DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ADVERSITY SCALE IN IBADAN METROPOLIS

Abstract

This study developed and validated the Basic Science Teachers’ Adversity Scale (BSTAdQ) to measure teachers’ capacity to cope with professional challenges. Grounded in the four theoretical dimensions of adversity: Teacher Control, Teacher Ownership, Teacher Reach, and Teacher Endurance, the initial pool of 100 items was generated and subjected to systematic psychometric evaluation. A sample of 111 public junior secondary school Basic Science teachers in Ibadan, Nigeria, was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), parallel analysis, exploratory graph analysis (EGA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability estimation. Results from parallel analysis and EGA consistently supported a four-factor structure, which was confirmed through EFA following iterative item purification. The refined scale demonstrated a clear and interpretable factor structure with strong item loadings and reduced complexity. CFA results indicated that all items loaded significantly on their respective constructs, supporting convergent validity. The overall model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (CFI = 0.825, TLI = 0.805, RMSEA = 0.077, SRMR = 0.084), indicating that the four-factor model adequately represents the underlying structure of the scale. Reliability analysis showed strong internal consistency across all constructs, with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients exceeding the recommended threshold of 0.70. The study concludes that the BSTAdQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing adversity among Basic Science teachers. The integration of both traditional and contemporary analytical techniques strengthens the robustness of the scale and supports its applicability in educational research and practice.