The validation of a scale to measure school principals' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools

Factors affecting the attitudes of principals of saudi general education public schools toward the inclusion of students with disabilities

BACKGROUND

Research has indicated that the attitudes of principals toward students with disabilities may affect the success of the implementation of inclusive programs in schools. This study was designed to address a gap in the research regarding Saudi principals' attitudes toward inclusion. Relationships between attitudes and a number of variables were analyzed (i.e., gender, years of experience, level of school, type of student disability, personal relationships with individuals with disabilities).

METHODS AND PROCEDURE

The study sample was drawn from the 600 public general education elementary, middle, and high schools with special education programs in Riyadh (n = 366 schools) and Jeddah (n = 234 schools) in Saudi Arabia. Each of the principals of these schools for AY2022/2023 was sent an email invitation to participate. A total of 403 respondents (67.17% response rate) successfully completed Bailey's (2004) Principals' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education (PATIE) scale via electronic survey link.

RESULTS AND OUTCOMES

Overall, the research found that Saudi principals of public general education schools have positive attitudes toward inclusion. The factors of training in special education, personal experience with individuals with disabilities, and years of experience as principal were found to be significant in regard to more positive attitudes. Conversely, the variables of gender, level of school, and type of student disability were not found to correlate with more or less positive attitudes.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

While the findings of the study bode well for the implementation of inclusion in Saudi public schools, certain limitations exist, including that the study sample was entirely drawn from the two largest cities in the country. In addition, the Saudi Ministry of Education has created an incentive plan that provides financial bonuses to principals at public schools who implement inclusive and special education programming in their schools. This indicates that the target population of this study might be more inclined to be positive toward inclusion than their colleagues at private schools. The findings have implications for expanding special education training in university teacher education programs and the creation of public awareness programs designed to improve understanding of disabilities and how inclusion positively impacts society as a whole.

Psychometric properties of principals' attitudes toward inclusive education (PATIE) scale: Arabic version

BACKGROUND

Inclusive education is critical for the successful integration of students with disabilities into general education schools, and principals' attitudes play a crucial role in this process. Despite the recognized significance of attitudes, there remains a gap in understanding these attitudes among principals in Arabic-speaking regions concerning inclusive education practices. This study aims to bridge this gap by validating and assessing the reliability of the Arabic version of the Principals' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education (PATIE) scale.

METHODS

To measure these attitudes in the Arab region, the current study validated and assessed the reliability of the Arabic version of the Principals' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education (PATIE) scale using a sample of 391 principals from schools that have in place inclusion programs for students with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to validate the scale's structural, discriminant, and convergent validity, while Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR) were utilized to evaluate the scale's reliability.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated the strong validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the PATIE, with all five factors displaying good reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the scale can effectively measure attitudes toward inclusive education in Arabic-speaking countries. This study's implications for research and practice are significant, as they underscore the importance of positive attitudes among principals in promoting inclusive education and provide a validated tool for measuring these attitudes.

The Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS)

This study presents the development of a new instrument, the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS). Based on the multidimensional approach, it posits that attitudes are composed of three dimensions: affect, cognition, and behavior. The scale was distributed to a sample of 132 people along with a self-esteem measure and a frequently employed attitude scale, the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP). The construct and concurrent validity of the questionnaire was demonstrated by reliability and factor analyses, as well as by comparison with the ATDP scale. Principal component factor analysis revealed three correlated but distinct factors. Results show that women hold more positive behavioral attitudes than men. Interestingly, men with high self-esteem were found to hold more positive cognitions than men with low self-esteem. Results indicate the importance of a multidimensional approach both for the construction of sound instruments and for professional interventions aimed at modifying attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Effects of an awareness program on attitudes of students without an intellectual disability towards persons with an intellectual disability

BACKGROUND

We tested whether social and educational integration combined with training in awareness of disability for secondary school students resulted in more positive, long-lasting attitudes about educational and social inclusion of people with an intellectual disability.

METHOD

Attitudes of 259 participants (116 males, 143 females) were assessed by questionnaire. Effects of awareness of disability programs (ADPs) were tested by comparing attitudes of current secondary school students participating in a 3-session or 8-session ADP (n = 67) and past students who had participated in a 10-session ADP 8 years prior to the present study (n = 46), with same-age controls without training (n = 146).

RESULTS

Students completing 8-session ADPs reported more favourable attitudes than students in the 3-session ADP and peers without training. Past students' attitudes were also highly positive, compared with same-age controls without training.

CONCLUSIONS

ADP programs can promote positive attitudes towards people with an intellectual disability. Such training may have long-term benefits.