DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOL SCALE: VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY

Abstract

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure teachers’ and school administrators’ perceptions of trauma-informed school practices at the secondary education level. Using a deductive scale development approach grounded in the trauma-informed school literature, an initial item pool consisting of 116 items was generated based on the six core principles identified by SAMHSA and related theoretical models. Following expert panel review and content validity analysis, the scale was reduced to 63 items and administered to 424 teachers and administrators working in public secondary schools in Çanakkale. After data screening, analyses were conducted using 398 valid responses. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a six-factor structure with acceptable model fit indices (χ²/df = 2.63; RMSEA = .064). Internal consistency analyses indicated high reliability for both the overall scale (Cronbach’s α = .97) and its subdimensions (α values ranging from .80 to .92). The findings demonstrate that the Trauma-Informed School Scale is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be used to assess trauma-informed practices in secondary schools. The scale may support future research, policy development, and professional development initiatives aimed at promoting trauma-informed school environments.

Keywords: Trauma-informed schools, scale development, confirmatory factor analysis, secondary education, teacher perceptions.

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

All the rules in the "Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive" were followed in this study. None of the actions specified in the second section of the relevant directive titled "Actions Contrary to Scientific Research and Publication Ethics" were taken. The authors declare that they acted in accordance with ethical rules in all processes of the research. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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