Kolb, C. J., & Pietzonka, M.
Adaptation and validation of the rating scale DWD-S to measure diversity acceptance of adolescents in schools
Students can deal with diverse class contexts neutrally, proactively, and constructively or perceive them as irritation or even threat. Diversity acceptance is the individual ability to treat social diversity favorably and acceptably. It captures the individual dealing with diversity globally (across all facets of diversity). This ability is of practical importance when dealing with diverse challenges in schools. The DWD-S (Dealing With Diversity in Schools) scale presented in this paper is a school-related adaptation of Dealing With Diversity in Organizations (DWD-O) scale (Pietzonka & Kolb, 2021), which measures diversity acceptance of adult employees in the working context. The scale adaption took place via three studies: after the item adaptation through interviews with students (Study A), factor analyses (Study B) took place. Through the iterative exploratory factor analyses, 50 models were generated and compared. The CFA confirmed a model with four factors and 13 items. Considering the relevant parameters, the scale has a good model quality. The DWD-S shows good reliability. Construct validity is assessed in Study C. The scale can be used as a research tool to investigate development, changeability, and other implications of diversity acceptance in adolescents aged 13 and older. Practical uses and limitations are discussed.
