Develping a Scale to Measure School Effecitveness in Rural Primary Schools in Northern China

This study developed a valid and reliable instrument to assess school effectiveness (SE) based on Sammons, P. (1995) characteristics of effective schools. The sample of the study consists of 500 teachers who are chosen using multistage cluster sampling technique from primary schools in China. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) has been carried out by using data of 100 teachers. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) validated the constructs, while Cronbach’s Alpha confirmed item reliability. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) values (0.6–1) demonstrated sampling adequacy. For the second phase of the study. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been carried out toward data of 500 teachers. The analysis revealed that the eleven constructs explained over 50% of the total variance, with individual constructs contributing variances ranging from 54.897% to 86.345%. The final instrument retained 58 items, achieving good model fit indices (RMSEA = .061, CFI = .909, GFI = .902, x²/df = 2.794). Convergent validity was supported by factor loadings ranging from .76 to .94, while subscale correlations (.66 to .77) confirmed discriminant validity. The instrument also demonstrated strong internal consistency, with an overall reliability value of .94 and construct-specific values between .72 and .93. These results indicate that the instrument is a reliable and effective tool for measuring school effectiveness, particularly in educational research and practice in rural primary schools.