Teaching perspectives inventory (TPI): Validation and possibilities of scale application in Serbia

Abstract

Research directed at an ex amination of teachers' beliefs, conceptions, and perspectives on teaching demonstrate that these phenomena define teachers' perceptions and behavior, as well as influence students' learning and teaching efficiency. For the purposes of testing teachers' perceptions, we created the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI). The goal of this research is the validation and adaptation of this scale on a sample of 526 university professors in Serbia. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirm the five-factor model, which to a certain extent differs from the structure of the original instrument. All five sub-scales demonstrate adequate internal consistency in the range from .70 to .87, whereby good convergent validity is also confirmed. The modified version of TPI ensured the validation of originally defined teaching perspectives, and it was concluded that this scale may be used reliably in the educational context of Serbia.