Description of the Questionnaire

The “My Thinking About Inclusion [MTAI] – Teacher’s Scale” questionnaire consists of 28 statements, which teachers are asked to evaluate using a five-point Likert scale: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Disagree, 5 = Strongly disagree. The tool assesses three dimensions related to the inclusion of students with special needs in general education: basic beliefs about inclusion, expected outcomes, and classroom practices.

Data Analysis and Use

The development of the tool was based on the work of K. C. Stoiber, M. Gettinger, and D. Goetz, and was adapted into Greek by E. Kalyva and H. Avramidis. The research was conducted with a sample of 155 primary school teachers from the northern region of Greece, 75 of whom were men and 80 women, with an average age of 40 years and 6 months. The validity of the scale is supported by psychometric analysis based on previous research and expert input. Content validity is confirmed by the correlation between responses to two related inclusion questions (r = 0.61). The reliability of the tool, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha, ranges from 0.65 to 0.87 for the subscales in the Greek version, and is 0.87 for the overall scale.

Purpose

The purpose of the scale is to explore teachers’ perceptions regarding the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream schools. Specifically, it aims to understand teachers’ core beliefs about inclusion, their expectations regarding its outcomes, and the practices implemented in everyday teaching.

Scoring

Teachers are asked to respond to each item using the five-point Likert scale, with total scores ranging from 28 to 140 points. The internal consistency of the three subscales was assessed through statistical analyses such as factor analysis. The items corresponding to each subscale are as follows: for the subscale of basic beliefs – items 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 14, 15, 23, 24; for the subscale of expected outcomes – items 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 26; and for the subscale of practices – items 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28.

References

Avramidis, H., & Kalyva, E. (2004). The impact of teaching experience and professional development on Greek teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion. Paper presented at the Conference “The European Dimension of Special Education.” Avramidis, H. (2002). Analysis of an alternative reading reality. Thessaloniki: Ministry of Education. Avramidis, E., & Kalyva, E. (2007). The influence of teaching experience and professional development on Greek teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22, 367–389. Kalyva, E., Gojkovic, D., & Tsakiris, V. (2007). Serbian teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion. International Journal of Special Education, 22, 30–35. Stoiber, K. C., Gettinger, M., & Goetz, D. (1998). Exploring factors influencing parents’ and early childhood practitioners’ beliefs about inclusion. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 13, 107–124.