Validation of an instrument to monitor my students’ face-to-face philosophy ‘communities of inquiry’

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development and validation of a modified version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) in a study of high school philosophy classrooms in Singapore that adopt the ‘community of inquiry’ approach. The modified CLES was administered to 1398 high ability students (grades 7-10) from 49 classes in an all-boy school from the central part of Singapore. Data analysis generally supported each scale’s factor structure, alpha reliability, discriminant validity and ability to differentiate between classrooms. Statistically significant relationships were also found between classroom environment and student outcomes.