Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a reliable scale for
measuring teachers’ willingness to initiate change efforts in their schools. A 64-item
pilot instrument was developed by a panel of experts (n=4) and administered to a group
of classroom teachers (n=76). While it was hypothesized that eight factors
(content/pedagogical knowledge, ownership, self-efficacy, empowerment, motivation,
risk-taking, micropolitical expertise, and community membership) would underlie the
items, an initial factor analysis suggested the presence of three factors. Fifteen items
were retained for the final version, which was administered to another group of classroom
teachers (n=76). A second factor analysis confirmed the presence of the three factors
accounting for 49.2% of the total variance; each factor had a Cronbach’s coefficient of
internal reliability consistency higher than .70. These factors were subsequently labeled
contextual expertise, collaborative expertise, and problem-solving expertise. Additional
data analysis indicated that the Teacher Change Agent Scale (TCAS) is a valid and
reliable instrument for use with classroom teachers. It is suggested that future research
should involve larger samples and/or make efforts to assess the criterion-related validity
of the TCAS.
