Adaptation and Validation of the Socio-Educational and Cultural Ambivalence Scale in the Mapuche School Context

The study aimed to adapt and psychometrically validate the Socio-Educational and Cultural Ambivalence Scale (EASC) in the context of Chilean intercultural education, considering teachers, students, and parents/caregivers. Socio-educational ambivalence is defined as the coexistence of contradictory beliefs, emotions, and practices in the relationship between dominant school knowledge and Mapuche educational knowledge. Using a sequential mixed qualitative–quantitative design, we conceptually reviewed the original instrument (Quilaqueo et al., 2016) and administered the adapted version to a sample of 739 participants (266 teachers, 286 students, and 183 parents/caregivers) from the regions of Biobío, La Araucanía, and Los Lagos. We proposed two six-factor scales: one shared by adults (teachers and parents/caregivers) and another with the same structure but fewer indicators for students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed good model fit both for teachers and parents/caregivers (χ² = 1,100.85, df = 311, p < .001; RMSEA = .075; SRMR = .058; CFI = .934; TLI = .926) and for students (χ² = 378.546, df = 146, p < .001; RMSEA = .074; SRMR = .033; CFI = .978; TLI = .974). Composite reliability coefficients ranged from ω = .702–.974 for adults and ω = .749–.948 for students. The results support factorial validity, internal consistency, and scalar invariance for the adult category of the instrument (teachers and parents/caregivers), confirming its usefulness for assessing epistemic and cultural tensions in intercultural educational contexts. The EASC contributes to the development of tools that foster a more plural, reflective, and context-sensitive understanding of education in Indigenous territories.