Developing vocational alienation scale for the preschool teachers (VAS-PT) and a sample study

The aim of this research is to exhibit whether dimensions of vocational alienation of the preschool teachers working at public and private schools (meaninglessness, sense of isolation, self-enstragement, powerlessness, normlessness) varies according to gender, age, having children, education level, his institution, professional seniority or not. The sample of the research consists of 231 preschool teachers working at 70 public and private schools on İstanbul European Side. In the context of research, 143 items were created and presented to the assessment of specialists at the stage of development of a "Preschool Teachers Profesional Alienation Scale". After making the operations of validity of the scope by using Lawshe analysis, 61 item were removed from the scale and the draft scale containing 82 items were created by making changes on 11 items. Then, in the academic year 2012-2013, the draft scale were applied to 231 preschool teachers working in the districts of Avcılar, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler, Bakırköy, Beşiktaş, Fatih, Güngören, Küçükçekmece and Zeytinburnu on the European side of Istanbul. In order to detect the structural validity of the scale, principle components analysis and factor analysis were conducted and varimax vertical rotation process was held. As a result of these analyses, 5 factored (meaninglessness, sense of isolation, self-enstragement, powerlessness, normlessness) and Cronbach's α (.966) coefficients for the totality of the scale were calculated. In addition, item-total and itemreminder correlations calculated via Pearson analysis were determined as significant (p<.001), items and factors determined with regards to the analyses held via t test (bottomtop 27%) were determined as distinguishing. Moreover, correlations among factors were determined as significant with regards to Pearson analysis (p<.001). In order to determine xiii the continuity coefficient, the scale was applied to the same group every other 3 weeks and correlation coefficient was pointed as significant (r=.83; p<.001). The obtained results prove that the scale is valid and reliable. On the other hand, in the context of sub-objectives of the thesis, dimensions of vocational alienation of the preschool teachers were examined in also the context of demographic variables. For this purpose, alienation levels of groups were compared with Kruskal WalliH, t-test by independent group, one-way analysis of variance and Mann Whitney-U techniques. Findings of the research; exhibited that the score of the meaninglessness subdimension which is one of profesional alienation sub-dimensions varies in favor of group of associate degree graduates teachers according to education level variable. Likewise, findings of the research determined that for the self-enstragement sub-dimension which is one of profesional alienation sub-dimensions, the score varies in favor of group of teachers between the ages of 41-50 and group of associate degree graduates teachers. Keywords: Profesional alienation, preschool teachers, scale development