Title: Developing and validating a scale to measure faculty talent in higher education

Authors: Parvati Agrahari; Shefali Nandan

Addresses: University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India ' University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract: Faculty play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of higher education. The study aims at developing and validating a scale for measuring faculty talent. A rigorous three-stage scale development process was adopted to establish a psychometrically sound measure. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods including the Delphi technique, content validity analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed. A reliable and valid 40-item faculty talent scale comprising six dimensions was developed in the Indian context. The six dimensions identified were technology adoption, professional development competence, didactic and teaching competence, networking abilities, research abilities and leadership skills. The study offers a precise understanding of the talent construct and expands literature by introducing 'faculty talent' construct. It is the first study to develop a measure for faculty talent. The innovative aspect of the study is that it presents a multi-dimensional faculty talent construct and provides evidence for contextual nature of talent. The scale can help individuals gauge their talent and also assist higher education institutions in developing effective talent management strategies. Overall, the scale can be instrumental in developing faculty talent, leading to the enhanced employability of the young workforce.

Keywords: faculty talent; reliability; talent; Delphi technique; item development; scale refinement; scale evaluation; scale development; validity; higher education institutions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2024.138242

International Journal of Management in Education, 2024 Vol.18 No.3, pp.214 - 239

Received: 06 Jun 2023
Accepted: 08 Nov 2023
Published online: 30 Apr 2024 *

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