The development of an online learning readiness scale for high school students

Assessing students’ online learning readiness is important since numerous countries have started online learning at all education levels during the Covid-19 pandemic in the 21st century. By taking students’ online learning readiness level into account, it will be easier to establish on-target online learning environments. Although there are a number of online learning readiness scales available aiming at higher-education students in the Turkish setting, there is no scale available specifically for high-school students. This study, therefore, aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to identify the levels of online learning readiness for high school students in Türkiye. In order to develop an Online Learning Readiness Scale for high school students, a mixed-method exploratory sequential design was employed in this study. The first sample consisted of 916 students and the second sample consisted of 323 students who had previously experienced an online learning environment. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Validity and reliability evidences were also provided. The final version of the scale consisted of a total of 16 items in three dimensions; namely, computer self-efficacy, internet self-efficacy, and self-learning and explained 65.76% of the variance. The results of the study indicate that the Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) developed in this particular study is a reliable and valid measurement tool in the assessment of online learning readiness levels of high school students in Türkiye and is expected to guide researchers and practitioners who focus on assessing high school students’ online learning readiness levels.