Teachers’ perceptions of assistive technology use for students with disabilities

Abstract

Since assistive technology (AT) may help meet the educational needs of students with disabilities, this study investigates pre-service and in-service special education teachers’ perceptions of using AT for students with disabilities. The participants included 97 teaching candidates from one university in an urban US city. A self-assessment survey was administered to explore the teachers’ knowledge, ability, and confidence levels when using AT. The results demonstrated that the variables of time spent in a college program, work assignment, and AT courses taken were all related to the respondents’ levels of confidence. These findings suggest the need for additional courses and preparation programs specialized in AT for facilitating its effective integration into the classroom.