Scenario-based mobile application design for young dual-language learners: evidence from factor analysis

Abstract

This article aimed to provide new insights into critical factors to consider when developing a scenario-based mobile application (SBMA) for dual-language learners (DLLs). It is intended to investigate the factorial structure of the SBMA for young students in an elementary school context using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The convenience sampling method was used to recruit 1,040 in-service teachers to complete the internet-based questionnaire. For half of the respondents, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify the factors for SBMA design for young DLLs, and CFA was used to ascertain the model fit. The EFA identified five factors from 32 items, and through CFA, the results indicated that the five factors obtained from the EFA were validated: 1) application attribute; 2) lesson content; 3) immersive environment; 4) learning strategy; 5) instructional use. The findings shed light on how SBMA could be designed for DLLs.