Adaptation of the Professional Moral Courage Scale to Turkish Culture: A Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to adapt the "Professional Moral Courage" scale developed by Sekerka et al. (2009) to Turkish culture to assess teachers' Professional Moral Courage levels. For this purpose, the data obtained from 446 teachers working in primary and secondary schools in the central districts of Antalya province in the 2020-2021 academic year were analyzed. The Professional Moral Courage scale is a seven-point Likert-type measurement tool comprising five dimensions and 15 items. First-Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Second-Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis were conducted to determine whether the original structure of the scale was also provided in Turkish culture. Additionally, Cronbach's Alpha (α) coefficient, McDonald's Omega (ω) reliability coefficient, and AVE values were calculated to determine the reliability level of the scale. The fit indices obtained supported the five-dimensional structure identified in the original study, which included moral judgment, multiple values, confronting threats, going beyond conformity, and moral goal. In addition, Cronbach's Alpha (α) coefficient for the whole scale was calculated as .94, and McDonald's Omega (ω) reliability coefficient was calculated as .91. Consequently, the analysis determined that the scale adapted for Turkish culture is a valid and reliable measurement tool for measuring teachers' moral courage.