Development and validation evaluation of the professional competency scale for pre-service childcare teachers in China

Objective The professional competence level of pre-service childcare teachers influences the quality of future childcare services. However, due to the lack of necessary assessment tools, this study aims to develop a professional competence scale for pre-service childcare teachers in China. Methods First, the qualitative data, including domestic and international policy texts, field interviews, and existing research findings, were subjected to three-level coding using Nvivo14 software to construct the dimensions of the Professional Competence Scale for Pre-service childcare teacher in China and preliminarily draft the items. Second, the expert consultation method was employed to test content validity. Two rounds of consultations were conducted with 22 experts using A Delphi software to refine the item content. Finally, Items analysis,exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing, and convergent validity testing were performed on data from 558 pre-service childcare teachers using Spss 27.0 software, while confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on data from 534 pre-service childcare teachers using Mplus 8.0 software. Results The professional competency scale for pre-service childcare teachers in China comprises four dimensions—Competence to practice teachers' morality, Responsive caregiving competence,Early development support competence, and Health management competence—with a total of 48 items. Content validity testing indicated that the scale items are comprehensive, clearly worded, and expressed in accessible language, effectively covering the professional competency requirements of pre-service childcare teachers. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) demonstrated good model fit for the scale. The Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each factor exceeded 0.500, Composite Reliability (CR) exceeded 0.700, and factor loadings ranged between 0.750 and 0.917. The scale achieved a Cronbach's α of 0.988, and all split-half reliability coefficients were above 0.700, meeting established psychometric standards. Conclusion The Professional competency scale for pre-service childcare Teachers in China demonstrates stable psychometric properties and is suitable for use as a measurement tool for assessing the professional competence of pre-service childcare teachers.