Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research was to consider the influence of parent interaction on the perspectives of pre-service teachers with regards to their interactions with and instruction of students with disabilities. The data set for this research was 106 reflection papers written as part of a class assignment after the pre-service teachers participated in a discussion panel with parents of children with disabilities. The pre-service teachers were asked to reflect on things they learned after listening to the parents and how they would use that information in their future interactions with parents when they had their own classrooms. The findings suggest that listening to the parents’ experience from the parents themselves had an impact on the pre-service teachers and would positively influence their future interactions. Recommendations to improve opportunities for parent exposure in teacher-education programs are provided.
Highlights
With the continued move towards inclusive education for students with disabilities and the limited number of special education teachers available for co-teaching in the general education classroom and for pull-out, resource support, it is becoming increasingly important for general education teachers to be familiar and comfortable with working with students with disabilities in the general education/inclusion classroom and, by extension, their parents
This familiarity and comfort must start in the pre-service teacher education classroom so that newly certified general education teachers enter their classrooms with some basic knowledge and experience in special education, including being comfortable working with the parents of their students with disabilities
Parent participation in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process is required by US federal law and in several other countries but it is not always easy to do
Summary
With the continued move towards inclusive education for students with disabilities and the limited number of special education teachers available for co-teaching in the general education classroom and for pull-out, resource support, it is becoming increasingly important for general education teachers to be familiar and comfortable with working with students with disabilities in the general education/inclusion classroom and, by extension, their parents. This familiarity and comfort must start in the pre-service teacher education classroom so that newly certified general education teachers enter their classrooms with some basic knowledge and experience in special education, including being comfortable working with the parents of their students with disabilities.
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