An Investigation of Reliability and Validity of Strategy Inventory for Language Learning among Iranian University Students

Abstract

This investigation examined the reliability and validity of Rebecca L. Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) among Iranian university students. Sample pools of 320 (male and female) non-major English students were recruited for participation in the reliability phase. The main instrument of the study was questionnaire. Findings from the present study revealed that the SILL score were test-retest reliable, displaying excellent reliability (Pearson’s correlation>0.8), with total scores not being significantly different across administrations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the SILL to investigate construct validity. Confirmatory factor analyses was run on the data where a six factor structure was found to be the best fitting model for the tool, thereby confirming that SILL measures a multidimensional construct. The authors conclude that the SILL was reliable as well as valid to assess the language learning strategies in Iranian university context.