Abstract: The increasing complexity of higher education requires faculty to adapt instruction to learner diversity, technological innovation, and evolving educational contexts. However, existing measures do not adequately capture the consciously regulated processes underlying adaptive instructional decision-making. This study developed and provided initial psychometric validation of the Conscious Adaptive Teaching Scale (CATS), grounded in the Conscious Adaptive Teaching framework. Instrument development included construct specification, deductive item generation, expert content validation, pilot testing, and psychometric evaluation. Content validation demonstrated strong item relevance and agreement (I-CVI = .86–1.00; S-CVI/Ave = .96; modified κ = .84–1.00). The final 35-item CATS was administered to 350 higher education faculty members. Exploratory factor analysis supported five dimensions: Instructional Awareness, Pedagogical Judgment, Adaptive Responsiveness, Inclusive Facilitation, and Reflective Enhancement, with the first five initial eigenvalues accounting for approximately 57.02% of total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis provided initial support for the five-factor measurement structure, while higher-order CFA indicated that the five dimensions loaded positively on an overarching Conscious Adaptive Teaching construct (β = .499–.691). Composite reliability was strong across dimensions (CR = .857–.884). Convergent-validity evidence was generally supportive but mixed: AVE ranged from .464 to .522, with three dimensions meeting the conventional .50 criterion and Instructional Awareness and Adaptive Responsiveness falling slightly below it. Discriminant validity was supported by the Fornell–Larcker criterion and HTMT values (.262–.455). Internal consistency was strong across dimensions (α = .857–.884), with overall CATS reliability of α = .915 and ω = .914. Collectively, the findings provide promising initial psychometric evidence for the CATS as a multidimensional measure of Conscious Adaptive Teaching. Independent replication, temporal-stability assessment, and further validity testing are warranted.
Keywords: Conscious Adaptive Teaching; adaptive teaching; teacher cognition; scale development; psychometric validation; higher education.
Title: Operationalizing Conscious Adaptive Teaching: Development and Initial Validation of the Conscious Adaptive Teaching Scale (CATS)
Author: Dr. David Augustine Bull
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 14, Issue 4, October 2026 - December 2026
Page No: 12-31
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 06-October-2026
