Psychometric Examination of the Social-Emotional School Readiness Scale (SESR) in the Context of Current Educational Dynamics

Abstract

Social–emotional school readiness has become a critical factor in children’s successful transition to formal schooling, particularly within contemporary educational dynamics shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid digitalization. These changes have increased the need to re-evaluate the psychometric adequacy of assessment tools used in early childhood education. This study aims to re-examine the construct validity and reliability of the Social–Emotional School Readiness Scale (SESR), developed for children aged 60–72 months. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 215 preschool children enrolled in independent public preschools in İstanbul during the spring term of the 2022-2023 academic year. Teachers completed the scale based on systematic classroom observations. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted using AMOS 26 to test the original two-factor structure, consisting of Adjustment to New Environment and Managing Negative Emotions. Initial CFA results indicated inadequate model fit. Further analysis revealed that four items adversely affected the model and were subsequently removed. The revised 22-item two-factor model demonstrated acceptable goodness-of-fit indices (RMSEA = .080, CFI = .93, TLI = .92) and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .95). The findings indicate that while the theoretical framework of the scale remains valid, post-pandemic conditions and digitalization may have altered the expression of certain social–emotional behaviors. Overall, the revised SESR is a valid, reliable tool for assessing social–emotional school readiness among Turkish preschool children.

Keywords

• Social–Emotional School Readiness
• Preschool Children
• Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Güncel Eğitim Dinamikleri Işığında Sosyal-Duygusal Okul Olgunluğu Ölçeğinin (SDOO) Psikometrik İncelemesi

Abstract

Sosyal-duygusal okul olgunluğu, özellikle COVID-19 pandemisi ve hızlanan dijitalleşme ile şekillenen çağdaş eğitim dinamikleri bağlamında, çocukların örgün eğitime başarılı geçişinde kritik bir unsur haline gelmiştir. Bu dönüşümler, erken çocukluk eğitiminde kullanılan ölçme araçlarının psikometrik yeterliliklerinin yeniden değerlendirilmesini gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, okul öncesi eğitim kurumlarına devam eden 60–72 aylık çocuklar için geliştirilen Sosyal–Duygusal Okul Olgunluğu Ölçeği’nin (SDOO) yapı geçerliği ve güvenirliğini yeniden incelemektir. Nicel araştırma deseni benimsenen çalışmada, 2022-2023 akademik yılı bahar döneminde İstanbul’daki resmi bağımsız anaokullarına devam eden 215 çocuktan veri toplanmıştır. Ölçek, öğretmenler tarafından sistematik sınıf gözlemlerine dayalı olarak doldurulmuştur. Ölçeğin “Yeni bir çevreye uyum” ve “Olumsuz duygularla başa çıkma” boyutlarından oluşan özgün iki faktörlü yapısı, AMOS 26 kullanılarak Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) ile test edilmiştir. İlk analizler model uyumunun yetersiz olduğunu göstermiştir. Standartlaştırılmış faktör yüklerinin incelenmesi sonucunda modeli olumsuz etkileyen dört madde ölçekten çıkarılmıştır. Revize edilen 22 maddelik iki faktörlü yapı, kabul edilebilir uyum indeksleri (RMSEA = .080, CFI = .93, TLI = .92) ve yüksek iç tutarlılık (Cronbach’s α = .95) göstermiştir. Bulgular, ölçeğin kuramsal yapısının geçerliliğini koruduğunu; ancak pandemi sonrası koşullar ve dijitalleşmenin bazı sosyal-duygusal davranışların ortaya çıkışını etkilemiş olabileceğini düşündürmektedir. Sonuç olarak, SDOO’nun revize edilmiş formu, Türk okul öncesi çocuklarının sosyal-duygusal okula hazırbulunuşluğunu değerlendirmek için geçerli, güvenilir bir olarak uygun bir ölçme aracı olarak doğrulanmıştır.

Keywords

• Sosyal-Duygusal Okul Olgunluğu
• Okul Öncesi Çocuklar
• Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi

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