Determination of cultural literacy levels of middle school students

The aim of this research is to develop a valid and reliable scale to determine the cultural literacy levels of secondary school students and, based on the data obtained, to examine these levels in terms of various demographic variables. The study was conducted in the 2024–2025 academic year with 8th grade students studying in the central district of Rize province. Data were collected using the "Cultural Literacy Scale" developed during the research process. Within the scope of validity and reliability analyses, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) values for convergent and discriminant validity, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient, and the test-retest method were used. It was determined that the scale consists of three sub-dimensions, which were named "understanding culture," "sustaining culture," and "cultural interaction." The construct validity and reliability levels of the scale were found to be high. Research findings revealed that the cultural literacy levels of female students were significantly higher than those of male students. In analyses conducted by school type, it was found that students from imam hatip secondary schools scored higher than private school students in the "sustaining culture" dimension, while private school students scored higher than imam hatip students in the "cultural interaction" dimension. Comparisons by parental education level showed that students whose parents were university graduates had higher scores in the "understanding culture" and "cultural interaction" dimensions. Suggestions for improving cultural literacy include increasing school-based cultural activities, making use of out-of-school learning environments, organizing awareness programs for parents, establishing digital bridges with different cultures, and setting up cultural clubs.