Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Malaysian Geography Teachers’ Professionalism Questionnaire Instrument

Mohammad Azri Bin Amatan; Hanifah Mahat; Yazid Saleh; Mazdi Marzuki; Fauziah Che Leh

doi:10.35877/454RI.asci4801

Authors

Mohammad Azri Bin Amatan Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Hanifah Mahat Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Yazid Saleh Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Mazdi Marzuki Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Fauziah Che Leh Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.asci4801

Keywords:

Geography Teacher Professionalism, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Instrument Development, Construct Validity, The 2027 School Curriculum

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and validate the Malaysian Geography Teachers’ Professionalism Questionnaire Instrument based on the 2027 School Curriculum Framework. The instrument was designed to measure four key dimensions of geography teachers’ professionalism: pedagogical practice, content mastery, assessment implementation, and character education. A quantitative survey design was employed involving 300 secondary school geography teachers in Malaysia. Respondents were selected using proportional stratified sampling and simple random sampling. The questionnaire consisted of 60 items, with 15 items representing each construct. Content validity was established through expert review, while construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis. The results indicated that the data were suitable for factor analysis, with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of .937 and a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity. Four factors were extracted, explaining 49.161% of the total variance. Most items recorded acceptable factor loadings ranging from .342 to .807, supporting the construct validity of the instrument. Overall, the study produced a valid instrument for measuring geography teachers’ professionalism in the Malaysian secondary school context and provides a useful tool for researchers, policymakers, and educational stakeholders.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108324554

Bartlett, M. S. (1954). A note on the multiplying factors for various chi-square approximations. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Methodological), 16(2), 296–298.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2018). Classroom assessment and pedagogy. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 25(6), 551–575. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2018.1441807

Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868

Cowie, P. M. (1978). Geography: A value laden subject in education. Geographical Education, 3, 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221347808980118

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

DeVellis, R. F. (2017). Scale development: Theory and applications (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Ghani, M. F. A., & Adnan, A. K. (2015a). Malaysian teaching professional development model: Need analysis study in high? and low?performing schools. Jurnal Kepimpinan Pendidikan, 2(2), 32–46.

Ghani, M. F. A., & Adnan, A. K. (2015b). Malaysian teaching professional development model: Need analysis study in high and low performing schools. Jurnal Kepimpinan Pendidikan, 2(2), 32–46.

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage.

Hanifah, M., Mohmadisa, H., Yazid, S., Nasir, N., & Balkhis, N. S. (2019). Professional and pedagogical competencies of form six geography teachers in Malaysia. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 9(2), 304–318. https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.509836

Hayton, J. C., Allen, D. G., & Scarpello, V. (2004). Factor retention decisions in exploratory factor analysis: A tutorial on parallel analysis. Organizational Research Methods, 7(2), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428104263675

Joyce, B. R., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2000). Models of teaching (6th ed.). Allyn and Bacon.

Kaiser, H. F. (1960). The application of electronic computers to factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 141–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316446002000116

Kaiser, H. F., & Rice, J. (1974). Little Jiffy, Mark IV. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 34(1), 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447403400115

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60–70. https://citejournal.org/volume-9/issue-1-09/general/what-is-technological-pedagogicalcontent-knowledge/

Kurikulum, B. P. (2018). Dokumen standard kurikulum dan pentaksiran geografi tingkatan 4 dan 5. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. https://bpk.moe.gov.my/kurikulum/kssm/kssm-tingkatan-4-dan-5/413-dskp-kssm-geografi-tingkatan-4-5/file

Larsen, J. E., Tabor, S. W., & Smith, J. S. (2020). Geography education in the 21st century. Routledge.

Lateh, H., & Muniandy, V. (2010). ICT implementation among Malaysian schools: GIS, obstacles and opportunities. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 2846–2850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.426

Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1975.tb01393.x

Lee, S. J., Kriewaldt, J., & Roberts, M. (2022). Cross-national comparisons of inquiry learning in secondary geography curricula. The Curriculum Journal, 33(1), 42–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.126

Lickona, T. (1997). The teacher’s role in character education. Journal of Education, 179(2), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205749717900206

Lickona, T. (2004a). Character matters: How to help our children develop good judgment, integrity, and other essential virtues. Touchstone.

Lickona, T. (2004b). Character Matters: How to Help Our Children Develop Good Judgment, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues. Touchstone.

Mahat, H., Ibrahim, N. H., Baharuddin, M. F., & Othman, A. M. (2024). Enhancing authentic assessment for geography in secondary schools. ASTEN: Journal of Teacher Education, 8(1), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.56278/asten.v8i.2769

Mahat, H., Nayan, N. A., Saleh, Y., Hashim, M., & Norkhaidi, S. B. (2021a). Kompetensi profesionalisme guru Geografi di Malaysia. Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi, 11(2), 44–52.

Mahat, H., Nayan, N., Saleh, Y., Hashim, M., & Norkhaidi, S. B. (2021b). Kompetensi profesionalisme guru geografi di Malaysia. Geografia: Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 17(3), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.17576/geo-2021-1703-08

Mahat, H., Saleh, Y., Hashim, M., Nayan, N., Bakri, M. R., & Kurniawan, E. (2024). Authentic assessment practices of geography teachers in the online education. AsTEN Journal of Teacher Education, 8, 18–43. https://doi.org/10.56278/asten.v8i.2769

Malaysia, K. P. (2018). Dokumen Standard Kurikulum dan Pentaksiran (DSKP) Geografi Tingkatan 4 & 5. Bahagian Pembangunan Kurikulum, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.

Malaysia, K. P. (2023a). Kurikulum Persekolahan 2027. https://www.moe.gov.my/kurikulum-persekolahan-2027

Malaysia, K. P. (2023b). Kurikulum Persekolahan 2027.

Malaysia, K. P. (2025). Unit Maklumat Asas Pendidikan, Sektor Perancangan Data Makro Pendidikan, Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan Dasar Pendidikan. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.

Rawlings Smith, E., & Rushton, E. A. C. (2023). Geography teacher educators’ identity, roles and professional learning in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 32(2), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2022.2153988

Seow, T., Chang, J., & Irvine, K. N. (2019). Field-based inquiry as a signature pedagogy for geography in Singapore. Journal of Geography, 118(6), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2018.1561740

Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.57.1.j463w79r56455411

Smit, E., Tuithof, H., Savelsbergh, E., & Béneker, T. (2023). Geography teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge: A systematic review. Journal of Geography, 122(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2023.2173796

Smith, D. M. (1978). Geography and the teaching of social values. Area, 10(4), 269–274.

Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7 (ed.)). Pearson Education.

Walker, S., & Fraser, B. (2005). Development and validation of an instrument assessing distance education learning environments in higher education: The distance learning environment survey (DELES). Learning Environments Research: An International Journal, 8(3), 289–308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-005-6271-3

Yong, A. G., & Pearce, S. (2013). A beginner’s guide to factor analysis: Focusing on exploratory factor analysis. Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 9(2), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.20982/tqmp.09.2.p079

Yusof, H., Masood, F., Mohd Noor, M. A., & Abdul Jalil, N. (2017a). Teaching professionalism values and its relationship with teacher leadership attribute. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(4), 900–915. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i4/2900

Yusof, H., Masood, F., Mohd Noor, M. A., & Abdul Jalil, N. (2017b). Teaching professionalism values and its relationship with teacher leadership attribute. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(4), 900–915. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i4/2900