Middle School Parents' Awareness of Digital Opportunities: A Scale Development Study

Abstract

Technological advancements offer children and young people various opportunities in many areas, including communication, entertainment, and education. However, parents may find it challenging to show their children appropriate approaches and behaviors if they concentrate solely on the risks and threats associated with their children's use of technology. Research has indicated that it is crucial for parents to possess the knowledge and awareness to minimize the negative effects of technology on their children and maximize the benefits it offers. This study aimed to develop a scale to determine parents' awareness of the digital opportunities available in their children's technology use. For this purpose, an item pool was created by reviewing the relevant literature and consulting experts, and a 51-item scale was prepared. The scale was then administered to 318 parents of 6th- and 7th-grade students attending six public middle schools in a provincial center in Eastern Anatolia. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the obtained data, and reliability studies were conducted. Following the analyses, the 28-item two-factor scale (educational and social) was finalized. The final scale was administered to 232 parents of students, and a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Fit indices were examined, and the scale items were found to have acceptable and satisfactory fits. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega reliability coefficients were 0.95, and the stratified alpha coefficient was 0.96. Thus, it can be said that the field has developed a valid and reliable tool to measure the awareness of middle school students' parents regarding digital opportunities.