Developing an instrument to measure Korean pre‐service teachers' understanding of language as an epistemic tool in mathematics education

Abstract

This study adapted and validated an instrument to measure pre‐service teachers' understanding of language as an epistemic tool in mathematics education in South Korea. Initially validated for science education, the instrument was tailored for mathematics education and translated into Korean. The validation process included tests for content validity, substance validity through translation, and structural validity, affirming the instrument's efficacy in this new context. The rating scale model was employed to analyze raw response data and confirm a unidimensional model fit. To ensure the functional equivalence of translated items, rigorous domain reanalysis, translation, and back‐translation processes were implemented. A pilot study involving 215 Korean pre‐service teachers was conducted, yielding results that support the instrument's reliability and validity in measuring their understanding of language as an epistemic tool in mathematics. This adaptation provides a quantitative measure for this understanding and an example to revise the instrument for new contexts.