Kindergarten Teachers' Commitment to Science Teaching: Conceptualization and Measurement

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 1:45pm
  In Poster Session: Supporting Sensemaking in Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study pioneers the conceptualization and measurement of kindergarten teachers' commitment to science teaching (CST) grounded by Meyer and Allen's (1991) commitment model. The Commitment to Science Teaching Scale—Kindergarten Version (CST-K) was developed and validated through three-step methods. Qualitative interviews with 26 teachers generated initial items, which 12 teachers and nine experts then refined. Lastly, two large-scale surveys with Chinese kindergarten teachers in Southern (n=416) and Eastern China (n=231) confirmed CST-K with a 17-item, 3-factor structure via model fit analyses, demonstrating acceptable validity and reliability. This study provides the first structure validation on domain-specific teaching commitment and offers a measurement tool to evaluate CST among kindergarten teachers with implications for professional development.

Authors

• Wen Qi, University of Hong Kong

• Li-Fang Zhang, University of Hong Kong

• Qingsong Zhao, Hefei Preschool Education College