This study addresses the critical need for comprehensive evaluation tools in educational settings by developing and validating a teacher effectiveness scale based on the MUSIC model, which assesses teacher performance across five dimensions: Empowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Care. Despite the growing emphasis on teacher effectiveness in higher education, existing evaluation methods often lack multidimensional approaches that capture the full scope of teacher performance. This research fills that gap by offering a scientifically rigorous instrument that can be applied across various educational contexts. Data were collected from 300 samples across five higher education and vocational institutions in China. The reliability of the scale was confirmed with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients exceeding 0.7 across all dimensions, indicating strong internal consistency. The validity of the scale was further supported by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), both of which demonstrated good model fit (CFI=0.93, TLI=0.92, RMSEA=0.05). Additionally, the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) and Composite Reliability (CR) indicators for each dimension surpassed standard thresholds, confirming high convergent and discriminant validity. The findings underscore the scale’s potential as a robust tool for educational administrators and policymakers to assess teaching effectiveness comprehensively and to provide actionable feedback that can enhance instructional strategies. This study not only contributes to the literature on teacher evaluation but also offers a practical instrument for improving educational quality.