Development of a Project Preparation Competency Scale in Education
Abstract
This research focused on developing a self-assessment scale to evaluate the project preparation competencies of teacher candidates. The aim was to capture their personal perspectives on their abilities. The scale's psychometric properties were then rigorously tested using both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Data for the EFA phase was collected from a sample of 164 teacher candidates, allowing for the identification of underlying dimensions within the scale. Subsequently, a separate group of 301 teacher candidates, selected via purposive sampling, provided data for the CFA. This dual approach ensured both the exploration of factor structures and the confirmation of the hypothesized model. The final version of the scale emerged with a clear, three-dimensional structure: "project planning" (comprising 4 items), "project management" (with 6 items), and "data analysis and reporting" (including 4 items). This structure effectively captures the multifaceted nature of project preparation competencies. The scale demonstrated robust psychometric properties, accounting for 50.978% of the total variance, indicating its strong explanatory power. Furthermore, the Cronbach's Alpha value of .862 for the final scale confirmed its high internal consistency and reliability. Item-total correlations were also calculated for each item, further supporting the scale's reliability and validity. In conclusion, the developed scale provides a reliable and valid instrument for effectively measuring teacher candidates' competencies in project preparation within an educational context, offering a valuable tool for both self-assessment and educational program evaluation.
Keywords
Competency scale, project preparation in education, scale development, reliability and validity, teacher candidates
References
- Alisinanoğlu, F., & Şimşek, Ö. (2013). Validity and reliability study of the checklist for assessing pre-school children's readiness skills for writing. Kastamonu Journal of Education, 21(3), 1163-1176.
- Aşkar, P. & Dönmez, O. (2004). A self-efficacy scale for educational software development. Educational Science and Practices, 3(6), 259-274.
- Ateş-Çobanoğlu, A. (2013). A scale proposal for evaluating educational websites. Journal of Educational Technologies Research, 4(1).
- Aydede, M. N., Çakallıoğlu, N., Emrahoğlu, N., & Matyar, F. (2005, May). İlköğretim fen ve teknoloji öğretmenlerinin proje çalışmalarına ilişkin görüşlerinin değerlendirilmesi [Evaluation of the opinions of primary school science and technology teachers on project studies]. Paper presented at the 1st National Symposium on Contemporary Approaches in Science and Technology Education, Ankara.
- Ayre, C., & Scally A. J. (2014). Critical values for Lawshe’s content validity ratio: Revisiting the original methods of calculation. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(1), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748175613513808
- Ayvacı, Ş., H. & Çoruhlu, T., Ş. (2010). Fen ve teknoloji dersi proje tabanlı öğretim uygulamasında ilköğretim öğrencilerinin karşılaştıkları güçlükler [Project-based learning environments in science and technology instruction and students’ problems]. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, 23(1), 43-59.
- Baki, A. & Bütüner, S. O. (2009). Reflections on the project implementation process in a primary school in rural area. Elementary Education Online. 8(1). 146-158.
- Balcı, A. (2013). Research in social sciences: Methods, techniques, and principles. Ankara: Pegem A. Bayram, N. (2010). Introduction to structural equation modeling: Amos applications. Bursa: Ezgi Publishing House.
- Bollen, K. A. (2007, March 1-2). An overview of structural equation models with latent variables. Paper presented at The Miami University Symposium on Computational Research, Oxford, UK.
- Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç-Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2008). Scientific research methods. Ankara: Pegem.