Sustainable Ecology Scale: Development Study for Secondary School Students
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable Sustainable Ecology Scale for secondary school students. The exploratory sequential design, a type of design within mixed-methods research, was employed. The study sample consisted of 500 secondary school students from various grade levels. To construct the draft version of the scale, a 96-item question pool was generated based on predefined learning objectives. In the initial phase, the draft scale was reviewed by expert evaluators, resulting in a reduction to 69 items. Following a pilot study, necessary adjustments were made, and the final version was implemented in the main study. The collected data were analyzed using statistical software, and both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to ensure construct validity. The scale’s reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient, while item analyses, item-total correlation values, and factor correlations were examined. The results of CFA confirmed a three-factor structure, with fit indices indicating an acceptable to excellent model fit. As a result, a five-point Likert-type Sustainable Ecology Scale consisting of 32 items was developed, demonstrating a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.934). The findings indicate that the developed scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool suitable for assessing sustainable ecology awareness among secondary school students.
Keywords
Full Text:
Download PDFReferences
Acar Güvendir, M., & Özer Özkan, Y. (2015) Investigation of articles on scale development and adaptation in scientific journals published in the field of education in Turkey. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 52, 23-33.
Acar Güvendir, M., & Özer Özkan, Y. (2022). Scale Development Process in All Aspects.Ankara: Pegem A Publishing.
Afacan, Ö., & Güler, M. P. D. (2011, April). Attitude scale development study within the scope of sustainable environmental education. In 2nd International Conference on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 27(29), (pp. 904-913).
Akgül, F.A., & Aydoğdu, M. (2020). Development of Awareness Scale for Sustainable Living for Secondary School Students. Trakya Education Journal, 10(2), 378-393.
Akyüz, E. (2015). The relationship between environmental problems and human rights .Journal of Academic Social Research, 3(15), 427-436.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: APA.
Arık, S. (2019, May). Trends of theses on sustainable environmental education: A systematic review. In Proceedings of the I. International Symposium on Science, Education, Art and Technology (UBEST-2019), İzmir, Türkiye (pp. 02-04).
Arora, N. K. (2018). Environmental sustainability is necessary for survival. Environmental Sustainability, 1(1), 1-2.
Atabek-Yiğit, E., & Balkan Kıyıcı, F. (2022). The environmental awareness in the context of sustainable development: A scale development study. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 12(3), 646-665.
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.
Bandalos, D. L., & Finney, S. J. (2010). Factoran alysis: Exploratory and confirmatory. In G. R. Hancock & R. O. Mueller (Eds.) The Reviewer's Guide to Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences(pp. 93-114). New York, NY: Routledge.
Beavers, A. S., Lounsbury, J. W., Richards, J. K., Huck, S. W., Skolits, G. J., & Esquivel, S.L. (2013). Practical considerations for using exploratory factor analysis in educational research. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 18(1), 1-13.
Belen, B. (2020). Determination of secondary school students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about sustainable environment. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences, Ankara.
Benek, I., & Akcay, B. (2019). Development of STEM Attitude Scale for secondary school students: Validity and reliability study. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 7(1), 32-52.
Bryman, A., & Cramer, D.(2001). Quantitative data analysis with SPSS release 10 for Windows. London: Routledge.
Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2019). Data analysis handbook for social sciences: Statistics, research design, SPSS applications and interpretation. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Publishing.
Can, A. (2022). Quantitative data analysis in scientific research process with SPSS (10thEdition). Ankara: Pegem Citation Index.
Candan, S. S. K. (2019). Structural equation modeling applications. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Ege University Institute of Science and Technology, Izmir.
Carpenter, S. (2018). Ten steps in scale development and reporting: A guide for researchers. Communication Methods and Measures, 12(1), 25-44.
Chhokar, K., Pandya, M., & Raghunathan, M. (Eds.). (2004). Understanding environment. Sage.
Comrey, A. L., & Lee, H. B. (2013). A firstcourse in factoranalysis. New Jersey: Psychology Press.
Creswell, J.W., & Creswell, J.D. (2018).Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches (Trans. Engin Karadağ). (5th edition). Ankara: Nobel Publications.
Çakır, B. (2023).The effect of sustainable environmental education program on 60-72 months old children's attitudes and awareness level towards the environment. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Sivas Cumhuriyet University Institute of Educational Sciences, Sivas.
Çokluk, Ö. Şekercioğlu, G., & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2021). Multivariate statistics for social sciences SPSS and LISREL applications. (6th Edition). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
Çüm, S., & Koç, N. (2013). Investigation of scale development and adaptation studiespublished in psychology and educational sciences journals in Turkey. Educational Sciences and Practice, 12 (24), 115-135.
De Andrade Guerra, J. B. S. O., Garcia, J., de Andrade Lima, M., Barbosa, S. B., Heerdt, M. L., & Berchin, I. I. (2018). A proposal of a balanced score card for an environmental education program atuniversities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 1674-1690.
Delice, A. and Ergene, Ö. (2015). Examination of scale development and adaptation studies: An example of mathematics education articles. Karaelmas Journal of Educational Sciences, 3, 60-75.
Dere, İ., & Çinikaya, C. (2023). Reflections of Tbilisi Declaration and UN 2030 sustainable development systems on teaching environmental education and climate change courses. Ordu University Institute of Social Sciences Journal of Social Sciences Research, 13(1), 1343-1366.
DeVellis, R. F. (2017). Scale development theories and practices (T. Totan, Trans.). Ankara: Nobel Academy.
DeVellis, R. F., & Thorpe, C. T. (2021). Scale development: Theory and applications. Sage publications.
Erkuş, A. (2007). Problems encountered in scale development and adaptation studies. Turkish Psychology Bulletin, 13(40), 17-25.
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E. and Hyun, H. H. (2011). How to design and evaluate research in education. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/ Social Sciences/ Languages.
Galli, A., Wiedmann, T., Ercin, E., Knoblauch, D., Ewing, B., & Giljum, S. (2012).Integrating ecological, carbon and water footprint into a "footprint family" of indicators: definition and role in tracking human pressure on the planet. Ecological Indicators, 16, 100-112.
Görgülü-Arı, A. (2019). Environmental problems. H. G. Öztürk (Ed.). Environmental Education (pp. 115-138). Ankara: Anı Publishing.
Greenland, S., Senn, S. J., Rothman, K. J., Carlin, J. B., Poole, C., Goodman, S. N., & Altman, D. G. (2016). Statistical tests, P values, confidence intervals, and power: a guide to misinterpretations. European Journal of Epidemiology, 31(4), 337–350.
Gül, Ş., & Sözbilir, M. (2015). Thematic content analysis of scale development research in science and mathematics education. Education and Science, 40(178), 85-102.
Gülay, H., & Öznacar, M. D. (2010). Environmental Education Activities for Preschool Children. Ankara: Pegem.
Gürlük, S. (2010). Can sustainable development be practiced in developing countries? Eskisehir Osmangazi University Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 5(2), 85-99.
Harris, J.M. (2000). Basic Principles of Sustainable Development. Dimensions of Sustainable Development, 21-41.
Henson, R., & Roberts, J. (2006). Use of exploratory factor analysis in published research:Commonerrors andsomecomment on improved practice. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66, 393-416.
Hopkins, C., & Mckeown, R. (2002). Education for sustainable development: An International perspective. Education and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge, 13, 13-24.
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.
İlhan, N., Şekerci, A. R., Sözbilir, M., & Yıldırım, A. (2013). Development of teacher attitude scale towards educational research: Validity and reliability study. West Anatolian Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(8), 31-57.
Jöreskog, K. G., Olsson, U. H., &Wallentin, F. Y. (2016). Multivariate Analysis with LISREL. Springer.
Karagöz, Y. (2021). SPSS AMOS META applied biostatistics. Ankara: Nobel Academic Publishing.
Karakoç, Y., & Dönmez, L. (2014). Basic principles in scale development studies. Medical Education World, 13(40), 39-49.
Kaygısız, G. M. (2020). Prospective primary school teachers' metaphorical perceptions of the concept of sustainable development. Journal of Research and Experience, 5(1), 37-46.
Kayış, A. (2018). SPSS applied multivariate statistical techniques. Ş. Kalaycı (Ed.), Reliability Analysis. (pp.402-419). Ankara: Dinami Akademi Publishing.
Kaypak, Ş. (2011). A sustainable environment for a sustainable development in the globalization process. KMÜ Journal of Social and Economic Research, 13(20), 19-33.
Keleş, Ö. (2014). Prefer sustainable transportation and reduce your ecological footprint. Journal of Inquiry Based Activities, 4(3), 46-57.
Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York City: Guilford Publications.
McKeown, R. (2014). The leading edge of teacher education and ESD. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 8(2), 127-131.
Mızık, E.T., & Yiğit Avdan, Z. (2020). The cornerstone of sustainability: Ecological footprint. Journal of Natural Disasters and Environment, 6(2), 451-467.
Muldoon, R., Shelford, T., Holland, O.J., & Hryciw, D.H. (2019). Environmental awareness of primary school-aged children in Brisbane, Australia. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 27(2), 33-44.
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2002). How to use a Monte Carlo study to decide on sample size and determine power. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(4), 599- 620
Okyay, Ö., Demir, Z. G., Sayın, A., & Özdemir, K. (2021). The effect of ecological literacy training on preschool teachers' ecological awareness and motivation towards the environment. Başkent University Journal of Education, 8(1), 129-146.
Öztürk, N. B., Şahin, M. G., & Kelecioğlu, H. (2015). A review of articles concerning scale adaptation in the field of education. Education & Science, 40(178), 123-137.
Pitelis, C. (2013). Towards a more ethically correct governance for economic sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 118(3), 655-665.
Prabawani, B., Hanika, I. M., Pradhanawati, A., & Budiatmo, A. (2017). Primary schools eco Friendly education in the frame of education for sustainable development. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 12(4), 607-616.
San-Francisco, A., Sopelana, N., Fernandez, J. M., Otegi, J. R., & Minguez, R. (2020). Analysis about the incorporation of remanufacturing concept into life cycle assessment theories. Journal of Remanufacturing, 10(2), 127-139.
Sangwan, A., Sangwan, A., & Punia, P. (2021). Development and validation of an attitude scale towards online teaching and learning for higher education teachers. Tech Trends, 65, 187-195.
Schumacker, R. E., & Lomax, R. G. (2010). A beginner's guide to structural equation modeling. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
Seçer, İ (2017). Practical data analysis, analysis and reporting with SPSS and LISREL. Ankara: Anı Publications.
Seçer, İ. (2018). Psychological test development and adaptation process: SPSS and LISREL applications (2nd Edition). Ankara: Anı publishing.
Slavec, A., & Drnovšek, M. (2012). A perspective on scale development in entrepreneurship research. Economic and Business Review for Central and South-Eastern Europe, 14(1), 39-62.
Soubbotina, T. P. (2004). Beyond economic growth: An introduction to sustainable development (2nd Ed). USA: World Bank Publications.
Sönmez, V., & Alacapınar, G. (2016). Preparing measurement tools in social sciences. Anı Publishing.
Stokes, D., Strezou, E., Malandrakis, G., & Papadopoulou, P. (2016). Greek primary school children's representations of the urban environment as seen through their drawings. Environmental Education Research, 23(8), 1088-1114.
Sümer, N. (2000). Structural equation models: Basic concepts and sample applications.Turkish Psychological Writings, 3(6), 49-74.
Şahin, M. G., & Boztunç Öztürk, N. (2018). Scale development process in educational field: A Content analysis research. Kastamonu Journal of Education, 26(1), 191-199.
Şeker, H., & Gençdoğan, B. (2014). Measurement tool development in psychology and education (2nd Edition). Ankara: Nobel Publishing.
Tabachnick, B.G., & Fidell, L.S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.) Boston MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Tavşancıl, E. (2018). Measurement of Attitudes and Data Analysis with SPSS (6th Edition). Ankara: Nobel Academy Publishing.
Tetik, A. (2023). Determination of primary school students' perceptions of sustainable environment through picture analysis. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Istanbul Aydın University /Institute of Postgraduate Education, Istanbul.
Tzafilkou, K., Perifanou, M., & Economides, A. A. (2022). Development and validation of students' digital competence scale (SDiCoS). International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19(1), 30.
Uzunsakal, E., & Yıldız, D. (2018). Comparison of reliability tests in field research and an application on agricultural data. Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 2(1), 14-28.
Van Poeck, K., König, A., & Wals, A. E. (2018). Environmental and sustainability education in the Benelux countries: Research, policy and practices at the intersection of education and societal transformation. Environmental Education Research, 24(9), 1234-1249.
Wang, X., Zhang, L., Peng, Y., Lu, J., Huang, Y., & Chen, W. (2022). Development andvalidation of the empathy scale fo rteachers (EST). Studies in Educational Evaluation, 72, 101112.
Wasserstein, R. L., & Lazar, N. A. (2016). The ASA's statement on p-values: context, process, and purpose. The American Statistician, 70(2), 129–133.
Yaşlıoğlu, M. M. (2017). Factor Analysis and Validity in Social Sciences: Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Istanbul University Journal of Business Faculty, 46, Special Issue, 74-85.
Yavuz, S. (2005), Developing a technology attitude scale for pre-service chemistry teachers. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 4(1), 17-25.
Yeşilyurt, S., & Çapraz, C. (2018). A roadmap for content validity used in scale development studies. Erzincan University Journal of Faculty of Education, 20(1), 251-264.
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2018). Qualitative research methods in social sciences. Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.
Yıldız, D., & Uzunsakal, E. (2018). Comparison of reliability tests in field research and an application on agricultural data. Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 2(1), 14-28.
Yıldız, Ş. (2011). Conceptual understandings and attitudes of teachers, prospective teachers, and students about sustainable environment. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Educational Sciences, İzmir.
Yoleri, S. (2012). Children and environment: Creating environmental awareness among preschool children. Dokuz Eylül University Buca Education Faculty Journal, 34, 100-111.
Yurdugül, H. (2005). Using content validity indexes for content validity in scale development studies. XIV Ulusal Eğitim Bilimleri Kongresi, 1, 771-4.
Zamora-Polo, F., & Sánchez-Martín, J. (2019). Teaching for a better world. Sustainability and sustainable development goals in the construction of a change-maker university. Sustainability, 11(15), 4224, 1-25.
Zhou, Y. (2019). A mixed methods model of scale development and validation analysis. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, 17(1), 38-47.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/jsl.v8i2.83553
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kevser Arslan, Aslı Görgülü Arı, Behiye Akçay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi 229 Bandung 40154, West Java, Indonesia