Author Identifier (ORCID)

Stuart Woodcock: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2035-8638

Abstract

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education are widely recognised as a key indicator of the inclusiveness of classroom environments. However, existing instruments inadequately capture teachers’ mindsets in relation to inclusive education for all learners. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating a new cross-cultural measurement instrument: the Attitudes Towards Inclusion for All scale (ATIFA), in both English (ATIFA-EN) and German (ATIFA-DE). Data were collected from pre-service and in-service teachers in Australia (n = 146) and Germany (n = 238). Exploratory factor analysis and Rasch modelling identified four robust subscales—Philosophy, Practice, Social Inclusion, and Support—with strong psychometric properties. Evidence of reliability and construct validity was further supported through correlations with teacher self-efficacy. The ATIFA provides a valid and reliable tool for assessing teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education for all and offers a foundation for future cross-cultural research and policy development.

Keywords

Attitudes, inclusive education, measurement, scale, teachers

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

12-1-2026

Volume

14

Issue

1

PubMed ID

41943117

Publication Title

BMC Psychology

Publisher

Springer

School

School of Education

RAS ID

95255

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Comments

Kielblock, S., Woodcock, S., & Ehrich, J. (2026). Examining teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education for all: Development of a new scale. BMC Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04478-6

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1186/s40359-026-04478-6