Adapting Measures of Inclusion to Finnish Higher Education Teacher Educators' Context: Investigation of Validity and Reliability

Abstract

<p>Inclusive education requires staff commitment to the principles of inclusion, and teacher training is crucial to fulfilling its goals. However, research on higher education teacher educators' inclusive dispositions is lacking, particularly in the Finnish or Nordic context. To redress this situation, psychometrically sound research instruments are warranted. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and factorial validity of two inclusion scales, namely Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale and the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised (SACIE-R) scale, with a sample of Finnish teacher educators. Teacher educators (N = 229) from 13 higher education institutions were recruited to complete an online survey on the TEIP and the SACIE-R. Data were analyzed using McDonald's omega and several confirmatory factor analyses, and both measures displayed adequate reliability. Results indicated that TEIP had both three-factor and second-order factor models, and SACIE-R, a two-factor structure. This suggests that TEIP and SACIE-R provide adequate means to measure perceptions of inclusive education, particularly in the higher education context, and thus form a useful basis for the development of training programs to promote inclusive education.<br></p>