Assessing Teacher Accountability: Development and Validation of the Teacher’s Professional Accountability Scale (TPAS)

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate the Teachers’ Professional Accountability Scale (TPAS) constructed by the researcher, which addresses the need for a comprehensive tool to measure professional accountability among Secondary school teachers. Professional accountability is the obligation of educators to adhere established standards and practices with competence and integrity, is crucial for improving educational quality and ensuring favorable student outcomes. A descriptive survey method was employed, and the TPAS was constructed and standardized through a pilot study. The scale consists of 94 items across four dimensions: procedural responsibility, consequential responsibility, instructional responsibility, and school and classroom responsibilities for student outcomes. Item analysis and selection resulted in a final draft of 74 items with satisfactory discrimination power. Reliability analysis using split-half method and Cronbach’s alpha yielded coefficients of 0.85, indicating high internal consistency. Content validity was established through expert reviews, and norms were developed based on z-scores from a sample of 281 Secondary school teachers. The TPAS provides a validated measure for assessing professional accountability, contributing to the advancement of educational research and practice, The study reached some recommendations, including the commitment of the school administration and senior management to the accountability standards reached, and the provision of joint workshops to ensure the efficiency of the implementation of professional accountability standards for teachers.