Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale that can determine the types and levels of knowledge behind parents’ attitudes; performing the validity and reliability studies of the related scale was the goal as well. Parenting Knowledge Test (PKT) is divided into 4 main categories in principle as prenatal, babyhood, childhood and puberty; entirely 100 expressions were selected from the item pool belongs to these categories. Scale trial form that consists of 70 expressions was prepared by evaluating the expressions with professionals; eliminating some expressions and also emending in some of the expressions. It was especiallypaid attention toinformation that was asked to parents to answer to be certain information based on a scientific basis. PAKT trial form whose guideline was also already prepared was applied in the research group (entirely 110 parents whose 45 were males and 65 were females) for validity, reliability and factor analysis study.Statistical 4.5 program computed tetrachoric correlation coefficients among the items; principal component analysis (factor analysis) based on tetrachoric correlations was conducted. It was seen at the end of the analysis that some of the items placed in both two factors at the same time; varimax rotation was performed to organize the factor structure. We observed as the result of related rotation that items of the scale are gathered on three key factors (dimensions). These three key factors that were specified by factor analysis of PAKT have been entitled as follows;The 1st factor is ‘’Traditional Knowledge’’, The 2nd factor is ‘’Magazinish Knowledge’’, The 3rd factor is ‘’Scientific Knowledge’’. The final scale has been reached at the end of repeated factor analysis with rotation. The final scale is composed of 47 items. Experimental and control groups were established to see the distinctiveness feature of PAKT. The scale was applied in the experimental and control group for two times by a 21-days gap. Pretest and posttest scores were compared by t-test for repetitive measures on the purpose of observing the transformations in experimental and control groups in themselves. There is a statistically significant difference between posttest point averages of experimental and control groups. For this finding, the scale can distinguish the experimental and control groups based on the posttest scores (t= -36,90; p<0,01). The reliability coefficient (KR-20-reliability coefficient) of the final scale with these items was calculated as 0,93. It would appear that this scale, as is, shows a so high internal consistency; accordingly, its reliability is pretty high as well. In conclusion, PAKT has reasonable psychometric attributes; it can be used in research and applications.

Keywords: