Development of Learning Climate in Schools Scale (LCSS): Validity And Reliability Study

Creating a climate that supports learning in schools is pivotal for enhancing student achievement by developing teacher competencies. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale that could be used to measure teachers' perceptions of school learning climate. In this study, firstly, an item pool, was created based on the literature and interviews with teachers. The draft form was then created and presented to experts from the fields of Educational Administration and Measurement and Evaluation to evaluate content validity. Data was collected from two different study groups consisting of 589 teachers employed in 18 elementary, 20 secondary, and 15 high schools. In the data analysis process, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed, and the reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) was computed. Item analysis and EFA yielded a scale consisting of 22 items and four sub-scales. Sub-scales were named as a collaborative environment, principal support, school facilities, and professional interest. CFA revealed that the scale had acceptable fit indexes. Cronbach's alpha computed for determining internal consistency was .93, which shows that the scale has high reliability. According to the results of validity and reliability analysis of the School Learning Climate Scale, it can be stated that it is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure teacher's perceptions of school learning climate. For further studies, it can be suggested to retest validity and reliability with the data to be gathered from private school teachers.