Adaptation of the social self-efficacy scale for preschool teachers to Turkish

The ability of teachers to establish effective social relationships with their students, in addition to delivering academic content, is increasingly recognized as a critical component of educational quality. In this context, the development and adaptation of valid and reliable instruments for assessing teachers' social competencies have gained prominence. The present study aims to adapt the Teachers' Social Self-Efficacy Scale (TSSES), originally developed by Vatou et al. (2022), into Turkish and to examine its psychometric properties within the context of preschool education in Turkey. Specifically, the research investigates whether the TSSES is a valid and reliable tool for measuring the social self-efficacy of Turkish preschool teachers. The study employed a quantitative research design based on the general survey model. The target population consisted of preschool teachers working in public early childhood education institutions affiliated with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education. A stratified sampling method was used to ensure representation across districts, and 402 teachers were selected through random sampling. Data were collected using the Turkish version of the TSSES, which comprises five theoretically grounded subscales. Construct validity was examined through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using LISREL 8.71. The results indicated that the five-factor structure demonstrated acceptable model fit, with standardized factor loadings ranging between 11.72 and 21.06. Content validity was evaluated based on expert opinions, with both the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) calculated as 1.00, reflecting strong expert consensus. Discriminant validity was assessed via multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), revealing statistically significant differences in social self-efficacy levels based on years of teaching experience (p < .01), in favor of more experienced teachers. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, which ranged from .898 to .920 across subscales, with an overall scale reliability coefficient of .974. Item-total correlations were found to be high, indicating strong item coherence. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed among the subscales (r = .739 to .865), supporting the internal structure of the instrument. In light of these findings, the Turkish version of the TSSES can be considered a psychometrically sound instrument for evaluating the social self-efficacy of preschool teachers and holds potential for future research and educational practice within early childhood contexts.