The utilization of the partial credit model to create social competency assessment tools for pre-service educators

Social competence encompasses a dynamic interplay of cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal abilities that enable individuals to engage effectively in social interactions. For educators, particularly pre-service teachers, social competence is essential for navigating diverse classroom environments and fostering meaningful relationships. This study aimed to construct, validate, and evaluate the psychometric properties of a social competence scale and to assess the overall tendencies of pre-service teachers in this domain. The scale was developed based on four dimensions: attitudes, communication, adaptation, and professional orientation. Factor analysis confirmed a unidimensional model, indicating a coherent construct underlying the instrument. Item characteristics were examined using the Polytomous Item Response Theory with the Partial Credit Model. The results showed that the scale possessed strong item discrimination and appropriate item difficulty levels, ranging from −1.64 to 0.22. The social competence levels of pre-service teachers ranged from −0.87 to 0.69, suggesting moderate variability in their social adaptability and readiness. These findings support the instrument’s utility for assessing and enhancing social competence in teacher education programs. Keywords: Item response theory; pre-service teachers; psychometrics; social adaptation; social competence