Validation of the multidimensional attitudes toward preschool inclusive education scale in the bilingual context of Québec

Abstract

BackgroundThe Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Preschool Inclusive Education Scale (MATPIES; Lohmann et al., 2016) seeks to assess preschool educators’ attitudes toward inclusive education. It has been used in wide range of settings and with varied populations, but there has been a lack of systematicity in translation, adaptation, and validation procedures associated with it. For instance, its use in French or in a French-English bilingual context such as Québec (Canada) has yet to be validated. AimsThe present study documented the translation and validation process for the MATPIES in bilingual early childhood education settings. Methods and proceduresThe MATPIES was completed by 211 French- and English-speaking early childhood educators and administrators in the province of Québec, Canada. Outcomes and resultsConfirmatory factor analyses indicated that the original factor structure for the MATPIES was not replicated within the bilingual Québec sample.Exploratory analyses suggested a four-factor structure encompassing 15 items, which had good internal consistency (α = 0.87). Conclusions and implicationsThe factor structure of the MATPIES may vary across populations. This study underscores the importance of evaluating instruments in contexts that differ from those in which they were originally constructed to ensure the validity of results.