Development and validation of the Continuing Professional Development Scale: A knowledge transfer perspective

Purpose: Professional groups and bodies for librarians and information professionals such as the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) strongly encourage continuing professional development. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a scale for measuring the effectiveness of continuing professional development (CPD) and knowledge transfer (KT) among information professionals. The study identifies four factors (CPD purposes, forms of CPD, effectiveness of CPD and KT, and factors affecting KT during CPD) to measure the effectiveness of CDP and KT practices. Design: The pilot instrument, based on the literature, was empirically validated by collecting data from 220 library professionals having at least five years of professional experience. Findings: The construct validity of the scale was verified through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The scale reliability was further calculated through the Cronbach's alpha internal reliability coefficient. Consequently, a valid and reliable 72-item scale was developed to measure the effectiveness of CPD and KT among information professionals.