Assessing teachers’ relationship with oral communication: refinement and validation of the ERO scale

This article reports on the refinement and validation of the ERO scale designed to assess teachers’ relationship with oral communication. Study 1 (N = 569) used exploratory factor analysis to identify eight dimensions—affective, conceptual, axiological, praxeological, metadiscursive, interactional, identity-related, and relational—and to make the final selection of 25 items. Study 2 (N = 527) used confirmatory factor analysis to validate this structure, showing good fit and satisfactory reliability. Validity evidence based on relations with other variables was supported through correlations with self-perceived communication competence. Beyond its psychometric validity, the ERO offers a structured framework for teacher education. By making these eight dimensions visible, it supports teachers’ reflection on their relationship with oral communication and provides educators with a diagnostic tool for more targeted professional development.