Development of The Selçuk Decision-Making Skills Scale: Validity And Reliability Study

Türkan Yiğit Kolçak; Gökhan Kayılı

doi:10.51535/tell.1822984

Development of The Selçuk Decision-Making Skills Scale: Validity And Reliability Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement tool for assessing decision-making skills in children aged three to six. The research employed a correlational research design, a quantitative approach that investigates the relationships among two or more variables without researcher intervention, in conjunction with systematic scale development procedures. The item pool was based on everyday situations children often encounter. After expert evaluation and pilot testing, the scale was finalized with 39 items. Participants were selected using random cluster sampling, and the final version of the scale was administered to 392 preschool children (208 females, 53.1%; 184 males, 46.9%) attending preschools in Konya. The Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was .971, and the test-retest reliability correlation was .815 (p > 0.05). Factor analysis showed that the items clustered into six dimensions: decision-making in clothing, food, activity selection, shopping, responsibility, and problem-solving, accounting for 63% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable goodness-of-fit indices: RMSEA ≤ 0.05, IFI, TLI, and CFI ≥ 0.90, and GFI ≥ 0.85. Reliability was further assessed by dividing the items into odd and even groups, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.932 for both halves, and Guttman’s Cronbach’s alpha for split-half reliability of 0.974. The correlation coefficient between the halves was 0.950. Item discriminant analysis showed a significant difference between the upper group (74.28 ± 2.53) and lower group (32.82 ± 10.20), with a t-value of t = -40.640 (p < 0.001). The scale's total score ranged from 0 to 78, with a mean score of 54.96 ± 17.43 and a median of 56. In conclusion, the "Selçuk Decision-Making Skills Scale" is a valid and reliable tool for assessing decision-making skills in preschool children.

Keywords

Early Childhood Development , Decision-Making Skills , Scale Development , Validity , Reliability

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Child Development Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Türkan Yiğit Kolçak
0000-0002-7286-433X
Türkiye

Gökhan Kayılı ^*
0000-0001-7959-4128
Türkiye

Publication Date

December 31, 2025

Submission Date

November 13, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 19, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 7 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1822984

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33AC25WW

APA

Yiğit Kolçak, T., & Kayılı, G. (2025). Development of The Selçuk Decision-Making Skills Scale: Validity And Reliability Study. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 7(2), 339-357. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1822984

26172 20107

Development of The Selçuk Decision-Making Skills Scale: Validity And Reliability Study

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Published in Issue

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