DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LEARNING NEEDS RELATED TO POLAR TOPICS: SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION

Derya Girgin; Fuat Elkonca; İsmail Satmaz; Eylem Yalçinkaya-Önder; Serkan Demir

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DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LEARNING NEEDS RELATED TO POLAR TOPICS: SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION

Title	DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LEARNING NEEDS RELATED TO POLAR TOPICS: SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION
Publication Type	Journal Article
Year of Publication	2026
Authors	Girgin, D, Elkonca, F, Satmaz, İ, Yalçinkaya-Önder, E, Demir, S
Journal	Journal of Baltic Science Education
Volume	25
Issue	5
Start Page	835-854
Pagination	Continuous
Date Published	October / 2026
Type of Article	Original article
ISSN	1648-3898
Other Numbers	E-ISSN 2538-7138
Keywords	climate literacy, learning needs assessment, lower-secondary school students, polar education, scale development, science education
Abstract	Rapid polar change makes it important for science teachers to know what students need when they study these regions. This study reports the development and validation of the Polar Topics Learning Needs Scale (PPLS), a self-report instrument for lower-secondary school students. The scale covers five dimensions: Content Learning Needs, Perceived Conceptual Difficulties, Teaching Support Needs, Technology and Activity-Based Learning Preferences, and Interest and Curiosity in Polar Topics. An initial pool of 35 items was reviewed by nine experts (CVR ≥ .78) and piloted with 25 students. Exploratory factor analysis with 316 students produced five factors that accounted for 53.81% of the variance, with loadings between .46 and .88. Confirmatory factor analysis with a separate group of 204 students supported this structure, χ²(265) = 420.98, p < .001, χ²/df = 1.59, RMSEA = .054, SRMR = .06, CFI = .98, NFI = .95, NNFI = .98, GFI = .84. Subscale α and ω coefficients ranged from .82 to .88. The 25-item PPLS yields subscale scores that can be used descriptively with similar samples; predictive validity, temporal stability, and cross-cultural generalisability have not yet been established.
URL	https://oaji.net/articles/2026/987-1793131672.pdf
DOI	10.33225/jbse/26.25.835
Refereed Designation	Refereed
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