Development and Content Validation of a Critical Thinking Scale for B.Ed. Students

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a Critical Thinking Scale (CTS) for Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students by integrating expert-based content validation with pilot psychometric testing. Design/Approach/Methods: An initial pool of 34 items was generated from critical thinking theory, teacher education literature, and policy frameworks (NEP 2020). An expert panel of 11 members evaluated items using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR). Items meeting both thresholds (I-CVI ≥ 0.78; CVR ≥ 0.59) were retained. The refined scale was pilot-tested with 89 B.Ed. students, and data were analysed for reliability, item–total correlations, and discrimination indices. Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) were administered to confirm sampling equivalence. Findings: Expert review reduced the pool of items, with the scale-level CVI improving to 0.874. Pilot testing confirmed this refinement: Cronbach’s α improved from 0.78 (34 items) to 0.80 (25 items). Item analysis identified weak items with low discrimination or ceiling effects, aligning with expert recommendations. RAPM scores were symmetrically distributed, supporting matched-pair sampling for future experimental designs. Originality/Value: The study introduces a contextually relevant, psychometrically sound CTS for Indian teacher education, addressing both theoretical and policy needs. The validated item scale provides a foundation for large-scale validation and cross-institutional application.