Hypothetical Students Research Articles

Perceptions of appropriateness of accommodations for university students: Does disability type matter?

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the impact of disability type and accommodation type on participants' perceptions of the appropriateness of accommodations on university campuses. Participants were 223 university students who evaluated the written symptom descriptions of 8 hypothetical university students with disabilities to determine whether a series of 8 different accommodations would be appropriate for them. Perceptions of accommodation appropriateness were impacted by both the type of disability and the type of accommodation under consideration. The results indicated that accommodations for psychiatric disabilities and invisible physical disabilities were less likely to be viewed as appropriate regardless of how well they addressed the symptoms of the disability. Students with psychiatric and invisible physical disabilities may be especially vulnerable to negative peer perceptions if they receive accommodations. These attitudinal barriers make it harder for students with disabilities to integrate into the college social environment. Students with disabilities who do not feel welcome are less likely to self-advocate to acquire the accommodations that they need and are therefore less likely to succeed in their course work. Our results highlight the importance of programs that encourage the integration of students with disabilities and decrease the stigma of disability on campus. (PsycINFO Database Record

Potential or problem? An investigation of secondary school teachers' attributions of the educational outcomes of students with specific learning difficulties.

Despite strong support for inclusive education in principle, many teachers and administrators still demonstrate mixed responses to the inclusion of certain students in their classrooms. Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) form a large group of students in inclusive classrooms yet some provincial, state and national jurisdictions fail to acknowledge the existence of these students. Not acknowledging and understanding these students can deny them the recognition and resources necessary for their genuine participation in education and, in turn, society. The aim of this study was to examine British in-service secondary teachers' attributional responses to students with and without specific learning difficulties. The participants included 122 British secondary school teachers who were surveyed in response to vignettes of hypothetical male students who had failed a class test. The study found that while teachers attributed more positive causes towards students without SpLD, they exhibited more negative causes towards students with SpLD. Teachers' causal attributional outcomes of students' level of achievement can impact upon the students' own attributions, with teachers' responses for students with SpLD having the potential to, unintentionally, influence students' own sense of self-efficacy and motivation. The paper concludes with a consideration of the implications of the research and recommendations for practice.

Attitudes toward Inclusive Education: A Comparison of General and Special Education Teachers in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of general and special education teachers toward inclusive education of students with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities. A total of 539 participants were recruited from teachers’ colleges and public schools in three prefectures of central and southern Taiwan. The Attitudes toward Students with Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities Vignettes were used to assess the participants’ levels of acceptance of eight hypothetical students with various health issues and disabilities. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including measure of central tendency, t-test, and multivariate analysis of variance, were used to interpret the data set. Results indicate that both the types of teacher education programs and the teaching experience influence the willingness of the participants to include a student with special needs in the regular classroom setting.

‘I’m not racist; my high school was diverse!’ white preservice teachers deploy diversity in the classroom

This study employs ethnographic methods to explore the ways that white American preservice teachers in two different Social Contexts of Education classes conceptualise diversity and use this term to accomplish discursive goals. Data collected from observation notes, interviews and written assignments suggest that participants simultaneously seemed to ascribe positive value judgements to their own experiences in racially diverse environments yet ascribe negative value judgments to the potential diversity of their hypothetical future students. Participants voiced abstract commitments to diversity in order to position themselves as good, non-racist people; however, these positive endorsements of diversity did not extend to appreciation of the potential racial diversity of their future students. The data suggest that although participants have learned to engage in a discourse that celebrates diversity, at least on abstract terms, they may still lack key understandings fundamental to providing effective instruction to all students.

Primary School Teachers’ and Teacher Candidates’ Attribituons Toward Students with Dyslexia

This study examined patterns in teachers' attributional responses to dyslexia. Teachers from elementary schools in Turkey (n=32) and preschool teacher candidates from a state university (n=32) participated in the study. Using written vignettes, four hypothetical male students were described, of two identified with dyslexia, and the other two had no dyslexia. Teachers were to assume each child had just taken a typical classroom writing assessment and failed to write correctly. Four categories of teacher responses were examined: reward or punishment (RP), anger (A), pity (P), and future expectations (FE). Patterns of significant difference in teachers’ and teacher candidates’ responses were not found. Attributional characteristics of elementary teachers and preschool teacher candidates’ responses are discussed.

Engaging students in analyzing and interpreting data to construct mathematical models: an analysis of students’ reasoning in a method of initial rates task

Models related to the topic of chemical kinetics are critical for predicting and explaining chemical reactivity. Here we present a qualitative study of 15 general chemistry students’ reasoning about a method of initial rates task. We asked students to discuss their understanding of the terms rate law and initial rate, and then analyze rate and concentration data in order to construct a rate law. We also asked participants to critique rate laws constructed by hypothetical students. We discuss five patterns in the students’ approach to the method of initial rates task, ranging from the use of surface-features, such as stoichiometric coefficients in the construction of a rate law, to more sophisticated interpretations and mathematization of the trends in the data. Findings highlight specific difficulties with inter-related competences required to engage in the task, such as interpreting data and reasoning mathematically, and provide insight into assessment strategies for similar tasks.

Examining Health Care Students’ Attitudes toward E-Professionalism

Objective. To compare pharmacy, osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, and physician assistant (PA) students' perceptions of e-professionalism. Methods. A 20-item questionnaire was developed and administered to four cohorts of health care professions students early in their first professional year. The questionnaire contained 16 scenarios in which a hypothetical health care student or professional shared information or content electronically and students were asked to indicate how much they agreed that the scenario represented professional behavior. Results. Ninety-four percent of students completed the questionnaire. More female students were in the pharmacy and PA cohorts. There were statistical differences in students' perceptions of e-professionalism in five of 16 scenarios. Specific differences were most often between the osteopathic medicine students and the other cohorts. Conclusions. The health care professions students surveyed had similar perceptions of e-professionalism. Of the four cohorts, osteopathic medicine students appeared less conservative in their approach to e-professionalism than the other cohorts.

Intuitive Thinking and Misconceptions of Independent Events: A Case Study of US and French Pre-Service Teachers

In this article we study the conceptions of an American and a French group of undergraduate pre-service teachers regarding the concept of independent events. Specifically, we study the role that intuition plays in their answers, ascertain the presence of probabilistic biases, and compare the findings with previous results collected on a different population. Participants were asked to provide essay-type answers to a three-part questionnaire that asked them to solve problems, react to hypothetical students’ answers, and answer direct questions. The concept of independent events was problematic for most participants as was the distinction between mutually exclusive and independent events. In addition, representativeness bias and the Falk Phenomenon were observed among several participants.

An examination of pre-service teachers' attributions for students with specific learning difficulties

One of the most important factors in the successful inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties in mainstream classrooms is the teacher. Despite strong support for inclusion, mainstream teachers still demonstrate mixed responses to the inclusion of certain students in the classrooms. Further, their attitudes towards inclusion seem to be formed during their initial training. The purpose of this research was to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with specific learning difficulties by analyzing their attributional responses to hypothetical students. Participants included 205 pre-service teachers, and the results demonstrated that the pre-service teachers' attributional responses differed according to whether or not the hypothetical students had a specific learning difficulty. Their attributional responses were likely to have an unintended negative impact on students' attributions, self-efficacy and motivation. One implication of these findings is that pre-service teacher-training needs to include a focus on teachers' attitudes and behaviors in inclusive classrooms.

Effects of Labeling and Teacher Certification Type on Recall and Conflict Resolution

ABSTRACT. Understanding how labels and prior training affect teachers of students with a disability is a step toward creating effective educational environments. Two goals of the present study were to examine how teacher training (special education vs. general education training) and labeling of students (either as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or not) affected teachers’ memory attributes of a hypothetical student, and to identify whether teacher training and label type influenced how they would respond in a student-initiated conflict. The results suggest that the presence or absence of a label affected general education teachers, with these teachers recalling a greater proportion of hindering behaviors when no label was provided. However, independent of labeling condition, general education teachers tended to endorse a mediation approach when compared to special education teachers. Findings of this study inform educators’ present knowledge about disability training in regard to certification training type and the use of labels.

“Why Did You Want to See Me?”: Teachers’ Reactions to a Student's Request as a Function of Teachers' Personal Early Experiences of Attachment

ABSTRACTThis study attempts to demonstrate the relationship between teachers’ personal early experiences of attachment with their parents and their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to a hypothetical student's request to speak with them, expressed in short or detailed form. A similar procedure has been used by Perrine and Steele King for students, and now has been used for teachers. For this purpose, self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 395 female teachers. The results showed a significant relationship between parental bonding experiences and behavioral and emotional, but not cognitive, reactions to an hypothetical student's request. The optimal parenting group reported more positive emotional and behavioral reactions, while the affectionate control group reported more negative emotional reactions to the hypothetical student's request than the other groups. These results offer useful implications to be utilized in teachers’ training programs.

Academic Expectations of Australian Students from Aboriginal, Asian and Anglo Backgrounds: Perspectives of Teachers, Trainee-teachers and Students

There are ethnic group differences in academic achievement among Australian students, with Aboriginal students performing substantially below and Asian students above their peers. One factor that may contribute to these effects is societal stereotypes of Australian Asian and Aboriginal students, which may bias teachers’ evaluations and influence student outcomes. A questionnaire assessing academic expectancies for hypothetical students from different ethnic groups was administered to 55 experienced teachers and 144 training teachers. A measure of self-expectancies and group expectancies was administered to 516 school students. The findings revealed that Asian students were expected to perform better in mathematics and expend greater effort than Aboriginal and Anglo-Australian students. In turn, there were higher expectancies for mathematics performance for Anglo-Australian students compared with Aboriginal students. We discuss the potential implications of these stereotypes for students’ school achievement, particularly the risk that negative implicit stereotypes might result in these students being directed to special education.

Investigating Elementary School Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of Students about some Numbers

The study investigated the competence of elementary mathematics teachers’ knowledge of students about some numbers. Studies have shown that there are common misconceptions that students exhibit in dealing with numbers. This study wanted to determine how competent elementary teachers are in identifying and dealing with such students’ misconceptions. A sample of 30 teachers was randomly selected as participants in this study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire designed for teachers to respond to through detail explanations in writing. Participants were presented with the problem situations and were expected to respond to the questions or tasks. The problem situations were a given problem and the hypothetical students’ solutions of the given problem. The study revealed that while some teachers were competent in addressing students’ misconceptions in the topic area, others had difficulties themselves in understanding the problem situations and the hypothetical students’ solutions.

Attributional Beliefs of Canadian Trainee Teachers toward Students with a Learning Disability

Teachers are one of the most important factors in successful inclusion of students with a learning disability in mainstream classrooms. Attitudes towards inclusion of certain students in classrooms have been mixed, and many attitudes are often developed during the pre-service training and early teaching years. This study investigated the attitudes of trainee teachers towards students with learning disabilities by analysing their attributional responses to hypothetical students. Accordingly, 181 graduating Canadian trainee teachers were surveyed and the results indicated that as students’ ability levels decrease, teachers’ sympathy levels rise, and the expectation of future failure increases. Moreover, as students’ expended efforts increase, the teacher feedback becomes more positive, the frustration decreases, the sympathy levels rise, and the expectation of future failure decreases. With regards to differences between students with and without a learning disability, as students’ ability levels increase the difference in trainee teachers’ sympathy level increases. Furthermore, as students’ expended efforts increase, the difference in teacher feedback given to students with and without a learning disability decreases, the difference in frustration and sympathy levels decrease, and the difference in expectations of future failure increases. Implications and recommendations for practice and research conclude the paper.

Pharmacy Students’ Interpretation of Academic Integrity

To explore pharmacy students' recognition and interpretation of situations constituting breaches of academic integrity. A survey instrument comprising 10 hypothetical student(s) scenarios was completed by 852 students in the bachelor of pharmacy program at an Australian university. The scenarios were relevant to current modes of assessment and presented degrees of ambiguity around academic integrity. Identification of the hypothetical student(s) at fault, particularly in the deliberately ambiguous scenarios, was not related to the respondents' year of study or sex. Students with fewer years of postsecondary education were more definitive in their interpretation of contentious cases. Respondents from all 4 years of study reported witnessing many of these behaviors among their peers. This study provided novel insight into the ambiguity surrounding academic integrity and students' perceptions relating to the deliberate or inadvertent involvement of other parties.

Support for medical students with mental health problems: a conceptual model.

Medical students experience higher prevalence of mental illness than age-matched controls and are less likely to access appropriate help when this happens. The aim of this study was to determine the range of strategies deployed by medical schools to support medical students with mental health concerns and to use this to identify distinct categories. Websites and documents relating to all 32 UK medical schools were looked at, as were reports for quality assurance visits carried out by the General Medical Council (UK). A structured telephone interview was carried out with medical schools. Support services were examined by tracing the path that might be taken by a hypothetical student with mental health concerns of varying severity, seeing what was required and what was available at each stage. A range of support strategies is available to most medical students both from their medical school and from generic services in the university. Medical students will usually first contact a personal tutor or a senior member of faculty or be contacted by them as a result of concerns raised either via performance issues or by another student. While individual support interventions are mostly based on evidence of effectiveness, there is no unifying theory in terms of what constitutes effective support. To enable analysis of support interventions and comparison across providers, a six-stage conceptual model of prevention was developed. The six stages are the following: prevention, identification, referral, escalation, treatment, and reintegration. The staged model, derived from analysis of existing interventions, provides a framework for evaluation of current provision and comparison of different methods of delivery. Moreover, it provides a framework for future research.

TEACHERS’ MINDSETS FOR STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES

Research suggests beliefs about the stability of ability can be dichotomized into two mindsets: fixed and growth (Dweck, 1999). Teachers’ (n = 238) beliefs regarding the stability of ability (mindset) and the stability of ability for 4 hypothetical students scenarios (mindset for scenarios) were measured. Mindset scores were related to mindset for scenario scores. Moreover teachers demonstrated increased neutral mindset scores and decreased fixed mindset scores for hypothetical student scenarios with no discernible differences for student gender or disability status.

Promoting secondary school students’ evaluation of source features of multiple documents

The current research examined whether instructional activities centering on contrasting cases promoted secondary school students’ evaluations of source features present in a multiple-documents inquiry context. Two hypothetical students’ document evaluation strategy protocols were designed: One featured more sophisticated strategies commonly enacted by experts and better college students and a second featured less sophisticated strategies commonly enacted by secondary school students. A series of classroom-based activities required that students compare/contrast the two protocols to decide which were the best strategies when analyzing multiple scientific documents and why. The findings demonstrated that students who previously participated in the intervention activities included more scientific concepts from more useful documents when generating essay responses from memory, displayed better rankings of the usefulness of the set of multiple documents, and offered more principled justifications based on source feature evaluations of trustworthiness compared to students who instead received typical classroom instruction. We discuss the instructional implications of a contrasting-cases approach in facilitating secondary school students’ usage of source features within multiple-documents inquiry contexts.

Teachers’ academic appraisals and referral decisions: The effect of sharing health information when diabetes is present

Two prior studies showed that giving teachers more information about a student's illness led them to make better attributions about that student's classroom problems and better classroom accommodations. In this study, 235 teachers appraised academic competence and judged whether to seek help or make a referral for a hypothetical student with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Teachers received one of five levels comprising increasing disease disclosure and classroom‐relevant information about T1DM. Contrary to prior studies, teachers in this study who were given a student's T1DM diagnosis and details about T1DM's classroom risks failed to make better judgments about the student's academic skill levels or to award more accurate grades. Instead, teachers seemed swayed by this student's apparently careless and inconsistent schoolwork, which was presumably disease related. Likewise, better‐informed teachers were no better at selecting accommodations. However, once it was disclosed that the hypothetical student had T1DM, most teachers seemed knowledgeable about the most appropriate potential Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act category for service delivery. Regarding practice issues, school psychologists were rarely selected as a first choice for consultation, and the more information teachers were provided with about T1DM and the student's disease status, the less likely they were to select a school psychologist as a consultant.

Género y Nivel Socioeconómico de los Niños: Expectativas del Docente en Formación

The effect of student gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on pre-service teachers’ expectations of students was examined empirically. Participants were 108 pre-service teachers who read a scenario about a hypothetical student with academic and behavioral challenges. The gender and SES of the student were varied to create 4 conditions. Pre-service teachers perceived that low SES students have less promising futures and more negative personal characteristics, and demonstrated no differences about gender. Senior students had more optimistic expectations for low SES children than freshmen students did. Findings suggest that pre-service teachers are likely to develop negative expectations toward low SES students. These preconceived attitudes may help explain why teacher efficacy tends to be lower in economically disadvantaged schools.