Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-mggfc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-16T15:59:52.999Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

L2 GRIT

A LONGITUDINAL CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS-CURVE OF FACTORS MODEL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2021

Majid Elahi Shirvan Open the ORCID record for Majid Elahi Shirvan [Opens in a new window] ,
Tahereh Taherian  and
Elham Yazdanmehr
Majid Elahi Shirvan*
Affiliation:
University of Bojnord
Tahereh Taherian
Affiliation:
Yazd University
Elham Yazdanmehr
Affiliation:
Attar Institute of Higher Education, Iran
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Majid Elahi Shirvan, Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bojnord, North Khorasan Province, Iran. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Given the longitudinal nature of L2 grit, the use of conventional research methodologies with cross-sectional data to examine the validity of L2 grit scale seems inadequate. The present research was an attempt to extend the domain-specific phase of research on L2 grit, with the pursuit of long-term goals at its core, into a dynamic one. Thus, we adopted a longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis-curve of factors model (LCFA-CFM) approach to trace changes in L2 learners’ grit at different points of time in an EFL course. LCFA-CFM ensures measurement invariance over time, deals with second-order latent variables, takes into account measurement errors, and is capable of assessing interindividual differences. With this in mind, we, first, employed LCFA to test the factor invariance of L2 grit based on a bifactor CFA model over time and, second, used CFM to measure change of L2 grit during an L2 course. To do so, we collected data from 437 adult EFL learners in Iran in four time phases using the L2 grit scale and analyzed them using Mplus 7.4. The model fit was accepted and invariance of the latent factor of L2 grit was confirmed over time. Also, the negative covariance between initial level of L2 grit and its rate of change over time (second-order latent variables) suggested a steeper increase in the construct over time for learners with lower initial scores of the construct. That is, L2 learners who started at a higher level of L2 grit experienced less change in L2 grit over time. The LCFA-CFM ensured that the factor structure of L2 grit is invariant over time and provided insights into how L2 grit changes over an L2 course.

Type
Methods Forum
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 44 , Issue 5 , December 2022 , pp. 1449 - 1476
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alamer, A. (2021). Grit and language learning: Construct validation of L2-Grit scale and its relation to later vocabulary knowledge. Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2020.1867076 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banse, H., & Palacios, N. (2018). Supportive classrooms for Latino English language learners: Grit, ELL status, and the classroom context. The Journal of Educational Research, 111, 645–656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, E. D., & Jackson, J. J. (2020). Idiographic traits: A return to Allportian approaches to personality. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29, 301–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bollen, K. A., & Curran, P. J. (2006). Latent curve models: A structural equation perspective. Wiley.Google Scholar
Boudreau, C., MacIntyre, P., & Dewaele, J. M. (2018). Enjoyment and anxiety in second language communication: An idiodynamic approach. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8, 149–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Chang, W. (2014). Grit and academic performance: Is being grittier better? [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Miami.Google Scholar
Changlek, A., & Palanukulwong, T. (2015). Motivation and grit: Predictors of language learning achievement. Veridian E-Journal, 8, 23–38.Google Scholar
Chen, X., Lake, J., & Padilla, A. M. (2021). Grit and motivation for learning English among Japanese university students. System, 96, 102411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurementinvariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christopoulou, M., Lakioti, A., Pezirkianidis, C., Karakasidou, E., & Stalikas, A. (2018). The role of grit in education: A systematic review. Psychology, 9, 2951–2971.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, N., & Malecki, K. (2019). Academic Grit Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with achievement and life satisfaction. Journal of School Psychology, 72, 49–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2018.12.001 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Credé, M. (2018). What shall we do about grit? A critical review of what we know and what we don’t know. Educational Researcher, 47, 606–611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Credé, M., Tynan, M., & Harms, P. (2016). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102 Google ScholarPubMed
Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113, 492–511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Darrah, J., & Bartlett, D. (1995). Dynamic systems theory and management of children with cerebral palsy: Unresolved issues. Infants and Young Children, 8, 52–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Datu, J. A. D., & Fong, R. W. (2018). Examining the association of grit with test emotions among Hong Kong Chinese primary school students. School Psychology International, 39, 510–525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Datu, J. A. D., Valdez, J. P. M., & King, R. B. (2015). Perseverance counts but consistency does not! Validating the Short Grit Scale in a collectivist setting. Current Psychology, 35, 121–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Datu, J. A. D., Valdez, J. P. M., & King, R. B. (2016). The successful life of gritty students: Grit leads to optimal educational and well-being outcomes in a collectivist context. In King, R. and Bernardo, A. (Eds.), The psychology of Asian learners (pp. 503–516). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Datu, J. A. D., Yuen, M., & Chen, G. (2018). The triarchic model of grit is linked to academic success and well-being among Filipino high school students. School Psychology Quarterly, 33, 428–438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Bot, K., Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. (2007). A dynamic systems theory to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10, 7–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dewaele, J.-M., Witney, J., Saito, K., & Dewaele, L. (2018). Foreign language enjoyment and anxiety in the FL classroom: The effect of teacher and learner variables. Language Teaching Research, 22, 676–697.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dörnyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2015). The psychology of the language learner revisited. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1087–1101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 166–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duckworth, A., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Self-control and grit: Related but separable determinants of success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23, 319–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414541462 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eskreis-Winkler, L., Duckworth, A. L., Shulman, E. P., & Beal, S. (2014). The grit effect: Predicting retention in the military, the workplace, school and marriage. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrer, E., Balluerka, N., & Widaman, K. F. (2008). Factorial invariance and the specification of second-order latent growth models. Methodology, 4, 22–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frydenberg, E. (2017). Positive psychology, mindset, grit, hardiness, and emotional intelligence and the construct of resilience: A good fit with coping. In Frydenberg, E., Coping and the challenge of resilience (pp. 13–28). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56924-0_2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gass, S., & Plonsky, L. (2020). Introducing the SSLA methods forum. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42, 667–669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gkonou, C., Daubney, M., & Dewaele, J. M. (Eds.). (2017). New insights into language anxiety: Theory, research and educational implications. Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harring, J. R. (2009). A nonlinear mixed effects model for latent variables. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 34, 293–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hiver, P., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2016). A dynamic ensemble for second language research:Putting complexity theory into practice. The Modern Language Journal, 100, 741–756. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12347 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hiver, P., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2019). Research methods for complexity theory in applied linguistics. Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivcevic, Z., & Brackett, M. (2014). Predicting school success: Comparing conscientiousness, grit, and emotion regulation ability. Journal of Research in Personality, 52, 29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khajavi, G. H., MacIntyre, P., & Hariri, J. (2021). A closer look at grit and language mindset as predictors of foreign language achievement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 43, 379–402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000480 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kramer, B., McLean, S., & Shepherd Martin, E.S. (2017). Student grittiness: A pilot study investigating scholarly persistence in EFL classrooms. Journal of Osaka Jogakuin College, 47, 25–41. http://hdl.handle.net/10775/3498 Google Scholar
Krampe, R. T., & Ericsson, K. A. (1996). Maintaining excellence: Deliberate practice and elite performance in young and older pianists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 125, 331–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lake, J. (2013). Positive L2 self: Linking positive psychology with L2 motivation. In Apple, T. M., Da Silva, D., & Fellner, T. (Eds.), Language learning motivation in Japan (pp. 71–225). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2016). Classroom-oriented research from a complex systems perspective. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 6, 377–393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Cameron, L. (2008). Complex systems and applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Little, T. D. (2013). Longitudinal structural equation modeling. Guilford.Google Scholar
Lorenz, F. O., Wickrama, K. A. S., & Conger, R. D. (2004). Modeling continuity and change in family relations with panel data. In Conger, R. D., Lorenz, F. O., & Wickrama, K. A. S. (Eds.), Continuity and change in family relations: Theory, methods, and empirical findings (pp. 15–62). Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2017). Measuring language mindsets and modeling their relations with goal orientations and emotional and behavioral responses in failure situations. The Modern Language Journal, 101, 214–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucas, G. M., Gratch, J., Cheng, L., & Marsella, S. (2015). When the going gets tough: Grit predicts costly perseverance. Journal of Research in Personality, 59, 15–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacIntyre, P. D. (2017). An overview of language anxiety research and trends in its development. In Gkonou, C., Daubney, M., & Dewaele, J. M. (Eds.), New insights into language anxiety: Theory, research and educational implications (pp. 11–30). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
MacIntyre, P. D., Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2020). Complexity perspectives on researching language learner and teacher psychology. Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Marsh, H. W., Hau, K. T., & Wen, Z. (2004). In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s (1999) findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11, 320–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matsunaga, M. (2010). How to factor-analyze your data right: Do’s don’ts, and how-to’s. International Journal of Psychological Research, 3, 97–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McArdle, J. J. (1988). Dynamic but structural equation modeling of repeated measures data. In Nesselroade, J. R. & Cattell, R. B. (Eds.), Handbook of multivariate experimental psychology (pp. 561–614). Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, R. P. (1985). Factor analysis and related methods. Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
McDonald, R. P. (1999). Test theory: A unified treatment. Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Meade, A., Johnson, E., & Braddy, P. (2008). Power and sensitivity of alternative fit indices in tests of measurement invariance. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 568–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mercer, S., & Ryan, S. (2009). A mindset for EFL: Learners’ beliefs about the role of natural talent. ELT Journal, 64, 436–444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meredith, W., & Horn, J. (2001). The role of factorial invariance in modeling growth and change. In Sayer, A. & Collins, L. (Eds.), New methods for the analysis of change (pp. 203–240). American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morell, M., Yang, J. S., Gladstone, J. R., Turci Faust, L., Ponnock, A. R., Lim, H. J., & Wigfield, A. (2021). Grit: The long and short of it. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113, 1038–1058. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000594 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muenks, K., Wigfield, A., Yang, J. S., & O’Neal, C. R. (2017). How true is grit? Assessing its relations to high school and college students’ personality characteristics, self-regulation, engagement, and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109, 599–620. https://doi.org/10.1037/ edu0000153CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nazari, M., & Alizadeh Oghyanous, P. (2021). Exploring the role of experience in L2 teachers’ turnover intentions/occupational stress and psychological well-being/grit: A mixed methods study. Cogent Education, 8, 1892943.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osburn, H. G. (2000). Coefficient alpha and related internal consistency reliability coefficients. Psychological Methods, 5, 343–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osgood, K. (2012, September 30). Paul Tough is way off-base. And stop saying “grit.” http://atthechalkface.com/2012/09/30/paultough-is-way-off-base-and-stop-saying-grit/ Google Scholar
Perkins-Gough, D. (2013). The significance of grit: A conversation with Angela Lee Duckworth. Educational Leadership, 71, 14–20.Google Scholar
Pervin, L. A., & John, O. P. (2001). Personality: Theory and research (8th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Plonsky, L., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). How big is “big”? Interpreting effect sizes in L2 research. Language Learning, 64, 878–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paunonen, S. V., & Ashton, M.C. (2001). Big Five factors and facets and the prediction of behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 524–539. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.81.3.524 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rensvold, R. B., & Cheung, G. W. (2001). Testing for metric invariance using structural equation models: Solving the standardization problem. In Schriesheim, C. A. & Neider, L. L. (Eds). Research in management: Equivalence in measurement (pp. 21–50). Information Age.Google Scholar
Rimfeld, K., Kovas, Y., Dale, P. S., & Plomin, R. (2016). True grit and genetics: Predicting academic achievement from personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111, 780–789.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robins, S. (2019). Academic achievement and retention among ESL learners: A study of grit in an online context. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of West Georgia, Carrolton, GA.Google Scholar
Ryan, S., & Mercer, S. (2012). Implicit theories: Language learning mindsets. In Mercer, S., Ryan, S., & Williams, M. (Eds.), Psychology for language learning: Insights from research, theory and practice (pp. 74–89). Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmidt, F. T. C., Fleckenstein, J., Retelsdorf, J., Eskreis-Winkler, L., & Moller, J. (2017). Measuring grit: A German validation and a domain-specific approach to grit. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1, 1–12.Google Scholar
Schmidt, F. T., Nagy, G., Fleckenstein, J., Möller, J., & Retelsdorf, J. (2018). Same same, but different? Relations between facets of conscientiousness and grit. European Journal of Personality, 32, 705–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Şimşek, G. G., & Noyan, F. (2013). McDonald’s ωt, Cronbach’s α, and generalized θ for composite reliability of common factors structures. Communications in Statistics-Simulation and Computation, 42, 2008–2025.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strayhorn, T. L. (2014). What role does grit play in the academic success of black male collegians at predominantly white institutions? Journal of African American Studies, 18, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sudina, E., Brown, J., Datzman, B., Oki, Y., Song, K., Cavanaugh, R., Thiruchelvam, B., & Plonsky, L. (2020). Language-specific grit: Exploring psychometric properties, predictive validity and differences across contexts. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 15, 334–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1802468 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teimouri, Y., Plonsky, L., & Tabandeh, F. (2020). L2 grit: Passion and perseverance for second-language learning. Language Teaching Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820921895 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thelen, E., Kelso, J. A. S., & Fogel, A. (1987). Self-organizing systems and infant motor development. Developmental Review, 7, 39–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, M. S., & Green, S. B. (2006). Evaluating between-group differences in latent means. In Hancock, G. R. & Mueller, R. O. (Eds.), Structural equation modeling: A second course (pp. 119–169). Information Age.Google Scholar
Von Culin, K. R., Tsukayama, E., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014). Unpacking grit: Motivational correlates of perseverance and passion for long-term goals. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9, 306–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wei, H., Gao, K., & Wang, W. (2019). Understanding the relationship between grit and foreign language performance among middle school students: The roles of foreign language enjoyment and classroom environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1508 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wittaker, T. A., Beretvas, S. N., & Falbo, T. (2014). Dyadic curve-of-factors model: Anintroduction and illustration of model for longitudinal nonexchangeable dyadic data. Structural Equation Modeling, 21, 303–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.882695 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wickrama, K. A. S., Lee, T. K., O’Neal C, W., & Lorenz, F. O. (2016). Higher-order growth curves and mixture modeling with Mplus. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamashita, T. (2018). Grit and second language acquisition: Can passion and perseverance predictperformance in Japanese language learning? [Unpublished MA thesis]. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.Google Scholar
Yoon, S., Kim, S., & Kang, M. (2020). Predictive power of grit, professor support for autonomy and learning engagement on perceived achievement within the context of a flipped classroom. Active Learning in Higher Education, 21, 233–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar