Development and initial validation of Digital Age Teaching Scale (DATS) to assess application of ISTE Standards for Educators in K–12 education classrooms

This study presents the methodological and procedural development process of the Digital Age Teaching Scale (DATS), a summative assessment tool designed to measure application of the ISTE Standards for Educators in K–12 classrooms. The theoretical framework of the ISTE Standards for Educators informed the development of DATS, and an 8-step process of applied theory validated 36 items across 7 framework dimensions. The responses of 642 in-service teachers in K–12 and career and technical education informed and validated the instrument. Two-correlation matrix analysis (inter-item and item-scale correlations) showed statistical inter-item and item-scale correlation; two-dimensionality analysis (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) revealed seven factors for exploratory factor analysis and indicated an acceptable model fit in confirmatory factor analysis; and reliability analysis points to strong overall internal consistencies. All analysis showed adequate psychometric properties, and future studies should focus on shortening the scale.