Developing a Behavioral Disposition Perception Scale for Determining High School Preferences of 8th Graders

Abstract

This study sought to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool that measures the perceptions of behavioral dispositions in determining the high school preferences of 8th grade students. The study population consisted of 26,906 eight graders in public and private secondary schools located in the city centres of Aydın and Denizli, Turkey. The sample was selected using the disproportionate cluster sampling method. In this respect, a total of 400 students in the pilot implementation and 700 students in the large sample implementation participated in the implementation in equal numbers in both provinces. In the pilot implementation phase of the research, a three-dimensional trial form consisting of 125 items was administered to the 8th graders, as the sample group. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to ensure the construct validity, and a scale consisting of 45 items and three factors was identified. The sub-dimensions of the scale were named as cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. However, the scale was developed in a 5-point Likert type. Referring to the reliability study of the scale, the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was calculated as.962 in the pilot implementation and as.888 in the large sample implementation. The results revealed that the Behavioral Disposition Perception Scale was a valid and reliable measurement tool in measuring the perceptions of behavioral dispositions of 8th graders in determining their high school preferences.