Development of Educational Data Literacy Competency Perception Scale for Early Childhood Teachers: Validity and Reliability Study

Educational data literacy is defined as the competence to accurately observe, analyze, and respond to various types of data, with the aim of continuously improving teaching and learning processes at both classroom and school levels. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to assess preschool teachers' perceptions of their competencies in educational data literacy. A quantitative research approach was adopted in the study. The study group consisted of 579 preschool teachers working in early childhood education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education across 81 provinces of Türkiye during the 2022–2023 academic year. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. and AMOS 24.0. software. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale comprises six dimensions and 39 items. The findings from the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the model's fit indices were within acceptable limits. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s Alpha) of the scale was calculated as .97. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the developed Educational Data Literacy Competency Perception Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing preschool teachers’ perceptions of their educational data literacy competencies.