Development and validation of a teaching intermediate concept measure for assessing professional moral judgment among chinese pre-service teachers

This study develops and validates a new instrument to assess how pre-service teachers make moral decisions in realistic teaching situations. The instrument is based on “intermediate concepts,” which refer to practical professional values such as fairness, care, and confidentiality that guide decision-making in real situations. A total of 177 Chinese pre-service teachers completed the measure along with the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2), a widely used instrument for assessing general moral reasoning. The results indicate acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.76) and a moderate positive relationship with DIT-2 scores ( r = .39), providing evidence of validity. Participants with higher levels of moral reasoning were more likely to prioritize professional responsibilities in teaching dilemmas. These findings suggest that the instrument captures context-specific moral judgment and offers a culturally relevant tool for teacher education.