The Development and of Preschool Teachers' Self-Stigma Scale (PTSSS)

Purpose Preschool teachers' self-stigma may have negative impacts on their mental health and professional development. This study aims to develop the Preschool Teachers' Self-Stigma Scale (PTSSS) to providing an effective tool for conducting relevant quantitative research. Patients and methods A preliminary questionnaire was developed through literature analysis, semi-open interview, and expert review. A total of 335 preschool teachers were selected for a questionnaire survey. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were conducted on the collected data. In addition, another 389 preschool teachers were selected to complete the second round of survey using the PTSSS, Occupational Disidentification Scale (ODS), Intent to Leave Scale (ILS), Emotional Exhaustion Scale (EES), Workplace Well-being Scale (WWBS), and Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). Confirmatory factor analysis, as well as tests for convergent validity, discriminant validity, criterion validity, split-half reliability, internal consistency reliability, and cross-group consistency were performed on the data. Results The PTSSS consists of 18 items and is formed in three dimensions referring to Stigma Awareness, Stigma Agreement, and Stigma Application. It explains 69.38% of the total variance cumulatively. The bifactor model shows a good fit (χ²/df = 3.023, CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.956, IFI = 0.968, RMSEA = 0.072) and is superior to competing models. The total scale and each dimension of the PTSSS are significantly positively correlated with ODS, ILS, and EES, and significantly negatively correlated with WWBS and JSS. Furthermore, the Cronbach's α coefficients of the total PTSSS and its dimensions range from 0.90 to 0.97, and the McDonald's omega coefficients range from 0.90 to 0.97. Meanwhile, the study also revealed that the PTSSS has measurement invariance between urban and rural groups. Conclusion The PTSSS has good reliability and validity and can be used as an effective tool for assessing preschool teachers' self-stigma.