Measuring ecological literacy: scale development and validation study for pre-service teachers

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This study aims to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure pre-service teachers’ ecological literacy. The scale items were generated through a comprehensive literature review and were informed by qualitative findings from a prior study involving 23 pre-service teachers. Psychometric validation involved 561 pre-service teachers selected through convenience sampling. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 23-item scale with three sub-dimensions, accounting for 47.19% of total variance. Following confirmatory factor analysis, one item was removed, resulting in a final 22-item scale. The analysis supported the three-factor structure and indicated an acceptable model fit (χ2/df = 1.513; CFI = 0.935; TLI = 0.926; RMSEA = 0.047). Reliability analyses demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency for all sub-dimensions and the overall scale. The findings suggest that the Ecological Literacy Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating teacher education programmes, revising environmental education curricula, and informing sustainability-oriented educational policies.