Development of the School Communication Scale
Abstract
Effective communication plays a vital role in aligning school goals and maintaining efficient operations in educational settings. This study focused on developing and validating the School Communication Scale (SCS), a brief, theory-based tool designed to assess teachers’ perceptions of school communication across three dimensions: Function, Process, and Attitude. The development process involved generating items, obtaining expert feedback, conducting a pilot study, and performing psychometric analyses. The scale was administered to 613 teachers from primary, secondary, and high schools in Konya, Turkey. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a three-factor structure explaining 46.395% of the variance, with factor loadings between 0.429 and 0.866. Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed excellent model fit (x²/df=1.522; GFI=.967; CFI=.971; IFI=.972; NFI=.921; RMSEA=.034). Reliability results indicated strong internal consistency for both the overall scale and its subdimensions (Total: Cronbach’s α=.794; McDonald’s ω=.797; Function: Cronbach’s α=.761, McDonald’s ω=.765; Process: Cronbach’s α=.701, McDonald’s ω=.706; Manner: Cronbach’s α=.762, McDonald’s ω=.765), while test–retest findings (Total: .980; Function: .947; Process: .990; Manner: .871; p<.01) confirmed stability over time. Criterion validity was supported by a strong positive correlation (r=.785; p<.01) with the Organizational Communication Climate Scale. Overall, the SCS is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating teachers’ perceptions of school communication, offering both researchers and practitioners a practical means to examine and enhance communication processes in schools. The SCS, also, offers school leaders a practical tool to identify communication strengths to improve collaboration between internal stakeholders of schools.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Scale Development
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
June 10, 2026
Submission Date
March 26, 2026
Acceptance Date
June 1, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 10