Development of an attitude scale for foreign students and development of teacher attitudes

This master's thesis examines the impact of increasing global migration on Turkey's education system, specifically focusing on how this multicultural environment shapes teachers' attitudes toward foreign students. The significant migration flow into Turkey has led to a rise in the number of foreign students in the education system, creating a need to evaluate teachers' attitudes toward these students. The primary aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to assess teachers' attitudes toward foreign students. Conducted with a large sample of teachers working in public schools in Antalya, the study initially collected data from 776 teachers, and following validity and reliability analyses, data from 347 teachers were used for the main analysis. Demographic information and teachers' attitudes toward foreign students were measured using Likert-type scales. Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were applied to assess the scale's construct validity and reliability. Findings indicate that teachers generally hold positive attitudes toward foreign students, with variations observed based on demographic factors such as gender, seniority, and educational background. Teachers with more experience tend to demonstrate more positive attitudes. These findings underscore the need for supportive programs to enhance cultural awareness among teachers, particularly to better manage cultural diversity in multicultural educational settings. The developed scale is expected to contribute significantly to educational policies and teacher training by promoting equal educational opportunities and supporting the social integration of immigrant students. This scale is proposed as a valid and reliable tool for understanding teachers' roles in multicultural education and for guiding future research.