Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess students’ perceptions of EMI degree programmes

Given the growing popularity of English-taught degree programs in higher education and the need to evaluate their effectiveness, this study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess students’ perceptions of such programmes. Specifically, four scales were constructed to measure perceptions of students’ language development, academic achievement, use of English in class, and teaching quality. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 256 students enrolled in different English-taught degree programmes at Spanish universities. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to assess the psychometric properties of the scales. After refinement, the four scales demonstrated strong fit indices and solid discriminant validity. Unlike previous studies that often lack explicit reporting of instrument validity, our research provides a reliable and valid tool for researchers to explore students' perceptions of EMI, for lecturers to improve their teaching practices, and for policymakers to inform and evaluate educational reforms