Assessing Inclusive School Leadership Practices in Malaysia: Instrument Adaptation and Validation

Abstract

School leadership practices that promote inclusion for students with special educational needs have received significant attention in the literature. However, few studies have examined the psychometric properties of scales to evaluate principals' inclusive leadership practices in the Asian, specifically Malaysian, context. This study examined the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of a scale testing inclusive leadership in Malaysian schools. A total of 604 responses were collected from teachers working at 63 public primary and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study was conducted across two phases. In phase 1, the construct validity of the scale for Malaysian principals' inclusive leadership practices was established using exploratory factor analysis. In phase 2, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the dimensionality, reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity of the scale. Results supported a two-factor, 29-item scale. The scale may be utilised as a reliable and valid instrument for examining principals' inclusive school leadership practices in the Malaysian context.