Design and Psychometric Properties of the Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale in University Students

Bibliographic Data

ID22045959
AuthorsRoussel Dulio Dávila-Villavicencio (Universidad Peruana Unión), Saulo Andrés Salinas Arias (Universidad Peruana Unión), Saulo Salinas-Arias (0000-0002-6715-7438, Universidad Peruana Unión), Ana Fabri Casildo Bedón (Universidad Peruana Unión), Jose Luis Perez-Brenis (0000-0002-4010-3587, Universidad Peruana Unión), Robert Ivan Echabaudes-Ilizarbe (0000-0002-1746-2530, Universidad Peruana Unión), Denis Frank Cunza-Aranzábal (0000-0002-2980-7727, Universidad Peruana Unión, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume14
Issue6
Pages605
Publication date2024-06-04
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci14060605
OpenAlexW4399335738
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited30

Teacher care in the university setting is crucial for the academic, emotional, and social development of students, encompassing moral virtues such as compassion and professional competence. The students’ perception of teacher care directly relates to their well-being and active participation in learning. Despite the recognized importance of teacher care, there is a lack of adequate instruments to measure it, especially in specific cultural and educational contexts like Peru. The aim of this research is to develop and assess the psychometric properties of a scale measuring student perception of teacher care in the Peruvian university context, to provide a valid and reliable tool for future research and educational practices. An instrumental study was conducted with 910 university students aged between 18 and 50 years (M = 20.2, SD = 3.45). The Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale (SPTCS) was used, divided into five dimensions (Compassion, Competence, Confidentiality, Trust, and Awareness). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the scale’s internal structure, along with reliability analyses and measurement invariance across genders. The EFA identified a four-factor structure reflecting the dimensions of Confidentiality and Trust, Competence, Awareness, and Compassion. The CFA confirmed this structure with good fit indices for four-factor models, which was then adjusted to a five-factor model, one of which is a second-order factor (χ2 = 720.727, df = 369, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.946, RMSEA = 0.046, and SRMR = 0.032). Internal reliability was high (α and ω > 0.9 for all factors). Measurement invariance was established across genders, allowing for valid comparisons between men and women. It is concluded that the Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale proves to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring teacher care in the Peruvian university context. The results emphasize the multidimensionality of teacher care and its significance for the educational environment and student experience. This study contributes to educational research and teaching practice, offering a means to assess and improve caring relationships in higher education

Likert scale · Mathematics education · Medical education · Perception · Psychometrics · Student teacher · Teacher education · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Healthcare Education and Workforce Issues · Medicine · Psychology · Teacher Professional Development and Motivation

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