Adaptação, validação e aplicação do questionário de avaliação do preparo de professores em relação a inclusão (CEFI-R) em licenciandos

Abstract

Variations in perceptions of inclusion across time and culture, coupled with the influence of teacher attitudes, directly impact the effectiveness of school inclusion and highlight the importance of psychometrically appropriate instruments to assess teachers' preparedness to meet the demands of inclusive education. Teachers who exhibit positive attitudes towards students with disabilities play a decisive role in educational change and are recognized as one of the most relevant elements for the success of inclusive education. However, negative teacher attitudes tend to result in unfavorable stances towards school inclusion. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt, validate, and apply the "Teacher Preparedness Assessment Questionnaire for Inclusion" (CEFI-R). The sample consisted of 453 undergraduate students from diferente courses at a higher education institution. Confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability analysis, item response theory analysis, and latent profile analysis were performed. Of the 17 items comprising the adapted questionnaire, item 3: “We should place students with special educational needs in regular schools, even if we do not have adequate preparation.” and item 12: “The role of the support teacher is to work with the whole class.” showed unsatisfactory psychometric performance. Regarding the comparison between the groups of undergraduate students from the initial and final years of schooling, those from the initial years showed more favorable perceptions of inclusion in terms of making methodological adaptations and recognizing the importance of community participation in the inclusive context. Latent Profile Analysis revealed three distinct groups associated with different levels of inclusion: Partial inclusion, Low inclusiveness, and Highly inclusive. It is concluded that the adapted and validated questionnaire proved adequate for assessing undergraduate students' perceptions of teacher preparedness for inclusive education, with the exception of items 3 and 12, which showed unsatisfactory psychometric performance, such as factor loadings below the recommended level.