Students' Perceptions of Teachers' Instructional and Management Adaptations for Students with Learning or Behavior Problems

Abstract

In this study, we examined the perceptions of 98 students in grades 1-6 from 1 rural school regarding the acceptability of teachers' (1) adapting the difficulty of academic work and (2) differentiating rules and rewards to meet the diverse needs of students with learning or behavior problems. Students were interviewed individually and asked 4 "yes" or "no" questions about the following adaptations for some students: (1) easier work, (2) harder work, (3) rewards for good behavior, and (4) extra chances or different rules. Students were also asked which of 28 accommodations their homeroom teacher currently used. The majority of responses (69%) were positive, with students favoring both academic and behavioral adaptations when needed. Both those students identified as having special needs (N = 23) and other students (N = 77) responded positively to the idea of teachers accommodating student needs. However, most first, fifth, and sixth graders were opposed to some students getting more difficult work, and first graders also opposed differential handling of behavior problems. Students reported that teachers were not currently using different books, homework, or tests for students with learning problems and that 1 of 17 teachers differentiated work, 12 of 17 teachers used reward systems for behavior, and 7 of 17 used special charting and point systems. These behavioral accommodations were used more often by teachers in grades 1-3 than by those in grades 4-6. Unsolicited student comments following questioning are also reported.