Disabilities In General Education Classrooms Research Articles

Physical Educators' Qualifications and Instructional Practices Toward Students With Disabilities.

The purposes of this study were (a)to investigate the prevalence of physical educators who report delivering high-quality instructional practices to students with disabilities and (b)to examine the relationships between teachers' qualifications and the delivery of high-quality instructional practices. A secondary analysis using data from the School Health Policy and Practice Study 2014 data set was employed. The analytic sample included 256 physical educators who taught students with disabilities. Prevalence estimates of physical educators who reported using high-quality instructional practices were calculated. Two separate binary logistic regressions using weighted data were conducted to evaluate the relative contribution of (a)teacher qualifications and (b)educational degrees in accounting for differences in the use of high-quality instructional practices. Less than half of the sample reported using high-quality instructional practices. Considering the increasing prevalence of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, teacher education programs should prioritize providing teacher candidates with coursework that aligns with the expectations of physical educators who teach students with disabilities.

The Effectiveness of Touch Math on Improving Early Mathematics Ability of Kindergarten Children with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Functioning in an Inclusion Classroom

Touchmath®, also known as Touchpoint, is a multi-sensory method that involves visual, auditory, and tactile learning, and it can be used effectively with children with disabilities. It has successfully solved addition and subtraction problems with a single digit and two digits, specifically for children with disabilities. Six children participated. A multiple baseline design was used. The Test of Early Mathematics Ability was employed. The findings revealed that the touch math training program effectively improved the Early Mathematics Ability of each participant. All six children were found to be successful at the end of the teaching session compared to the baseline. The finding that Touchmath® showed positive effects based on a direct teaching approach in improving the Early Mathematics Ability of kindergarten children with mild to borderline intellectual functioning and their typically developing peers in an inclusion classroom is effective, sustainable, generalizable, and socially valid in teaching basic addition skills to students with mild intellectual disabilities in general education classrooms, conforms to other research conclusions in the literature.

Academic and Social Effects of Inclusion on Students without Disabilities: A Review of the Literature

In many countries, educational practices are changing to inclusive education. Inclusive education is educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms with their peers without disabilities. If inclusive education is spreading, research needs to investigate the effects of inclusion not only for students with special needs but also for typically developing students. However, there is more research on the outcomes of inclusion for students with disabilities and less for students without disabilities in inclusive settings. Research shows academic and social gains for students with disabilities, but there is less clarity regarding the influence of inclusion on general education students. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize and organize the literature on the academic and social outcomes of inclusion on students without disabilities. Academic effects of inclusion on students without disabilities are mixed, and the levels of schooling may have a differential impact on the achievement of students without disabilities. The literature indicates mostly positive or neutral effects of inclusion on the academic achievement of typically developing students in the lower grades, whereas neutral or negative influence is indicated for later grades. Additionally, students without disabilities have socially benefited from being in inclusive classrooms with students with disabilities. Mainly, the social effects of inclusion are reduction of fear, hostility, prejudice, and discrimination as well as increase of tolerance, acceptance, and understanding.

Strengths, Pitfalls, and Potential in Norway’s Approach to Special Education

Despite not having specific special education laws, Norway’s Lov om grunnskolen og den vidaregåande opplæringa (Act Relating to Primary and Secondary Education and Training) law provides individualized instruction to students who qualify for special education services after an extensive evaluation process. Improvements are recommended in special education competency among general education teachers to improve the educational outcomes of students with behavioral challenges and also to help educators meet Norway’s preference to keep students with disabilities in general education classrooms.

Being in the Right Place at the Right Time: Educational Placement of Students With Intellectual Disability by State and Year

Abstract Despite the longstanding federal mandate to place students with disabilities in general education classrooms to the maximum extent appropriate, most students with intellectual disability continue to spend most of their time in separate classrooms and schools. In this study, we describe longitudinal educational placement patterns in six states that represent the wide span of educational placement (i.e., Vermont, Kentucky, Kansas, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Montana). Surprisingly, some states are trending toward more restrictive placements, and the gap between the most and least inclusive states is continuing to widen over time. We offer constructive suggestions for appropriately applying the principle of least restrictive environment so that placement decisions are driven by student needs and not where students live.

İlköğretim Kaynaştırma Uygulamalarında Sınıf İçi Geçişleri Kolaylaştıran Stratejiler

Kaynaştırma uygulamalarının yürütüldüğü sınıflarda eğitim alan gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrenciler gün içinde birçok etkinlik, ders ve ortam arasında farklı geçişler yaşamaktadır. Tipik gelişen öğrenciler için bu geçişler çok az bir çaba ve destekle gerçekleşirken gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrenciler bu geçişleri yerine getirebilmek ve bu yönde beceri kazanabilmek için genellikle daha fazla desteğe ve rehberliğe gereksinim duymaktadırlar. Geçişlerde yaşanan zorluklar arttıkça uygun olmayan davranışlarda da artış gözlenmekte ve akademik öğrenmelere ayrılan süre boşa harcanmaktadır. Öğretmenlerin etkili öğrenmeyi sağlamak ve başarıyı arttırmak için akademik etkinlikleri planlamasının gerekliliği kadar sınıf içi geçişlerin planlanması ve bu geçişleri kolaylaştırmak için etkili geçiş stratejilerinin kullanılması da öğrenme ve başarı üzerinde etkilidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, kaynaştırma uygulamalarının yürütüldüğü ilkokul ve ortaokul sınıflarında sınıf içi geçişleri desteklemek amacıyla kullanılan geçiş stratejilerini tanıtmaktır. Bu kapsamda bu çalışma ilgili alanyazında etkililiği kanıtlanmış geçiş stratejilerini ele alarak ve gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrencilerin eğitim gördüğü genel eğitim sınıflarında görev yapan öğretmenler için kılavuzluk etmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Implementing Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students With Severe Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

The purpose of this conceptual replication study was to investigate the efficacy of an early literacy intervention when it was implemented by special educators in general education classrooms with students in the class participating in the lessons. The study was conducted in 16 schools in three states. Eighty students with severe disabilities participated in the study. Students in the intervention group received Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB) instruction, and students in the “business-as-usual” control group received literacy instruction planned by special education teachers to address the students’ individualized education program literacy goals. Literacy assessments were conducted in five waves scheduled across the school year. Results showed that students receiving ELSB instruction made greater gains in assessed literacy skills than students in the control group. These findings provide evidence that students with severe disabilities can benefit from comprehensive emergent literacy instruction when it is implemented in general education settings.

THAI SECONDARY TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine Thai secondary teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with learning disabilities in general education classrooms.
 Methodology: The researcher collected quantitative data using a questionnaire with 28 Likert-type scale questions, adapted from the Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities (ORI) as well as information related to training in special education, experience, and workload. The participants were comprised of a representative group of 370 secondary teachers from all regions of Thailand. Most participants indicated that they were female general education teachers and had a Bachelor’s degree.
 Main Finding: Through multiple linear regression, the findings showed that Thai secondary teachers generally held a positive attitude towards the inclusion of students with learning disabilities into general education classrooms. All three independent variables (hours of training, years of teaching experience, and hours of workload) were significant predictors of teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive classrooms, though the hours of workload was the strongest predictor.
 Applications: The study was conducted to better understand the variables that are meaningful to teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion.

Teacher candidates’ abilities to develop universal design for learning and universal design for transition lesson plans

ABSTRACT The current study was used to examine a universal design for learning (UDL) and universal design for transition (UDT) training intervention that was provided to 52 preservice and inservice teacher candidates enrolled in 2 special education teacher method courses. The UDL and UDT frameworks were used to support teachers’ efforts to develop lesson plans that meet a full range of student academic and transition needs. Following the intervention, teacher candidates showed significant improvements incorporating UDL and UDT components into lesson plans. Candidates reported widespread agreement that the UDL and UDT frameworks provided opportunities to develop lesson plans inclusive of all students, including students with disabilities in general education classrooms, and that the UDT framework would make learning opportunities more engaging and relevant for students. Limitations and implications for teacher education programmes are included. Future research regarding interventions and potentials for improved training of preservice and inservice special education teachers was discussed.

Do Teachers Spend Less Time Teaching in Classrooms With Students With Special Needs? Trends From International Data

Debates about the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms often overlook its impact on teachers. In this study, I analyze the concern that teachers may spend less time teaching in classrooms with children with special needs using survey data on 121,173 teachers from 38 participating countries and partners of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013. I further examine teacher, classroom, and school factors that may explain disparities in time spent teaching in classrooms with and without students with special needs. The findings indicate teachers, on average, spend marginally less class time on teaching in classrooms that include more students with special needs. The disparity in teaching time is mostly removed when accounting for students with behavioral problems in classrooms.

Pre-service Teachers' Beliefs: Impact of Training in Universal Design for Learning

Seventy-seven pre-service teachers enrolled in an introductory special education course completed a questionnaire on their beliefs about learning, teaching, and disability, before and after completing one of two randomly assigned training modules on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Module A presented UDL as a strategy for meeting the specific needs of students with disabilities in a general education setting. Module B presented UDL as a framework to support all learners in the general education classroom through the creation of communities of learners. The Beliefs About Learning, Teaching, and Disability Questionnaire (BLTDQ) was administered with five subscales rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale that measure pre-service teachers’ beliefs about learning and teaching, as representative of their epistemological beliefs, beliefs about disability (from pathognomonic to interventionist) and the role of the teacher in the general education classroom. Analyses of these results suggest that a significant change toward interventionist beliefs about learning, teaching, and disability occurred for participants who completed either module on UDL. Additionally, a small to moderate, positive relationship was identified between pre-service teachers’ beliefs about disability and their epistemological beliefs, with the strength of this relationship increasing following their training in UDL. These findings suggest that training in UDL can have a powerful and positive impact on pre-service teachers’ interventionist epistemological beliefs and beliefs about disability. Shifts toward interventionist beliefs are more likely to result in teaching practices that are more supportive of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Implications for teacher preparation and study limitations are also discussed.

Coteaching in Content Area Classrooms: Lessons and Guiding Questions for Administrators

Secondary school administrators increasingly include students with disabilities in general education classrooms with coteaching models. Theoretically, coteaching enables two educators to attend to the learning needs of students with disabilities while exposing them to grade-level content area instruction. However, our study on teachers’ perceptions of coteaching found that teachers often viewed their schools’ leadership decisions as adversely affecting their ability coteach effectively. The purpose of this article is to provide administrators with an overview of common coteaching models, summarize findings from our study on teachers’ perceptions of how their schools’ leadership influenced their coteaching practices, and provide a set of guiding questions to consider when seeking to support coteaching.

General education teachers’ math instructional practices in kindergarten classrooms with and without students with emotional and behavioral disabilities

Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms is a priority nationwide, but little is known whether classroom compositions have implications for frequencies of classroom activities. This study focuses on kindergarten classrooms that do and do not have students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBDs). Using national data, we found teachers reported greater frequency of traditional math activities if they had students with EBDs in their classroom. Teachers in classrooms with students with EBDs reported more frequencies of math content that involved advanced practical and writing skills. Differences in findings arose based on teacher qualifications. Implications for policy are discussed.

Trends in the Educational Placement of Students With Intellectual Disability in the United States Over the Past 40 Years.

In 1975, federal law mandated that children with disabilities be educated in their least restrictive environment, or alongside peers without disabilities in general education classrooms to the maximum extent appropriate. More than 40 years later, I investigated how national trends in educational placement have changed over time for students with intellectual disability. Specifically, I examined the degree placements have trended toward less restrictive environments. I found historical trends of incremental progress toward less restrictive settings, but no evidence of such progress in recent years. Furthermore, most students were educated predominantly in segregated settings every year. I discuss how these findings relate to previous studies, as well as implications for individualized education program teams and advocates for educational inclusion.

Teaching Pre-Service Teachers How to Utilize Web 2.0 Platforms to Support the Educational Needs of Students with Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

It is without question that technology in schools is here to stay. Educators have always been interested in the extent to which technology can be used to transform education and enhance student learning; however, the degree to which it is utilized in teacher preparation programs for pre-service teachers in terms of Web 2.0 use with future students is under debate. Web 2.0 use can be a particularly interesting tool for teachers to use in differentiating instructional strategies for students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Therefore, it is worthwhile for teacher preparation programs to look at how Web 2.0 platforms can further support students in special education in such settings. The following study delineates data from a study of N = 82 pre-service teachers. Throughout the course of this study, all students were administered a pre- and post-survey that asked questions specific to current knowledge of Web 2.0 and the extent to which they thought it could be used in their future teaching practices. In addition, all students completed an assignment within their respective courses that embedded a specific Web 2.0 component. This assignment required pre-service teacher candidates to utilize the Pinterest platform to find and ‘pin’ educational materials specific to students with whom they will work with in future inclusive classrooms, relative to the various categories of special education.

Using Structural Analysis to Inform Peer Support Arrangements for High School Students With Severe Disabilities.

We examined the effects of peer support arrangements as an alternative to exclusive direct support from paraprofessionals for three high school students with severe disabilities in general education classrooms. We also explored the use of structural analysis as a data-based approach for further refining the interventions to enhance their impact in particular classrooms. Peer support arrangements were associated with substantial increases in social outcomes; academic engagement maintained or improved modestly for all participants. Moreover, structural analyses yielded findings used to adapt peer support arrangements to address students' individual needs. Although the effects of structural analysis-based adaptations resulted in increases in social responses for only one participant, levels of social interactions maintained, and improvements in academic engagement occurred for two participants.

Evaluation of the Good Behavior Game with a child with fetal alcohol syndrome in a small‐group context

We evaluated the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on levels of disruptive behavior of a 4‐year‐old boy with fetal alcohol syndrome during small‐group reading time. We also compared the effectiveness of and preference for choice of a reward to a surprise reward for winning the GBG. Results showed that the GBG was effective to decrease disruptive behavior to similar levels as peers in the group. We did not observe a difference in the effectiveness of the GBG with a choice of reward compared to a surprise reward, but the participant preferred having a choice of reward. We discuss the potential benefit of utilizing the GBG to reduce disruptive behavior during small‐group learning instruction for individual students with disabilities and to aid in the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms.

Exploring Predictors of Social Actions by General Education Students towards Peers with Disabilities

This study deepens the field’s understanding about factors that contribute to positive social engagement between students without disabilities and their peers with mild disabilities in general education classrooms. A sample of 68 seventh grade students with and without disabilities was drawn from general education classrooms in a suburban, Midwest district in the United States. Direct observation of students’ social behavior, as well as student surveys and context measures, were used to explore associations among student attitudes, their perceived norms, feelings of efficacy, stated intentions and their actions towards peers with disabilities. Results revealed that students without disabilities strong intentions to interact with peers with disabilities were unrelated to their actual behavior. However, students’ attitudes, norms, and feelings of efficacy were predictive of their intentions. Interpretations and implications for understanding the interplay of predisposing factors, intentions to socialize, and actual socializing behavior are discussed.

Partnership and Coteaching: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore partnership structures and the practice of coteaching in developing preservice teachers’ (PST) collaboration skills and ability to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Interviews served as the primary data source, and secondary data sources included journals, observation forms, lesson plans, and field notes. Four assertions emerged: (1) reconfiguring partnership structures and roles helped to strengthen collaboration and shift the nature of course work and field supervision to assist PSTs to meet the needs of students with disabilities, (2) working together within an inclusive classroom created collegiality and shared responsibility for meeting the needs of students with disabilities, (3) shared planning enabled PST collaboration skills to develop and improve instruction for students with disabilities, and (4) collaborating enhanced PST knowledge of the politics related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Given the importance of clinically-rich teacher education, this study illustrated how a partnership that linked program goals, coursework, and fieldwork promoted the development of PST collaboration skills and understanding of inclusive classrooms. Implications for teacher education programs and future research topics are also shared.

Spatializing Student Learning to Reimagine the “Place” of Inclusion

Background/Context The goal of inclusive education is universally recognized as the fundamental restructuring of schools to engage hospitably with all forms of difference, including ability. However, inclusion, at least in practice, has come to mean the physical placement of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The conundrum of inclusion as currently implemented is that its entanglement with place weakens the possibility of the required large-scale transformation of school spaces. Additionally, analyses of place and disability/inclusion generally assume the concept of place to represent a fixed, stable entity with determinate boundaries, making it difficult to disrupt the linkage between place and disability. Purpose/Objective This article is an attempt to explore a new conception of place that would permit educators to engage with student learning differences without associating them with fixed environments. Rather than consider place as a fixed, naturalized entity, I draw on theorists who develop the spatial dimension of human experience alongside the social and temporal. Within this theoretical perspective, school places are not merely containers within which events take place; rather, they are formed in the interaction of webs of ideas and people. The research questions for this article, therefore, were as follows: How is place constructed within the discourse of teachers? To what extent do such constructions reflect prevailing notions of special education or inclusion as a place? Research Design Data for this article drew primarily on 19 interviews I conducted with nine educators during the course of a series of ethnographically-oriented studies conducted between 2005 and 2014. Each of the studies addressed in this article was conducted in schooling sites in the U.S. where general and special education teachers were supporting students with a range of disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Teacher interview data from a nine-month professional development sequence in inclusive practices were also used for this article. The development of categories during data analysis for this article emerged from triangulating interview data with extensive field notes maintained for each site. Findings Data analysis disclosed that teachers participated in maintaining the boundaries of places through their conceptions of students as learners, even as their own professional identities were produced via the historically mediated beliefs and practices that were implicated within those places. As educators struggled to create places of inclusion, the identities of such places differed depending on the logic in which they were anchored: student connectedness or learning need. Conclusions Supported by an alternate conceptualization of learning need, I draw on the linkage between teacher identity and place to propose that a diasporic sensibility can enable different relations between the two, making inclusion a spatially fluid project involving changing networks of people and experiences.