Teachers' attitudes toward integration: Validation of a Chinese Version of The Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS)

Abstract

This paper discusses the importance of assessing teachers' attitudes to integration as one important step in preparing school systems for a move toward more inclusive modes of education. The Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) of Berryman, Neal, and Robinson (1980) was translated into Chinese and the questionnaire completed by 310 Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The Chinese Version of the scale (C-ATMS) was found to have adequate internal consistency. A principal components factor analysis with varimax solutions yielded three meaningful factors: 1. Presumption of Learning Capability; 2. General Integration Issues; and 3. Presumption of Limited Capacity. These three factors could reliably be reproduced in two separate sub-samples (guidance teachers and non-guidance teachers). Potential uses of the C-ATMS are discussed.