Adaptation of scale "Working Like Scientists" (WLS) A Turkish-language version: validation and reliability

Authors : Güntay Taşçi, Maike Looss, Halil Yurdugül, Dagmar Hilfert Ruppell, Ali Sülün, Dagmar Hinrichs, Sedat Aydoğdu, Konstantin Klingenberg, Fehime Şeyma Taş

Pages : 54-65

Doi:10.17275/per.16.03.3.1

View : 18 | Download : 8

Publication Date : 2016-04-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :The aim of this study was to validate an instrument implemented by Höner et al. (2010) called "Working Like Scientists”, which was designed according to German culture. The translation of the items from German to Turkish and back to German again was performed by Turkish and German working groups in an iterative process, eliminating incomprehensibilities and misfits of specific words. In a first step, the Turkish and German questionnaires were completed in a week by a total of 44 Turkish prospective teachers. So in this way, the data of statistical evidence of equivalence in both languages were collected (r=0. 74; p=0. 00). To establish the factorial construct for the Turkish instrument, the data set obtained from 304 Turkish prospective teachers was analysed by the CFA using a Lisrel 8.8 program. To prove the evidence of discriminant and convergent validity of the established model of the study, AVE (average variance extracted) values and the square roots of AVE value were calculated. In addition, the scale’s prediction status of epistemological beliefs as a higher construct was examined by the secondary-level CFA. Furthermore, the evidence for the scale’s reliability was examined by total item correlations (> .30); internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha: between 0.694 and 0.805), and construct reliability (McDonald´s Omega: between 0.694 and 0.806), and later the suitable values for both sub-dimensions and the whole scale.
Keywords : scientific epistemological beliefs, prospective teacher, scale adaptation