Development of the 21st century skills self-efficacy scale for preschool teachers: Validity and reliability study

This study aimed to develop a scale to determine preschool teachers' self-efficacy in fostering 21st-century skills and to perform validity and reliability analyses of the scale. The sample of the study was determined using the multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research process was conducted based on the steps of scale development. Referring to the 12 regions and provinces listed in the Statistical Region Units Classification (SRUC) defined by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the study group comprised 304 preschool teachers working in official schools in the centers and districts of Edirne, Kırklareli, and Tekirdağ provinces in the Western Marmara Region. The scale was analyzed using the IBM SPSS 25 program. For the validity analysis of the scale, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with Varimax rotation and the principal components method was used to examine the construct validity of the scale. The analysis revealed that the scale consists of six sub-dimensions. The factor loadings of the items ranged between 0.426 and 0.820, indicating a highly satisfactory level. For the reliability analysis, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of the scale, resulting in a value of 0.928. Additionally, item-total correlations were examined, showing that all items made significant contributions to the scale. The Guttman Split-Half and Spearman-Brown tests were applied to evaluate the split-half reliability, yielding a Guttman Split-Half coefficient of 0.817 and a Spearman-Brown coefficient of 0.824. In conclusion, the "Preschool Teachers' Self-Efficacy Scale for 21st-Century Skills," consisting of six sub-dimensions and 34 items, was determined to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring preschool teachers' self-efficacy in 21st-century skills. It is thought that this study provides a resource for future research in the field and presents a measurement tool applicable to different sample groups. KEY WORDS: 21st-Century skills, Preschool teacher, Scale development, Self-efficacy.