Teachers' Attitudes To Inclusion Scale Validation Questionnaire

Abstract

The teacher's attitudes toward the instructional process and the students, the social representations with which he operates, the way he perceives the students, his self-knowledge, his conception of the world and life, the satisfactions and personal dissatisfaction, constitute what specialists call the "hidden agenda" of the teacher or the implicit curriculum. In inclusive school practice, the attitude of the teacher occupies the main place. Measuring attitudes in inclusive schools is the starting point in building any counselling and training tools and strategies for teachers working with children with Special Educational Needs. The result of this research was to explore the applicability of the questionnaire Teacher's Attitude to the Scale of Inclusion (TAIS) in a Romanian version in a sample outlined by teachers and to validate it. Using the analysis of the main components, a four-factor structure was built for the "attitudes to inclusion" section of the revised scale: problems of including children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream classes; inclusion of SEN students in mainstream classes, and social benefits for all; implications of inclusion in teaching practice; and implications for addressing the needs of children with SEN. Outlining the indicators, and the guiding elements that influence the attitude are essential in completing and outlining the programs for modifying and even improving the attitude. In conclusion, the updated and revised scale for teachers' attitudes towards inclusion (TAIS) shows the promise of being a reliable and valid measure for both research and applied purposes toward.