Psychological Safety Scale for Filipino Public School Teachers: Psychometric Validation and Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to develop and validate a Psychological Safety Scale tailored for Filipino public school teachers and to examine the relationships among its underlying dimensions using structural modeling. Study Design: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed for scale development and validation. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted among public school teachers in the Department of Education (DepEd) Northern Samar Division, Philippines, from October 2025 to January 2026. Methodology: A 25-item instrument was developed from psychological safety literature and culturally grounded Filipino constructs. Content validity was evaluated by three experts. Data were collected through an online survey of public school teachers. The sample was divided for exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified the factor structure, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to evaluate model fit, reliability, and construct validity. Results: Three dimensions of psychological safety emerged: Relational Leadership Safety, Collective Psychological Security, and Prosocial Organizational Commitment. The confirmatory model demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.996, RMSEA = 0.079, SRMR = 0.043). All factor loadings were statistically significant, and reliability estimates indicated strong internal consistency. Conclusion: The Psychological Safety Scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for assessing psychological safety among Filipino public school teachers. The validated model highlights leadership, relational trust, and prosocial engagement as interconnected components shaping psychological safety in school organizations.