A Psychometric Analysis of the Student Version of the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ)

Abstract

Abstract. The German version of the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ), which is used to assess students’ emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept, was analyzed with the multi-unidimensional graded response model (GRM) and investigated for differential item functioning (DIF) between students with and without learning difficulties (LD). The PIQ was administered to 823 primary school students in Switzerland ( Mage = 11.94, SD = 1.01 years), of which 190 were classified as having LD. Results show that the PIQ is a reliable instrument for assessing students’ perceptions of their inclusion at school, especially in the lower ranges of the scales. No bias was detected for any items of the PIQ’s three scales in relation to the exogenous variable LD, with the exception of one item that showed a minor deviation.

Do learners with special education needs really feel included? Evidence from the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

“…English, German, and other language versions of the PIQ are available online to educators and researchers (see Venetz et al, 2015). The scale was further evaluated by Zurbriggen, Venetz, Schwab, and Hessels (2017), where its 3-factor structure was confirmed.…”

“…However, one item was found to lack measurement invariance between learners with learning disabilities and those without. Zurbriggen et al (2017) concluded that more work is necessary to compare the instrument in general across differing SEN. Furthermore, a comparison of the scale with other established scales will allow for additional cross-validation of its latent variables.…”

“…It includes the three scales: emotional integration, social integration, and academic selfconcept. Each scale is significantly related to the inclusion of a child in the school system (Venetz et al, 2014;Zurbriggen et al, 2017). The PIQ items and factors are described in Table 1. [Insert Table 1 about here]…”

Teachers’ Judgments of Students’ School-Wellbeing, Social Inclusion, and Academic Self-Concept: A Multi-Trait-Multimethod Analysis Using the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire

“…All dimensions are measured via four items rated on a four-point Likert scale (e.g., "I like going to school" for school well-being, "I have very good relationships with my classmates" for social inclusion, and "I do well in my schoolwork" for academic self-concept). High psychometric properties for the student version have been confirmed several times (e.g., Zurbriggen et al, 2017;DeVries et al, 2018;Venetz et al, 2019). The teachers' version of the PIQ (Venetz et al, 2015) was used for teachers' ratings of students' social inclusion, school wellbeing, and their academic self-concept.…”

“…It considers all three subthemes (social inclusion, school well-being, and academic self-concept), takes around 5 min to complete, and is accessible online. 1 Previous studies already demonstrated that it can be used for different subsamples (e.g., students with and without SEN; Zurbriggen et al, 2017 ; DeVries et al, 2018 ; Knickenberg et al, 2019 ). DeVries et al (2018) concluded from the results of their psychometric analysis that the PIQ meets high qualities and therefore is suitable for use in the context of inclusive education.…”