomed to doing critical analysis in a productive context to uncover knowledge and solutions and boost their future career prospects. However, there are still relatively few studies that develop research skills instruments. This study aims to fill the gap by developing and validating the research skills instruments. We developed and validated a research skills instrument using expert ratings of biology education and surveys. The survey was conducted on 408 respondents, namely pre-service biology teachers. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) calculated to validate and confirm the final dimensions of the newly developed instrument. This series of analysis produces 22 statement items with four dimensions, namely Embark & Clarify (EmC), composed of seven items; Find & Manage (FM), consisting of six items; Identify & Generate (IG), composed of four items; Evaluate & Communicate (EvC) consisting of five items. The CFA results match the proposed model to observational data. The study indicate that the dimension that best describes students’ research skills is Evaluate & Communicate. The research skills instrument developed has an adequate internal consistency value, indicating that it can be used to assess student research skills. This study recommends a research skills instrument to evaluate students' research skills to produce graduates with scientific skills.