Development, psychometrics and feasibility of the School Participation Questionnaire: A teacher measure of participation related constructs.
The 11-minute SPQ gives BCBAs a reliable teacher report of classroom participation for kids with autism or ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Maciver et al. (2020) built a new teacher form called the School Participation Questionnaire. The 46-item form asks teachers how well kids with autism, ID, or mixed needs take part in class life.
The team checked that the questions hang together, give the same score on repeat, and match real classroom marks. Teachers finished it in about 11 minutes.
What they found
The SPQ showed strong reliability and validity. In plain words, the numbers were steady and they lined up with other school skills data.
Teachers said the form was quick and easy to use during a normal prep period.
How this fits with other research
The SPQ extends Şahin et al. (2020). Sedef’s team found big participation gaps for kids with SLD. The SPQ now gives you a teacher tool to spot those same gaps in your school.
Saggers et al. (2019) already showed parents can rate community participation with the P-SEQ. The SPQ does the same job for teachers in school, so you can capture both sides.
Lord et al. (1997) built an older autism scale focused on behaviors. The SPQ shifts the lens from behaviors to participation, updating what we measure in inclusive rooms.
Why it matters
You now have a free, psychometrically sound teacher snapshot of how included a child feels in class. Use it to pick targets, show pre-post change, and share plain numbers with teachers and parents. One short form can start the conversation about recess choices, group work roles, or needed supports.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: We report development of the SPQ (School Participation Questionnaire) a teacher-completed measure of participation related constructs for schools. The SPQ was developed to support participation-related assessment, interventions, and research in the inclusive school context. METHODS: Several iterative steps were undertaken. An international panel of experts reviewed content validity. A 66-item pilot questionnaire was administered in schools. Mokken and Rasch model analysis were applied. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Analyses were conducted on associations with teacher and child demographic variables. Feedback was sourced from users. Participants were teachers of 101 children (5-12 years old) with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. RESULTS: Four participation-related dimensions of the SPQ were confirmed. Rasch person and item reliability were good, and 2-4 strata were confirmed per scale. Internal consistency was good (all scales, Cronbach α > 0.8). Mean administration time was 11.7 min. Mean SPQ scores were independent of teacher characteristics. A significant effect of school support level, eligibility for free school meals and gender was found. Through synthesising analytic results and feedback, a new 46-item tool was obtained. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide evidence of acceptability, practicality and validity. The SPQ is the first tool developed to assess participation related constructs in schools, and it contains novel information not given by other assessments. The SPQ may be used by practitioners and researchers to understand and improve the participation of children with a range of disabilities in schools.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103766