Abstract
The Goal Achievement Scale in Colleges of Education (GASCE) was developed and validated to address the lack of context-specific assessment tools for evaluating goal achievement in Nigerian educational institutions. Despite the critical role of goal achievement in educational success, there has been a shortage of reliable and valid instruments tailored to the unique challenges faced by Nigerian colleges of education. This study aimed to create a comprehensive tool to measure goal achievement across six constructs: critical thinking, committed teaching, high motivation, intellectual fitness, professional fitness, and social fitness. Using a descriptive research design for scale development research, the GASCE was constructed through expert review, pilot testing, and rigorous statistical analyses, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). A sample of 450 respondents from various colleges of education participated in the study. The CFA results confirmed the six-factor structure, with fit indices indicating a good model fit and factor loadings supporting construct validity. Reliability testing demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.845 to 0.919. Criterion-related validity was established through significant correlations with external measures of goal achievement. The validated GASCE provides a robust tool for assessing educational performance, offering valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and administrators. These findings have significant implications for improving educational quality through targeted interventions and resource allocation.