Psychometric testing of the Chinese version of Workplace Age Discrimination Scale and its short-form among Taiwanese...

Workplace age discrimination is a widespread issue that particularly affects older adults. The present study aimed to examine age discrimination within the educational context by validating the Chinese version of the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS) among Taiwanese teachers. A total of 671 teachers (mean age = 41.0 years; 74% female) completed an online survey. Both full-form (26-item) and short-form (9-item) versions of the WADS were translated using a forward-backward method. All participants were required to complete the Chinese version of WADS and the following external measures: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Chinese version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested acceptable model fit for both versions (comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.91 for full-form; 0.98 for short-form). Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.93), and measurement invariance was somewhat supported across sex and educational level. The WADS scores were significantly associated with self-esteem, psychological distress, and quality of life, supporting concurrent validity. Findings suggest that both versions are psychometrically sound instruments for assessing workplace ageism in educational settings. The short-form is particularly suitable for broader applications. Further validation across other occupations and cultures is recommended. The present study provides initial evidence that the Chinese WADS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing workplace age discrimination among Taiwanese teachers. Its use may help identify age-related barriers in educational settings and support the development of more inclusive workplace policies.