The Development of the Perceptions of Childhood Scale

Abstract

ABSTRACT To date, no measure of perceptions reflecting the view of childhood as a social construction exists within the fields of developmental psychology or education. The aim of this small-scale study was to develop items to assess beliefs about children along a spectrum – at one end of the spectrum conceptualizing children as human beings and at the other end of the spectrum conceptualizing children as human becomings—and to determine if factor analysis could be used to identify underlying constructs to develop a scale suitable for research and practitioner use. Factor analysis identified three subscales, defined as Present-Future Emphasis, Response to Child’s Worldview, and Value in Society. The study presents a promising tool. Further research with a larger sample of participants can verify if the factor solution can be replicated to demonstrate generalizability.