Abstract
The purpose of this study is to fur ther validate a new questionnaire based on selfdetermination theory (SDT) in the Japanese EFL context. SDT has frequently been applied in L2 motivation studies in Japan, although most such studies have used or adapted a single questionnaire (Hiromori, 2006a) and yielded mixed results, both in line and out of line with SDT. Such outcomes have highlighted the sample-dependent nature of the questionnaire (Agawa & Takeuchi, 2016a). In an effort to tackle this problem, Agawa and Takeuchi (2016c) sought to develop a new questionnaire. They adopted several measures to examine and ensure the validity and reliability of the new instrument, the results of which suggested success in developing the new questionnaire. Yet the new instrument requires more tests using different samples to examine its validity in the Japanese university EFL context. To this end, this study collected data from a different sample from that used for questionnaire development; 444 Japanese university EFL learners responded to the questionnaire. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling indicated that the new questionnaire was valid in a different population, showing that it is less sample-dependent and more versatile than the conventional one.
