Validating the Second Language Teaching for Creativity Scale (L2TCS) and applying it to identify Chinese college L2 teachers’ latent profiles

Given the role of creativity in personal growth and societal advancement, fostering creativity among students, specifically through Teaching for Creativity (TfC), is crucial in educational settings. The second language (L2) classroom stands out as an ideal environment for nurturing creativity due to its exposure to diverse cultural contexts. However, there exists no specific scale designed to assess TfC in the L2 context. To bridge this gap, Study 1 focuses on developing the Second Language Teaching for Creativity Scale (L2TCS) and evaluating its psychometric properties among Chinese college L2 teachers. Our scale development process involved two separate samples. In Sample 1 (n = 362), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed an 18-item L2TCS, comprising three factors: Creativity Ability (CA), Creativity Value (CV), and Creativity Belief (CB), explaining 77.06 % of the total variance. In Sample 2 (n = 328), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the scale's adequate model fit. Moreover, the L2TCS showed satisfactory convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity, and reliability. These findings affirm the L2TCS as an effective tool for evaluating L2 teachers’ TfC. Study 2 utilized this scale to identify latent profiles of Chinese college L2 teachers’ TfC (n = 691) using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Four distinct profiles emerged: high CA-high CV-high CB (C1: 29.4 %), moderate CA-high CV-low CB (C2: 5.2 %), moderate CA-moderate CV-moderate CB (C3: 19.2 %), and moderate CA-high CV-moderate CB (C4: 48.2 %). This study also discusses the theoretical and pedagogical implications and suggests directions for future research.