Moments Of Meeting: 'Intersubjective Encounters' And ‘Emancipatory’ Experiences Of Individuals With (Intellectual) Disabilities In Inclusive Musical Contexts, Caroline Blumer

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The purpose of this study was to explore an intersubjective framework to better understand the relational aspects of two inclusive musical programs in London, ON. I focused on mutual recognition moments, called moments of meeting (MoM), researching how they are formed and manifested while music is shared, created, or experienced within these two environments. Approaching such programs as potentially intersubjective spaces, this study investigated the impact of MoM and intersubjective experiences on the participation of individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in music making as well as on their perceptions of themselves as subjects. Equally significant, this study looked at emerging …

Interventions Based On Mindfulness For Socio-Emotional Skill Building In Children On The Autism Spectrum: A Systematic Review, Nethnie Thilakna Nandadasa

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Children on the autism spectrum are characterized by deficits in socioemotional skills. Previous research suggests that mindfulness is effective in improving social, emotional, and behavioural skills in a wide variety of populations. This review systematically investigated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in improving social, emotional, and behavioural functioning in children on the autism spectrum (0-12 years of age). Furthermore, the current review discussed adaptations to traditional MBIs when implemented to children on the autism spectrum. MBIs as a potential evidence-based practice for the target population was also investigated. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that MBIs led to …

Identifying Instructional Design Strategies In Differentiated Instruction In China: A Systematic Review, Haizhi Fu

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Differentiated instruction (DI) is defined as an approach that allows teachers to strategically and proactively plan and vary curriculum design and delivery to address students’ individual needs and to create meaningful student experiences. Since China’s New Curriculum Reform in 2001, DI has been extensively employed to motivate teachers to be curriculum developers and researcher practitioners. Teachers were encouraged to develop a diverse curriculum by connecting students’ and teachers’ life experiences and prior knowledge to the course content. Despite this popularity, the DI practice has been met with great difficulties and challenges in China, and few studies have identified instructional design …

The Effects Of A Video-Enhanced Intervention Package On The Science Practices Of Students With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Kailee Liesemer

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Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) often experience barriers to accessing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction in the general classroom. The current research guiding equitable STEM education for this population lacks scope, primarily targeting vocabulary or content knowledge instead of the cross-curricular application of science practice skills in STEM. Using single-case research designs, the current paper examined the efficacy of an intervention package used to teach science practices in STEM education to students with ID and NDD. A multiple probe across participant design revealed that the intervention package was effective in teaching two students with …

Understanding Service Gaps And Support Opportunities In The Treatment Of Childhood Anxiety, Chelsey R. Masson

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Globally, anxiety disorders represent the most prevalent mental health disorders in children and youth (Polanczyk et al., 2015), with an increasing number of individuals perceiving the need for professional help (Georgiades et al., 2019). It is unclear, however, where families are seeking help from, what barriers families are facing, and what services are being provided for effective management of symptoms. Two methods were used to investigate possible treatment support models; a questionnaire identified patterns in parental help-seeking behaviours and outlined perceived barriers to professional help, while a scoping review examined key components of parent/caregiver treatment models. Findings showed that parents …

Promoting Mentally Healthy Classrooms: Evaluation Of Online Mental Health Literacy Instruction In Pre-Service Teacher Education, E. Robyn Masters

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To better understand how to prepare large numbers of pre-service teachers for their role in creating and leading mentally healthy classrooms, this program evaluation explores outcomes related to an online mental health literacy course at a large central Canadian university. The course was delivered to 275 teacher education students simultaneously over 10-weeks and 20-hours of online instruction and professional reflection. Results indicated significant improvement in self-reported levels of mental health literacy, stigma toward mental illness, and self-efficacy for teaching students with diverse challenges. Qualitative reviews of participant feedback identified the most valuable aspects of the course and the ways in …

Inclusion And Policy Enactment In Teacher Education: A Focus On Pre-Service Teacher Preparation For The Inclusive Classroom, Ayman Massouti

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Preparing pre-service teachers to enact inclusive teaching practices in the inclusive classroom has become a concern for national and international educational organizations. Adding to these concerns, research on inclusive educati­on policy enactment in teacher education programs, particularly in a continuously growing and recognized diverse society such as Ontario, Canada, is scarce. In order to provide insight to address these issues, this study aimed to examine the enactment of the policy document titled Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation (OME, 2014) in one Ontario teacher education program. In particular, the study focused on exploring …

Understanding Student And Faculty Perceptions Of The Accommodation And Support Procedures For Students With Ld In Ontario Universities: A Mixed Methods Approach, Sarah Copfer Terreberry

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With recent advances in disability policies, practices, and inclusive education mandates, students with learning disabilities (LD) are choosing to attend higher education at a rate that is greater than ever before. Despite these positive advances, however, the transition from secondary to higher education and the adjustment to post-secondary environments for students with LD continues to present a number of unique academic, social, and emotional challenges for this population, especially as this relates to obtaining access to accommodation and support for their learning needs. This study investigated how the needs of students with learning disabilities (LD) are currently being met at …

Examining High School Students On Their Ideas About The Social Exclusion Of Peers With Learning Difficulties, Melanie E. King

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This thesis investigated the reasons high school students believed their peers with learning difficulties were excluded, and compared male and female responses. Participants included twenty grade twelve students who were interviewed on why they believed students with learning difficulties were excluded. Responses were analyzed (a) qualitatively to identify response themes, and (b) quantitatively to examine gender differences. Five response categories were identified including (a) thoughts and behaviours of students without learning difficulties, (b) classroom-related activities, (c) differences between students with and without learning difficulties, (d) thoughts and behaviours of students with learning difficulties, and (e) exclusion is not a problem. …

Strategies For The Social Inclusion Of Peers With Learning Difficulties: Perspectives Of Adolescents In Various Birth Order Positions, Sarah Lynne Breckenridge

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While inclusive education has become common practice, adolescents with learning difficulties still tend to be socially excluded by their peers. Whether sibling birth order affects the way adolescents include students with learning difficulties is a limited area of research. By conducting semi-structured interviews with high school students, the present study aimed to explore beliefs about how peers with learning difficulties may be socially included, examining accounts from oldest, youngest and middle siblings. Through content analysis, 4 main themes were identified: (a) academic interventions, (b) group events and activities, (c) student-driven initiatives, and (d) creating awareness (about learning difficulties). Chi square …

A Research-Based Educator's Guide To Auditory Processing Disorder: Does It Improve Teachers' Confidence?, Danielle M. Fletcher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Auditory processing disorder (APD) occurs in an estimated 5-10% of the population, yet many educators are unaware it even exists, let alone have confidence in how to support students in their classroom with this disorder. With a shortage of professional resources and training for teachers about APD, many educators struggle to understand the disorder and know what strategies and interventions to implement to help students with APD. After reading a guidebook of research-based information about APD specifically designed for educators, it was hypothesized teachers’ confidence levels in working with students with APD would increase. Forty-three participants responded to the initial …

Educational Assistants Supporting Inclusive Education In Secondary Schools, Amy C. Kipfer

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As school boards in Ontario move towards more inclusive models of learning, more students with disabilities are taught in regular classes instead of self-contained placements. This move results in a role change for the educational assistant (EA). Research is needed to determine the overall framework that will make the use of EAs a more effective practice for student and school. Fifteen EAs working in secondary schools within a school board in southwestern Ontario which was moving to a more inclusive model of education were individually interviewed. EAs chosen for the study had a background of supporting students with developmental disabilities …

Canadian University Early Admission Policies For Gifted And Talented Students, Waldemar P. Kruszynski

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Early entrance/admission to university (i.e., between two and four years before the usual age of admission) can provide multiple benefits for gifted and talented secondary school students. For these students, early university entrance/admission may be a key way to extend their intellectual capacities, capacities that they would not be able to achieve otherwise (Gross & van Vliet, 2005). Many researchers have argued that gifted and talented students not only show exceptional uniqueness in their extended intellectual and cognitive potential (Noble & Childers, 2008), but also, they demonstrate enhanced creativity and curiosity (Noble et al., 2007). Therefore, the primary problem that …

Voices Count: Employing A Critical Narrative Research Bricolage For Insights Into Dyscalculia, Diana E. Kuhl

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This qualitative study involved interviewing adult participants who were identified, or who self identified as having dyscalculia (also known as a mathematical learning disorder), with the objective of obtaining depth of perspective on how this phenomenon is interpreted, responded to, and managed by these individuals and those around them. This study utilizes a theoretical and methodological framework known as bricolage (Kincheloe, 2005) which involves the synthesis of narrative, auto-ethnographic, critical, feminist, neuroscientific, and psychometric perspectives, to explicate the constitution and experience of dyscalculia. This study also explores epistemological privilege within the discipline of educational psychology, and draws on the work …

Elementary Students' Beliefs About The Causes Of Learning Difficulties: A Comparison Between Canada And Saudi Arabia, Huda Saleh Felimban

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In this cross-cultural comparison, students from inclusive schools in Canada and Saudi Arabia shared their beliefs about the causes of and factors associated with learning difficulties. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 36 Canadian and 62 Saudi elementary students in Grades 5 and 6. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Six categories emerged: Lack of Knowledge, Achievement, Academic Skills; Cognitive and Social-Emotional Barriers; Lack of Attention and/or Motivation and Behavioural Issues; Home and Parental Concerns; Teacher-Related Issues; and Physical/Sensory Disabilities and Innate Conditions. Results showed that participants from both countries had a general understanding of the factors …

Social Skill Development Of Adults With Disabilities In A Community Drama Group, Jennifer E. Richardson

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This thesis investigates whether a community based drama group for adults with disabilities enhances their perceived social and personal development. A multiple-case study approach was used, with each member of the drama program being viewed as a single case. A final summary of the cases was then used to determine the overall effectiveness of the program. Included as participants for this study were: (a) drama group members, (b) parents/guardians, and (c) instructors of this drama program. Data collection included the use of standardized measures, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations for each case. The skills which participants improved on the most …

Understanding Teachers’ Information Needs, Perceived Competencies, And Information Seeking Behaviours For Special Education Information, Michelle M. Servais

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The focus of this research is to better understand teachers’ information needs, perceived competencies, preferences for information sources, and information seeking behaviours related to special education by level of teaching experience. A mixed methods approach to research was employed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Eighty-five elementary and intermediate school teachers (J.K. through Grade 8) from Catholic and public school boards in southern Ontario, Canada, completed an online survey questionnaire. Semi-structured, follow-up interviews were then conducted with 11 teachers to further explore the issues. The participants were classified into three experience level groups (i.e., novice, intermediate, and expert …

Aids Stigma And Discrimination In Public Schools: A Case Study Of Hiv-Positive Children In Kenya, Maryanne N. Kamau

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ABSTRACT

The advancement of the antiretroviral therapy (ARV) has extended life expectancy for children born with HIV, allowing them to live longer, healthier lives and to attend school. Conversely, medical evidence indicates that it is unlikely for HIV transmission to occur during social interactions, and therefore exclusion of HIV-positive children (CLWHA) from school is unwarranted. Kenya’s education policy guarantees every child the right to education and protection from all forms of discrimination. However, due to social misconstructions about HIV/AIDS, CLWHA’s continue to face various forms of stigmatization. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the manifestation and experiences …

General Education Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Developing "Interventionist" Beliefs And Practices, Michelle Pompeo

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This thesis investigates how “Interventionist”, “general education” (GEN) teachers, (or “core” teachers, as opposed to special educators) in the elementary stream, in Ontario, have learned inclusive beliefs and practices that have been considered effective for teaching and including children with exceptionalities in their classrooms. 10 GEN elementary teachers, consisting of 3 men and 7 women, from 2 local school boards, were interviewed to determine if they were “Interventionist” (Stanovich & Jordan, 1998). From this sample, 6 GEN teachers; 2 men and 4 women, were found to be “Interventionist”. Classroom observations and follow-up interviews were used to gain insight into the …

The Research To Practice Gap In The Identification And Instruction Of Students At Risk For Reading Disabilities: Teachers' Perspectives, Katherine Davidson

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This study investigated teachers' uses of research on the identification and instruction of students at risk for reading disabilities (RD). It identified obstacles to teachers' uses of RD research and methods to bridge RD research and teachers' practices. Two theoretical frameworks underpinned the study. The knowledge utilization framework consisted of eight stages of knowledge use (reception, search/find, cognition, reference, effort, adoption, implementation, and impact), and three categories of obstacles to knowledge use (supply, demand, and context). A critical perspective also informed the study's methods, analyses, and implications. A mixed methodology was employed by way of: (a) a pre-pilot study which …