Measuring pre-service teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education: Psychometric properties of the TAIS scale

• A scale measuring attitudes towards inclusive education was developed.
• Five samples were used to study the scale.
• The scale was unidimensional and had good psychometric properties.
• It is recommended for use among teachers and pre-service teachers.

The Teachers' Attitudes towards Inclusive Education (TAIS) scale was designed to measure pre-service teachers' attitudes towards inclusion, as defined in the Salamanca Statement of UNESCO. The 10-item scale was developed using a sample of 185 final-year pre-service subject teachers. It was validated in four subsequent studies with various samples of teachers and pre-service teachers. The unidimensionality of the scale was established in all samples except the first-year students, and its validity was confirmed in psychometric analyses. The scale is suggested for use in intervention studies aiming to develop positive attitudes towards inclusion among teachers and pre-service teachers.