Middle school mathematics teachers' actions to support mathematical literacy skills: A scale development study

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure the actions of middle school mathematics teachers in supporting mathematical literacy skills. Mathematical literacy is not merely a skill; it is considered a multidimensional competence that reveals individuals' capacities to analyze problems, produce solutions, and think critically in the 21st century. In this context, the developed scale aims to provide a quantitative measurement tool to determine teachers' awareness, knowledge levels, and tendencies to apply mathematical literacy. Method: The study was conducted using a mixed-methods design. Initially, semi-structured interviews were held with five middle school mathematics teachers during the qualitative data collection phase. The data obtained from these interviews were analyzed contently, focusing on teachers' perceptions, definitions, and implementations of mathematical literacy. Secondly, expert opinions were consulted, and the draft items were reviewed based on the qualitative findings and expert feedback. In the final step, a 24-item five-point Likert scale was developed. The scale was administered to 206 middle school mathematics teachers working in various schools across Turkey. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability analyses (Cronbach's Alpha), and descriptive statistics. Additionally, teachers' levels of performing mathematical literacy activities were analyzed according to variables such as gender, age, years of experience, education level, and whether they had taken a mathematical literacy course using t-tests and ANOVA. Results: According to qualitative findings, teachers generally associate mathematical literacy with students' abilities to solve real-life problems, utilize mathematical thinking skills, and develop alternative solution strategies. Particularly, communication and representation skills stand out in classroom practices; however, higher-order competencies such as reasoning, strategy development, and mathematization are reported to be insufficiently implemented due to limitations in the curriculum, exam-oriented system, and time constraints. Quantitative analyses revealed that the developed scale is valid and reliable, has a unidimensional structure, and that teachers' average scores on the scale are at a high level. No significant differences were observed in teachers' scores based on gender, age, years of experience, or education level. However, teachers who had taken a mathematical literacy course demonstrated significantly higher levels of actions supporting mathematical literacy skills. Conclusion and Suggestions: As a result of the study, it was determined that the developed scale measuring middle school mathematics teachers' actions to support mathematical literacy skills is a valid, reliable, and functional instrument. The scale is effective in measuring teachers' supportive actions toward mathematical literacy skills and is considered an important evaluation tool to be used in professional development processes. Moreover, although teachers' supportive actions of these skills in the classroom were found to be high, it is recommended to develop instructional materials and guide documents to further support mathematical literacy competencies. Keywords: Mathematical literacy, Middle school mathematics teacher, Scale development, Mixed-methods research