Development of the Vocational Maturity Scale for Transition to High School

This study aimed to develop the Vocational Maturity Scale for Transition to High School (VMSTHS) for 7th- and 8th-grade middle school students in Türkiye. The scale development process followed sequential item generation, expert review, pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency estimation, and test-retest reliability procedures. Data were collected from two independent samples: 518 students for the EFA and 453 students for the CFA. EFA supported a 16-item structure comprising four theoretically interpretable dimensions: Orientation, Crystallization, Planning, and Wisdom. CFA results indicated an acceptable overall fit (χ²/df = 2.54, CFI = .91, TLI = .89, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .05). The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .82 and McDonald’s omega was .86. Test-retest reliability indicated acceptable rank-order stability over four weeks (Spearman’s rho = .724). The findings provide preliminary evidence that the VMSTHS is a valid and reliable measure of vocational maturity during the transition to high school. The scale may support school counselors in identifying students’ career development needs and planning developmentally appropriate career guidance activities.