Development and validation of the trust in higher education scale (THES): A mixed-methods approach

Abstract

This research aims to develop and validate the Trust in Higher Education Scale (THES) by adopting a theoretical-empirical approach. In the study, the stages of the exploratory sequential design, which is one of the basic designs of mixed research methods, were followed. In this context, in the first stage, qualitative data were collected from 20 undergraduate students and analyzed by using content analysis method. In the second stage, an item pool with 21 items was created based on the data analysis results. The created items were applied to 366 and 513 undergraduate students at two separate sessions. Then, scale development procedures such as reliability, substantive validity, structural validity, external validity, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were performed on this data set, which was collected in three stages. As a result of the analysis, a valid and reliable scale consisting of 14 items and one dimension emerged. It is thought that the current research is important in terms of being the first attempt to reveal a valid and reliable measurement tool for trust in higher education and reveal or confirm the potential elements of trust in higher education.