Developing a cultural distance scale for open and distance learning

The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable cultural distance scale that will enable the identification of culture as an element of Open and Distance Learning environments and processes and the basic components related to it, and to reveal the interaction between the variables affecting cultural distance through this scale. In the exploratory sequential mixed-method research, while developing the data collection tool, in addition to a comprehensive literature review, the opinions of 37 field experts in Turkey and abroad were analyzed qualitatively. The final five-point Likert-type scale consisting of a total of 90 items, 13 of which were demographic items, was evaluated by 3 field experts using the three-stage Delphi technique to ensure content validity. The data consisted of 4613 students who willingly participated in the study and were enrolled in the Faculty of Open Education Turkey and Abroad programs of a higher education institution in Central Anatolia in the Spring semester of 2022-2023. The scale, whose construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), discriminant validity and reliability were provided, consists of 7 dimensions and 61 items. The study also examined how the cultural distance scores varied based on some demographics. Finally, the interaction between cultural distance and transactional distance was analyzed with the Structural Equation Model and it was found that three cultural distance dimensions (limitation of support services, limitations in the instructor's educational preferences and skills, and individual's perception of difference about himself/herself) had a significant positive effect on transactional distance. On the basis of these findings, some recommendations were presented in the context of distance education.