Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context
Abstract Preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge is imperative for addressing the diverse demands of children with special education needs and enhancing the quality of inclusive education. However, the measuring instruments of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge are relatively few and primarily...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04896-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849314733210992640 |
|---|---|
| author | Chang-Jiang Yang Bi-Ying Hu Si-Jia Jia Xue-Yun Su Jia-Qi Jing |
| author_facet | Chang-Jiang Yang Bi-Ying Hu Si-Jia Jia Xue-Yun Su Jia-Qi Jing |
| author_sort | Chang-Jiang Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge is imperative for addressing the diverse demands of children with special education needs and enhancing the quality of inclusive education. However, the measuring instruments of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge are relatively few and primarily rely on self-report scales and semi-structured interviews, highlighting the necessity to enhance the objectivity and accuracy of the measurement. The main objective of this study was to develop a reliable instrument for evaluating preschool teachers’ proficiency in inclusive education knowledge. This study included a total of 4784 samples from four different provinces and cities in China, utilizing the Rasch model to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The results suggested that the questionnaire adhered to the unidimensional structure assumed by the Rasch model, with all items demonstrating local independence. All 28 items exhibited satisfactory fit indices (infit MNSQ: 0.50 to 1.14, outfit MNSQ: 0.86 to 1.07), aligning closely with the expectation of the Rasch model. Furthermore, the difficulty parameters (β) of the items were relatively low, and the test contributed maximal information to participants with latent traits ranging from −2 to 0 (θ). The marginal reliability of the test was satisfactory, while the differential item functioning indicated that the test has acceptable generalizability validity. In general, the Preschool Teachers’ Inclusive Knowledge Questionnaire demonstrated robust psychometric properties and exhibited broad applicability among preschool teachers of diverse genders and employment statuses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e04e2424cb9e42fb8b71e76e40bc15f5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e04e2424cb9e42fb8b71e76e40bc15f52025-08-20T03:52:20ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-04-0112111010.1057/s41599-025-04896-8Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese contextChang-Jiang Yang0Bi-Ying Hu1Si-Jia Jia2Xue-Yun Su3Jia-Qi Jing4Faculty of Education, East China Normal UniversityFaculty of Education, University of MacauFaculty of Education, East China Normal UniversityFaculty of Education, East China Normal UniversityFaculty of Education, East China Normal UniversityAbstract Preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge is imperative for addressing the diverse demands of children with special education needs and enhancing the quality of inclusive education. However, the measuring instruments of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge are relatively few and primarily rely on self-report scales and semi-structured interviews, highlighting the necessity to enhance the objectivity and accuracy of the measurement. The main objective of this study was to develop a reliable instrument for evaluating preschool teachers’ proficiency in inclusive education knowledge. This study included a total of 4784 samples from four different provinces and cities in China, utilizing the Rasch model to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The results suggested that the questionnaire adhered to the unidimensional structure assumed by the Rasch model, with all items demonstrating local independence. All 28 items exhibited satisfactory fit indices (infit MNSQ: 0.50 to 1.14, outfit MNSQ: 0.86 to 1.07), aligning closely with the expectation of the Rasch model. Furthermore, the difficulty parameters (β) of the items were relatively low, and the test contributed maximal information to participants with latent traits ranging from −2 to 0 (θ). The marginal reliability of the test was satisfactory, while the differential item functioning indicated that the test has acceptable generalizability validity. In general, the Preschool Teachers’ Inclusive Knowledge Questionnaire demonstrated robust psychometric properties and exhibited broad applicability among preschool teachers of diverse genders and employment statuses.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04896-8 |
| spellingShingle | Chang-Jiang Yang Bi-Ying Hu Si-Jia Jia Xue-Yun Su Jia-Qi Jing Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context |
| title_full | Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context |
| title_fullStr | Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context |
| title_short | Development and validation of preschool teachers’ inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the Chinese context |
| title_sort | development and validation of preschool teachers inclusive knowledge questionnaire in the chinese context |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04896-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT changjiangyang developmentandvalidationofpreschoolteachersinclusiveknowledgequestionnaireinthechinesecontext AT biyinghu developmentandvalidationofpreschoolteachersinclusiveknowledgequestionnaireinthechinesecontext AT sijiajia developmentandvalidationofpreschoolteachersinclusiveknowledgequestionnaireinthechinesecontext AT xueyunsu developmentandvalidationofpreschoolteachersinclusiveknowledgequestionnaireinthechinesecontext AT jiaqijing developmentandvalidationofpreschoolteachersinclusiveknowledgequestionnaireinthechinesecontext |