The Development and Psychometric Properties of Climate Change Awareness Scale Among Higher Education Students

Abstract

Higher education has a pragmatic and educational approach to mitigating climate change and solving environmental challenges by enhancing awareness. Therefore, the study aims to develop a scale in a survey model to measure higher education students' awareness of climate change. The study group comprises higher education students enrolled at Public Universities in Ankara during the 2023-2024 academic year. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and divergent (discriminant) validity, item analysis, and reliability analysis were employed. The scale was rigorously validated through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and other measures. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a scale comprising 22 items and three dimensions was developed. The dimensions of the scale are as follows: Awareness of Causes, Awareness of Consequences, and Awareness of Solutions. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the scale's factor structure with three dimensions and 22 items. It was also determined that the scale met the convergent and divergent (discriminant) validity conditions, and all items were found to be distinctive. The scale's reliability was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha, McDonald's Omega, and Composite Reliability (CR) coefficients, and all reliability coefficients were adequate. Therefore, the study concluded that the climate change awareness scale is a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement tool.