Education Commons^™

Learning Needs Analysis For The Deaf Education Sector, Julie Kos, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson

Marion Meiers

The Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake a project to design, conduct and analyse the learning needs of teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. The focus of the study was to identify any gap between teachers’ existing skills and knowledge and the skills that are needed to optimise student learning outcomes.

Starting Early: Perceptions Of Parents And Teachers On 6th To 12th Grade Transition Timeline For Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Josie M. Nielsen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Post-secondary educational and employment outcomes for students with high- incidence disabilities continue to lag far behind their nondisabled peers. A carefully designed timeline including evidence-based transition skills and practices may serve as a guideline for teachers and parents as they prepare student /child with high-incidence disabilities for successful transition into adulthood. This project examined the importance and age/grade-appropriateness of skills/activities on a transition timeline, based on ratings by teacher and parent focus groups. Participants included eight secondary teachers with at least10 years experience, and five parents of children with high-incidence disabilities who graduated from both high school and post-secondary school. …

Comparing Types Of Student Placement And The Effect On Achievement For Students With Disabilities, Patricia Mason

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since implementing No Child Left Behind, schools have improved student achievement while also preparing students for the 21st century. Schools continue to strive for 100% proficiency in all subgroups by 2014, but achievement gap exists for students with disabilities. This study used a causal comparative research design to test the concept of co-teaching by comparing types of placement for students with disabilities and the effect on student achievement. For this study, placement was considered where the student received instruction in either a general education class or a co-taught class during 9th through 11th grade. Student achievement was based on the …

Examining The Relationships Between Secondary General Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Professional Development, And Support From Special Education Personnel, Lynn Wogamon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlational research study examined the relationships between secondary general education teachers' attitudes toward inclusion, hours of professional development in topics related to special education and hours of support from special education personnel addressing the needs of students with disabilities received weekly. The research also investigated whether this information could be used to predict secondary general education teachers' attitudes towards inclusion. General education teachers in six South Carolina high schools completed the Scale of Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) and a demographic survey that asked about hours of professional development in special education topics and hours of support received …

Correlates Of Attitudes Toward Academic And Physical Inclusive Practices For Students With Disabilities And Selected Leadership Behaviors Among Middle School Principals In North Carolina, Mary Houser, Virginia Dickens, Terence Hicks

Terence Hicks, Ph.D., Ed.D.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between attitudes toward academic and inclusive practices for students with disabilities and selected leadership behaviors (transformational and transactional) among principals in North Carolina. Participants for this study were randomly selected middle school principals from public schools in North Carolina. This study used a one-group, correlational design, using two instruments. The results of this study found a significant relationship between academic and physical inclusive practices and transformational leadership behaviors, r (75) =.320, p <. 0 I). However, no significant relationship was found between academic and physical inclusive practices and transactional leadership …

Learning Needs Analysis For The Deaf Education Sector, Julie Kos, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Julie Kos

The Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake a project to design, conduct and analyse the learning needs of teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. The focus of the study was to identify any gap between teachers’ existing skills and knowledge and the skills that are needed to optimise student learning outcomes.

The Best Practices For Teaching Writing To Postsecondary Students With Acquired Brain Injuries, Julianne Candio Sekel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Because the writing abilities of postsecondary students with acquired brain injuries (ABI) are often determined by the student’s age when the injury was acquired, the severity of the injury, the amount of time that has passed since the injury, and the quality of the student’s writing education before the injury, it is impossible to generalize the best strategies to assist students with ABI in writing. However, through a review of existing literature on teaching writing to students with ABI, the relationship between oral and written discourse, expressive writing, educational intervention, and assistive technologies, this study presents a list of recommendations …

Educational Services For Tibetan Students With Disabilities In India: A Case Study, Britany Anne Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes services for students with disabilities at Karuna Home in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India. Karuna Home is a residential rehabilitation center for students with cognitive or physical disabilities whose parents are Tibetan refugees. The study triangulated data from interviews, observations, and school documents to describe educational policies and procedures, and cultural attitudes toward disability. Results show that the Karuna Home program is undergirded by Buddhist thought and theology regarding care and concern for those in difficult circumstances. The school serves students with a range of mild to severe disabilities and is fully staffed, but teachers and other service …

The Effects Of Instruction On Self-Determination On Transition Students' Levels Of Goal-Setting, Goal Expression And Action, Scott Charles Sorensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Students with disabilities in transition from school to adulthood often experience problems with self-determination skills, especially goal-related skills (e.g., goal setting, expression, and taking action). Instruction in these skills is needed. This project examined the effect of instructing portions of the self-determination intervention Whose Future is it Anyway? (WFA) dealing with goal-related skills and its effect on goal setting, expressing, and taking action. Participants included five students with disabilities in a transition program ages 18 to 21. Procedures involved a pretest using the ChoiceMaker Assessment and the Arc Scale, followed by the implementation of the WFA intervention, and posttests using …

Standardized Testing Of Special Education Students: A Comparison Of Service Type And Test Scores, Christine L. Hogan-Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Modified Academic Achievement Standards (TCAP MAAS) achievement test scores for special education students who receive their instruction in the resource classroom or in an inclusion classroom. The study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade special education students in an east Tennessee school district. The TCAP MAAS scale scores used were from the 2011-2012 school year. An independent samples t-test was implemented in this study. The dependent variable in the study was the TCAP MAAS scaled scores. The independent variable was student placement. …

Factors Affecting Daily Stress In Siblings Of Children With Special Needs, Todd Blackwill

Master's Theses

For families who have a children with disabilities, a great amount of stress are put on not only the primary caregivers but all members of the family unit. This study examined what factors influence stress experienced by siblings of children with disabilities. These factors included severity of the children’s disabilities, gender of the siblings, how much help the siblings provide in the care of the children with disabilities, and the number of people in the families. The purpose was to raise awareness of the participants and pinpoint certain characteristics that affect how frequent and how intense stress is experienced by …

A Comparison Of Social Media Job Search Versus Traditional Job Search Methods On Employment Of Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Janalyn Duersch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of social media on employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Participants included 37 transition students with moderate to severe disabilities in a Western state school system. The student researcher divided 37 participants into two groups: (a) social media job search, or (b) traditional job search. Social media and traditional groups consisted of 18 and 19 participants, respectively. The control group implemented traditional job search methods. The social media group learned to use social media to further employment. Variables examined included (a) job placements, (b) job interviews, and (c) job referrals. The students in all groups …

Reaching The Next Stephen Hawking: Five Ways To Help Students With Disabilities In Advanced Placement Science Classes, Lori A. Howard, Elizabeth A. Potts, Ed Linz

Special Education Faculty Research

As the federal government encourages all students to attempt advanced math and science courses, more students with disabilities are enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) science classes. AP science teachers can better serve these students by understanding the various types of disabilities (whether physical, learning, emotional, or behavioral), associated legal issues, and ways to adapt instruction to improve learning by all students in the class. This article offers examples of adjustments you may need to use in your class.

Project Search: Work-Based Transition Program For Young Adults With Disabilities, Teresa D. Green

Dissertations

Historically people with significant disabilities were restricted to places such as adult activity centers, sheltered workshops, nursing homes, and institutions. Studies have shown the high school drop-out rate for this population is higher than those who are non-disabled. Policy makers concluded that these individuals needed to be better prepared for a successful adult life beyond high school. Individuals with developmental disabilities in the state of Missouri are over two times less likely to be employed than the national average. Laws have been passed to provide supports and services for individuals with disabilities to be as independent as possible. This paper …

The Impact Of Audio Books On Middle School Students With A Mild Intellectual Disability, Justin Schanck, Milkia Waller

The Corinthian

The purpose of this research is to determine what types of interventions improve the basic reading skills of children diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability, which is defined as having an IQ score of 70 or below. Often these students struggle to keep up with the academic rigor in the middle and high school setting. They lack the basic reading skills necessary to complete coursework and pass their end-of-course tests, which often leads to them dropping out of school. This study is a start to seeing if specific interventions have the capabilities to improve basic reading skills for students with …

Mutual Liking, Enjoyment And Shared Interactions In The Closest Relationships Between Children With Developmental Disabilities And Peers In Inclusive School Settings, Amanda A. Webster, Mark Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Typically analysis of the characteristics of friendships is made on the basis of nomination of a friend or best friend, with the assumption that this nomination reflects actual friendship. While it is possible that this assumption may be valid in typically developing children, this may not be the case for relationships for students with developmental disabilities. The relationships of 16 students with developmental disabilities in grades 1 through 6 and their three closest peers were examined to determine if dyads engaged in behaviors associated with defining components of friendship (i.e. shared interaction, mutual enjoyment, mutual liking) from literature on typically …

Disability In Zimbabwe Under The New Constitution: Demands And Gains Of People With Disabilities, Jacob Mugumbate, Chamunogwa Nyoni

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

People with disabilities looked at the constitution making process as their biggest opportunity to have their dreams realised. They had numerous expectations including increased opportunities in health, education, social protection, habitation, participation and employment. Although they were excluded from the first stages of the process, they were later actively involved. The outcome of their involvement has been several provisions in the constitution addressing disability concerns. The extent to which these provisions are adequate or inadequate has been a subject of contention. This article looks at the provisions in the final version of the constitution that received presidential assent on 22 …

Trainee Teachers' Attitudes Towards Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Stuart Woodcock

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Policies on the inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms have focused attention on how general education teachers perceive these students. Furthermore with specific learning disabilities forming a large group of diverse students, and teachers' attitudes often not changing over the career span, preparing teachers for inclusive education is vitally important. This study aimed to identify the attitudes of trainee1 teachers towards students with specific learning disabilities and differentiation of the curriculum. Significant differences were found between the attitudes of primary and secondary school trainee teachers, and the influence of training. There were no differences in attitudes …

Family Portraits: Past And Present Representations Of Parents In Special Education Text Books, Dianne L. Ferguson, Philip M. Ferguson, Joanne Kim, Corrine Li

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper analyses the descriptions of families of children with disabilities as contained in introductory special education texts over the last 50 years. These text books are typically used in pre-service teacher education courses as surveys of the education of ‘exceptional children’. The textbooks reflect the mainstream professional assumptions of the era about topics such as disability, special education, inclusion, and family/school linkages. However, they also shape the assumptions of the next generation of educators about these same topics. The paper summarises the results of a qualitative document analysis of a sample of these textbooks from two different eras. The …

Academic Support Experiences And Perceptions Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: A Public And Private University Comparision, Heather T. Wizikowski

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Legislation, social awareness, and advancements in medicine and assistive technology have created meaningful postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities over the past 30 years. Mainstreaming, inclusion, and transition planning in elementary and secondary schools also greatly contributed to the increased achievement of students with disabilities. Today, 15% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges. Current federal data show 88% of private and 99% of public universities report students with disabilities enrolled at their institutions. Much of the current research focuses on institutional practice and need. There is a gap in the research when looking at student needs and experiences.

This …

Allied Educators (Learning And Behavioural) In Singapore’S Mainstream Schools: First Steps Towards Inclusivity?, Sirene Lim, Meng Wong, Denise Tan

Sirene Lim

It is arguable whether Singapore's mainstream schools are moving towards ‘inclusion’ by providing support for students with mild to moderate disabilities through the provision of a newly created para-professional called the Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural) [AED(LBS)]. Since 2005, the government has provided an incremental supply of these trained para-professionals to offer both in-class support and withdrawal sessions. Many primary and secondary schools have one such para-professional catering to an unpredictable number of children with and without assessed learning needs. This paper draws upon data from a study investigating how a group of 30 newly qualified AED(LBS) para-professionals shaped their …