Developing the “Social Skills Assessment Scale–Teacher Form” for Preschool Children: A Validity and Reliability Study
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https://doi.org/10.52380/ijcer.2025.12.1.390Keywords:
Preschool children, Social skills, Social skills assessment scale–teacher form, Scale development, Validity and reliabilityAbstract
This study aimed to develop the "Social Skills Assessment Scale–Teacher Form" (SOSAS–TF) for preschool children. Data were collected from three distinct groups of participants. The first dataset, obtained from 254 preschool children, was collected during a preliminary trial. The second dataset, gathered from 896 preschool children, was used for the trial practice, while the third dataset, consisting of 263 preschool children, was used to assess test-retest reliability. Within this scope, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was determined to be .96, and Bartlett’s test yielded a significant chi-square value, indicating the suitability of the data for factor analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the scale, consisting of 44 items, included five dimensions: “communication,” “adaptation,’’ “self-control,’’ “prosocial behaviors,’’ and “assertiveness.’’ The factor loadings of all items ranged from .46 to .74, while the common factor variances varied between .42 and .69. These five factors collectively explained 54.57% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients (α) for the dimensions of “communication,” “adaptation,” “self-control,” and “prosocial behaviors” were .89, .90, .86, and .87, respectively. The total reliability was strong (α = .94), and the “assertiveness” dimension (α = .76) was found to be significantly reliable. Regarding the scale's test-retest reliability, the correlation coefficients for the dimensions of “communication” (r = .82), “adaptation” (r = .86), “self-control” (r = .75), “prosocial behaviors” (r = .86), and “assertiveness” (r = .63), as well as the total score (r = .89), were positive and highly significant (p < .001). In conclusion, a valid and reliable assessment instrument was developed, contributing to the literature on social skills assessment in preschool children.
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