DEVELOPMENT OF A SCALE TO MEASURE ATTITUDES TOWARD INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

This study was conducted to scale the Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (ATIES) with Rasch analysis. The ATIES records positive and negative attitudes toward integrating children with various disabilities into regular classes. Rasch analysis resolved the nonlinear relationship between the finite range of recorded ATIES scores and the conceptually infinite range of attitudes. Results showed that the 16-item scale defined a unidimensional attitudinal variable and yielded interval measures of attitudes toward inclusive education.