Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales – Teacher Scales (PALS)
Measures teachers' perceptions of the school goal structure, their own instructional practices (approaches), and their personal teaching efficacy.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales – Teacher Scales (PALS) was developed by Carol Midgley, Martin L. Maehr, Timothy Urdan, Allison Kaplan, Elizabeth Middleton, Helen Hruda, Eric Anderman, Lynley Anderman, Kim Freeman, Marie Gheen, Revathy Kumar, Robert Roeser (2000). It is designed to measure Goal orientation, classroom goal structures, and teacher efficacy. The scale is intended for use with Teachers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 29 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Mastery Goal Structure for Students, Performance Goal Structure for Students, Mastery Approaches, Performance Approaches, Personal Teaching Efficacy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery Goal Structure for Students | 3,5,14,16,20,22,27 | 7 |
| Performance Goal Structure for Students | 7,10,12,15,25,29 | 6 |
| Mastery Approaches | 4,11,13,26 | 4 |
| Performance Approaches | 1,9,17,19,21 | 5 |
| Personal Teaching Efficacy | 2,6,8,18,23,24,28 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Endorsement: 1 – 2
- Moderate Endorsement: 3 – 3
- High Endorsement: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Mastery Goal Structure: 0.81, Performance Goal Structure: 0.71, Mastery Approaches: 0.69, Performance Approaches: 0.69, Personal Teaching Efficacy: 0.74.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.