Development and validation of the inclusive sport attitudes scale for pre-service sport professionals (ISA-PS).

BACKGROUND: Inclusion in sport extends beyond school-based physical education and requires the active engagement of professionals across diverse sport-related fields. Although several instruments have been developed to assess attitudes toward inclusion among physical education teachers and teacher candidates, there remains a lack of psychometrically validated measures designed for the broader population of future sport professionals. This study aimed to develop and validate the Inclusive Sport Attitudes Scale for Pre-Service Sport Professionals (ISA-PS), a theoretically grounded instrument intended for use across sport education pathways and professional contexts. METHODS: The instrument was developed through a multi-stage process involving a systematic review of the literature, expert evaluation, and a qualitative preliminary study with practicing sport professionals. Psychometric evaluation was conducted using data collected from two independent samples of Hungarian university students preparing for diverse sport-related professions (Study 1: n = 312; Study 2: n = 167). RESULTS: Principal component analysis identified a four-factor, 16-item structure accounting for 65.2% of the total variance, encompassing positive willingness, negative components for sport professionals, positive components for participants, and barriers to inclusion. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a bifactor model provided the best representation of the data (CFI = 0.948, TLI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.047, SRMR = 0.061), supporting the interpretation of both a general inclusive sport attitude factor and meaningful specific dimensions. Reliability analyses demonstrated good internal consistency for the total scale (Cronbach's α = .87; McDonald's ω = .94). Consistent with factors known to support successful inclusion, students with ongoing participation in inclusion-related coursework and those reporting repeated interactions with persons with disabilities during coursework demonstrated significantly higher attitude scores. CONCLUSION: Together, these findings suggest that the ISA-PS broadens the assessment of inclusive sport attitudes beyond teacher education and school settings. As such, the ISA-PS represents a valid and reliable instrument for assessing inclusive sport attitudes among pre-service sport professionals from different sport-related educational programs.