A PILOT STUDY ON MEASURING SINDHI-SPEAKING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD SINDHI, URDU, AND ENGLISH

Abstract

Pilot studies are valuable for determining the clarity, feasibility, and reliability of research instruments before they are implemented on a large scale. This study used a closed-ended language-attitude questionnaire to assess the attitudes of Sindhi-speaking undergraduate students towards Sindhi, Urdu, and English. A quantitative pilot study design was employed, and data were collected from 125 students in education, computer science, media and mass communication, and business administration at the University of Karachi. The questionnaire consisted of demographic items, self-reported language proficiency items, and 36 closed-ended attitude items, evenly distributed across the three languages. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27, with Cronbach’s alpha used to assess internal consistency reliability. The questionnaires took an estimated 12-14 minutes to complete and were not reported to have any problems with wording, instructions, or response format. Reliability analysis yielded α: 0.817 and α: 0.802, both of which were above the .70 threshold for good internal consistency. The questionnaire was thus deemed appropriate for a wider application.