Education Commons^™

Teachers' Perceptions And Practices Of Multiple Intelligences Theory In Middle Schools, Linda N. Kennedy-Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite instructional changes and administrative support, students with learning disabilities in a middle school located in Georgia did not meet the state expectations to perform at their grade level in core subjects on the state's standardized test. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a relationship existed between teachers' familiarity with Gardner's multiple intelligences (MI) theory and the MI instructional strategies they used in the classroom setting. Gardner's MI theory was used as the theoretical foundation, which supports the idea that if teachers can identify the intelligences (e.g., interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, mathematical/logical, verbal/linguistic, and naturalistic) …

Behind But Not Forgotten: It Is Never Too Late To Learn, Allison Berst Newton

All ETDs from UAB

Educating those who speak languages other than English is one of the biggest conundrums in education today, and literacy acquisition is relevant as more Emergent Bilinguals (EBs) enter public schools each year. For those EBs who struggle with family disruptions and literacy, the problem is even more profound. There is a gap in the literature concerning academic outcomes due to family disruptions. The purpose of this narrative case study was to describe the life experience of a 12th-grade, Hispanic, bilingual student classified as learning disabled in elementary school who was not literate in her native language or the English language, …

Effects Of Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction For English Learners With Specific Learning Disabilities, Sara Lynn Jozwik

Theses and Dissertations

In this intervention study, I engaged principles of culturally responsive research to examine the effectiveness of explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction for English Learners (ELs) with specific learning disabilities (SLD). This study replicated and extended previous research (Jitendra, Hoppes, & Xin, 2000) by modifying instruction found to be effective for native English speakers (i.e., explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction with a self-monitoring procedure). Modifications included: (a) integrating culturally relevant text, (b) providing native language support, and (c) melding strategies from the fields of teaching English as a second language and special education. Through a co-teaching model, I provided instruction to …

Developing An Understanding Of Quadratics Through The Use Of Concrete Manipulatives: A Case Study Analysis Of The Metacognitive Development Of A High School Student With Learning Disabilities, Tricia K. Strickland

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This case study analyzed the impact of a concrete manipulative program on the understanding of quadratic expressions for a high school student with a learning disability. The manipulatives were utilized as part of the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Integration (CRA-I) intervention in which participants engaged in tasks requiring them to multiply linear expressions and factor quadratic expressions embedded within contextualized area problems. The case study focused on a representative participant, Marcia, who demonstrated significant gains from pre- to post-intervention assessments. The qualitative analysis provided descriptive data which offered insight into the reasons for these gains. Results indicated that the manipulatives supported metacognition through …

Technology-Assisted Instruction And The Academic Performance Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Jason Florek

Culminating Projects in Special Education

No abstract provided.

Disability And Power: A Charter School Case Study Investigating Grade-Level Retention Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Esther Lorraine Perez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Students attending charter schools, including those with learning disabilities, are subject to policies set by individual charter management organizations. One practice used within some charter schools is grade-level retention, or having students repeat a grade level. Literature overwhelmingly indicates that retention is associated with negative outcomes, yet the practice continues to be used. One particular charter school that uses a strict retention policy and retains students with learning disabilities was studied to understand how the process unfolds. Using the conceptual frameworks of critical disability theory and critical pedagogy, the study draws inferences regarding how this phenomenon blends with ableism and …

Assessment Practices Of Students With Learning Disabilities In Lebanese Private Schools: A National Survey, Rasha Elhage

Wayne State University Dissertations

Education is intended to provide diverse students with the skills and competencies needed to enhance their lives (Salvia, Ysseldyke & Bolt, 2011). This includes assessment practices that enable teachers to identify students' current level of skills, their strength and weaknesses, target instruction at student's personal level, monitor student learning and progress and plan and conduct adjustments in instruction, and evaluate the extent to which students have met instructional goals. This study intended to discover, describe, and evaluate the assessment practices of teachers and administrators working with students with learning disabilities in Lebanese private schools via the Context, Input, Process and …

The Effects Of Embedding Formative Assessment Measures In A Problem--Based Learning Mathematics Curriculum For Middle School Students, Mark D. Butler

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Student performance in the area of mathematics is a topic of national concern in the United States, with several reports documenting the need for effective instruction to boost student achievement. However, what type of math instruction will most effectively raise student achievement for students with disabilities (SWD) remains a matter of debate. Problem-based learning (PBL) is a promising methodology for engaging and motivating students’ learning while increasing their math skills. Enhanced Anchored Instruction (EAI) is a form of problem-based learning, rooted in a constructivist framework, which guides students through complex problems through video anchors and context rich environments that has …

The Influence Of Montessori-Based Literacy Instruction And Methods On Reading Achievement Of Students In Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, And 7, Frances Bowman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

This study examines the influence of Montessori-based literacy curriculum and instruction on student achievement in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I studied 71 matched pairs of urban charter school students (n=142) to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in reading achievement, as measured by the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), between students who were instructed by their teachers in Montessori literacy methods and curriculum and students from a nearby charter school who were instructed by their teachers using a basal reading method. T-tests were used to compare the mean scores of the combined grade levels …

Supplemental Algebra Vocabulary Instruction For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Joanna Stegall

All Dissertations

Vocabulary is vital for success in secondary content area curricula and students with learning disabilities often have limited vocabulary knowledge which inhibits their success in secondary-level content area classes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an explicit algebra vocabulary intervention with graphic organizers on vocabulary knowledge and skills in algebra for students with learning disabilities in high school Algebra I. A single-case repeated acquisition design with pre- and posttest measures was used to determine the effects of the intervention for students with learning disabilities who received special education services. The study included 10 students …

Educating Students With Learning Disabilities In Inclusive Classrooms, Jeremy Ford

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

There is great debate over including students with disabilities, in particular students with learning disabilities, in inclusive classrooms. Several strategies are available to support educating students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms including: co-teaching, differentiated instruction, and peer-mediated instruction and interventions. Theory suggests the practice of inclusion is congruent with social justice, but evidence suggests mixed results regarding academic achievement typically occur. However, results of providing separate pullout instructional services are not necessarily more likely to achieve desired results. Therefore, educators will need to make placement decisions considering the resources available in their school, in addition to the skill level …

Exploring The Concerns Of Teachers And Principals Implementing Response To Intervention In A Pilot Project: Where Policy And Practice Collide, Lisa Michele Bilton

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods, multi-site study was to identify and explore the concerns of teachers and principals implementing a pilot Response to Intervention (RTI) model in three elementary schools in the southeast United States and to determine whether these concerns differed significantly from the beginning to the end of the first year of implementation. The Stages of Concern from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2006; Hord, Rutherford, Huling, & Hall, 2004) served as the theoretical framework for the design and analysis of this study.

Between Fall 2008 and Spring 2009, 18 participants, including six administrators and …

The Impact Of A Noise-Reducing Learning Accommodation Utilized By Students With Learning Disabilities During An Independent Reading Inventory, Gregory Smith

All Dissertations

The ill-effect of noise on human performance has been studied by researchers in the fields of cognitive psychology and education for almost a decade. The learning theory Cognitive Information Processing was applied to a new empirical study that builds upon past relevant research on (a) working memory and individuals with learning disabilities, and (b) auditory distraction and academic performance. Reading comprehension assessments were completed by students with learning disabilities while wearing and not wearing noise-reducing headphones. Findings indicate a positive relationship between the wearing of noise-reducing headphones and the results of the reading comprehension assessments for students with learning disabilities. …

Building Reading Fluency For Students With Learning Disabilities Using The Great Leaps Program, Lindsay Hildman

Culminating Projects in Special Education

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Helping Professionals With Learning Disabilities, Madeline Lorraine Peters

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent, to which professionals in helping professions (PHPS) with learning disabilities are able to name the support, services, and assistance that they require to successfully engage in the full range of activities for their daily living. Additionally, the study explores how PHPS describe their experiences with support, services, and assistance available to them. The study was conducted using a qualitative, phenomenological in-depth interview methodology. The study sample consisted of 10 helping professionals with learning disabilities that work in helping professions. Data was collected using audiotaping of interviews and field notes. Audio …

The Social Perceptions And Attitudes Held By African American Males Who Participated In A Self-Contained Special Education Middle School Program For Three Years And Dropped Out Of High School After The Ninth Grade, Sherrell Linnette Hobbs

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE SOCIAL PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES HELD BY AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES WHO PARTICIPATED IN A SELF-CONTAINED SPECIAL EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THREE YEARS AND DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AFTER THE NINTH GRADE

by

SHERRELL HOBBS

December 2010

Advisor: Dr. Marshall Zumberg

Major: Special Education

Degree: Doctor of philosophy

There are two parts to socialization, informal and formal. In the United States, informal lessons of socialization come from a child's primary caretaker(s). Imagine a child growing up in this informal setting only to see the world from one perspective through that unique experience. Later the child goes into a …

Writing Motivation Of Students With Specific Language Impairments, Kyle Lee Brouwer

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study was designed to compare the writing motivation of students with specific language impairments with their non-disabled peers. Due to the cognitive and linguistic demands of the writing process, students with language impairments face unique difficulties during the writing process. It was hypothesized that students with specific language impairments will be more likely to report lower levels of perceived writing competence and be less autonomously motivated to write. Students in grades 3-5 in 11 schools (33 with specific language impairments, 242 non-disabled peers) completed self-report measures, designed from a Self-Determination Theory perspective, which measured the degree that students are …

Effects Of Peer-Mediated Vocabulary Intervention On Science Achievement Of Seventh Grade Students With And Without Learning Disabilities, Julie Green

All Dissertations

Vocabulary knowledge is critical for accessing content-area information for students with learning disabilities who receive instruction in general education content-area classes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a peer-mediated science vocabulary intervention in general education classrooms on academic achievement of seventh-grade students with and without learning disabilities. A quasi-experimental design with multiple pre- and posttest measures was used to determine the effects of the intervention and whether the intervention was differentially effective for students with learning disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers. The study included 8 teacher participants and 675 student participants in 41 …

Students With Learning Disabilities In Postsecondary Educational Settings: What Do They Need?, Cindee Haider

Culminating Projects in Special Education

No abstract provided.

Social Competence, Transition Plans And Children With Learning Disabilities, Erica Ruegg

Essays in Education

Social competence is the ability to use the appropriate social skills in every aspect of life. For children with learning disabilities, it is a difficult skill to master. These children have trouble with communicating, following directions, listening and completing a task, which can cause problems in the classroom and in adulthood. Yet, these skills are rarely addressed on the individual education and transition plans for these students. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of children who have learning disabilities and social competence deficits. The difficulties of social competence are examined through the definition of this skill, …

Action: School Services - Respondent #2, Judy Montgomery, Phd, Ccc-Slp, Associate Professor, Chapman University, Judith Montgomery

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Presents news briefs related to school health services in the United States, as of April 2000. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's establishment of a professional issues forum on its Web site; Educational opportunities for disabled children resulting from the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act; Documents developed by ASHA as a result of an ASHA 1999 Priority Issue.

A Study Of The Discriminative Function Of Six Variables In 9-12-Year-Old Males With Learning Disabilities, Kenneth M. Hanig

Dissertations

Problem

Greater discriminative power to clarify the diagnostic category of learning disabilities is needed. Research identifies many types of learning disabled populations. Studies do not indicate that the six variables used in this project had been combined and used in a project prior to this. Using measures such as Sentence Repeat, Synonyms, Digits Forward/Backwards, Design Copy, Nonsense Words, and Visual Pattern Matching, this project studied the responses of an LD sample to these subtests and their ability to discriminate among a verbally impaired sample, a spatially impaired sample, and a control group.

Method

Six subtests were developed, which, according to …

Children With Special Needs Can Succeed A Teacher Resource Guide For A College Preparatory Elementary School, Bonnie L. Miller

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This project demonstrated that children with special needs can succeed in a college preparatory school. Using a faculty and staff member questionnaire and a parent questionnaire, the writer identified the following special needs among the students at the practicum site. (a) learning disabilities, (b) speech and language disorders, ( c) hearing impairments, ( d) visual impairments, ( e) physical disability, and (t) behavior disorders. At the practicum site, when a parent was contacted concerning a child's identified special need that could be fully corrected at the school site, the parent was generally directed to seek out-of-school help. The school personnel …

The Application Of A Behavior Management System To Increase Mathematics Academic Performance Of Secondary Learning Disabled Students, Joyce L. Stockdale

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The author developed and implemented a behavior management program designed to aide learning disabled (LD) students in a large metropolitan school district. The objectives of the program were to help the LD students increase their grade level performance skills in mathematics, to reduce inappropriate behaviors which were interfering with their learning, and to assist the students in the development of a positive attitude toward mathematics, themselves, peers, adults and the school. The identified behaviors were: Tardiness to class, Walking around aimlessly, Unprepared for class, Talking out, Drawing and/or writing on tables, walls, desks and other school materials. The components of …

Strategies For Socialization Of Learning Disabled Students At The Secondary Level, Verden T. Smith

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Learning disabled students at the secondary level have inferior socialization skills with peer groups and poor self-perceptual skills. Studies indicate that socialization appears to be the keystone of adolescent development. Evaluative instruments employed to discern interpersonal and socialization skills were the IPAT-Anxiety Scale Questionnaire Test-Self-Analysis Form (Cattell, Krug, Scheier) and the Self-Inventory (Simon-Howe-Kirschenbaum). Peer Counseling, observations, filmstrips and guest speakers were utilized to implement this socialization. skills program. Results indicated improved self-esteem, increased communication with peer groups and more positive attitudes toward self and others. (Appendices include sample instruments and student data.)

A Cross-Age Tutoring Program To Enhance Sight Word Recognition In Primary Resource Room Students, Janice Fay Langel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem addressed in this practicum was the significant deficit in recognition of sight word vocabulary among Primary Resource room students partially due to insufficient exposure to the words, little positive reinforcement, and a lack of consistent practice providing the correct responses. The method devised to remedy this deficit was to implement a ten week, cross-age tutoring program in which the Resource students were drilled for 10 minutes daily on the Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary, the Queen's Vocabulary List, and supplemental word lists with positive verbal, and correct-response reinforcement by fifth grade tutors. Student tutors were selected from low …

Increasing The Mathematics Performance Of Learning Disabled Children Through Self-Monitoring Of Attention Span, Geraldine B. Newton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A program to self-monitor attention spans for learning disabled students in grades three through six was implemented to aid them in remaining on task while in math class. A recorded “beeper” was set up to remind students to stay on task. Students marked a checksheet to indicate whether or not they were on task when the “beep” went off. The program’s aims were to help the students increase his mathematics performance as demonstrated by an increase of achievement on the math section of the Wide Range Achievement Test. The Program consisted of a pretest, implementation of self-monitoring for 10 weeks …

The Experience Of Learning Disability: A Qualitative Time Series Study., Jimmy D. Lindsey

Research, Publications & Creative Work

A time series study of 60 individuals (elementary through postsecondary levels) who had been labeled learning disabled in the public schools revealed their likes (such as sports and field trips) as well as dislikes (formal learning). They specified what could have made a difference in their learning experiences. (CL)

The Possible Causes And Remediation Of Inverted Vision, Archie J. Beamer

All Master's Theses

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine possible corrective methods for inverted vision. The visual problem is usually outgrown in the early teens, but these children who experience the problem tend to be classified as retarded because they cannot read. An intensive research of the literature for possible causes and corrective methods revealed inconclusive proof. However, two boys who were diagnosed to have inverted vision were given perceptual training exercises. The subjects responded to the treatment and in a short time were started on a reading readiness program. Although only two cases were found on which to experiment, …