Scale Overview
The Questionnaire for Beginning Teachers (QBT) was developed by Alan J. Reiman & Roy A. Edelfelt (1991). It is designed to measure Beginning teacher school climate and mentoring experience. The scale is intended for use with Beginning teachers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 46 items organized into 7 factors/subscales: Mentor Support, Teaching Conditions, School Climate, Professional Growth, Peer Support, Administrative Support, District Support.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Mentor Support |
2,3,4,6,8,10,11,29,31,32,33,34 |
12 |
| Teaching Conditions |
1,9,15,16,20,23,24,38,41,42,43,44 |
12 |
| School Climate |
22,27,28,35,39,45,46 |
7 |
| Professional Growth |
7,14,17,18,19,21,30,36,37 |
9 |
| Peer Support |
12,13,40 |
3 |
| Administrative Support |
25,26 |
2 |
| District Support |
5 |
1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never or hardly ever, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Frequently, 4 = Always or almost always.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low perceived support/favorable conditions: 1 – 2
- Moderate perceived support/favorable conditions: 2 – 3
- High perceived support/favorable conditions: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not reported.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.