Special Education Practices Research Articles

An Innovative Framework Suggested for Use in the Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

Kanıta dayalı uygulamalar, yüksek nitelikte ve nicelikte çalışılmış bilimsel araştırmalarda ulaşılması hedeflenen amaçlarda olumlu etkileri gösterilmiş uygulamalar olarak tanımlanabilir. Özel gereksinimli bireyler ve ilgili tüm paydaşlara yönelik planlanan hizmet süreçlerinde kanıta dayalı uygulamaların yaşama geçirilmesi, bu bireylerin gelişimlerinin, bağımsızlaşabilmelerinin hızlandırılması ve bu amaçla yapılan yatırımlar ile kaynakların verimli kullanılması açısından öncelikli olarak ele alınmalıdır. Günümüzde kanıta dayalı uygulamaların nitelik göstergeleri konusunda araştırmacılara, uygulayıcılara ve kurumlara amaçları doğrultusunda rehberlik edecek çeşitli araştırma sonuçları, yönergeler, raporlar bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Goldstein, Lackey ve Schneiser (2014) tarafından tasarlanan sistematik alanyazın derlemeleri için hem grup deneysel hem de tek denekli deneysel desenlerle tasarlanan araştırmaların nitelik derecelendirmesine olanak sağlayan bir çerçeve tanıtılmıştır. Çalışmada bu çerçeve kapsamında sunulan nitelik derecelendirme aracı ile elde edilen sonuçların daha net bir şekilde ortaya konulabilmesi amacıyla önerilen tablolaştırılmış gösterimine ilişkin bir örnek sunulmuştur. Bu çalışma ile tanıtılan çerçeve, özel eğitim alanında kanıta dayalı uygulamaların belirlenmesi sürecinde, alanda yürütülen deneysel araştırmaların sistematik derlemesini yapacak olan araştırmacılar tarafından kullanılabilir.

INNOVATION FOR ALL: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ARABIC SPEAKING COUNTRIES

In this study, we look at how special education teachers are increasingly using assistive technology (AT) to help children with disabilities. Our research focuses on the available literature on AT implementation in special education in Arabic-speaking nations. Our analysis includes a look at the advantages, disadvantages, and prospective applications of AT in this setting. The study's findings shed light on a number of major topics that emerge from the literature. For starters, it highlights the importance of personalised and student-centered methods to AT implementation. Recognizing each student's unique needs and abilities means that AT interventions are personalized to optimize their impact. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the vital relevance of providing adequate training and continuous support to both teachers and students who use AT. Adequate training provides educators with the skills and knowledge needed to properly apply AT, while continual support ensures its continued effectiveness in the classroom. Furthermore, the evidence demonstrates AT's tremendous potential to improve outcomes across a wide range of academic and functional areas. Students can overcome barriers, learn key skills, and actively participate in their educational path by utilizing AT technologies. Finally, this paper explores the implications of these findings for future special education research and practice. The findings of the literature study serve as a platform for future research and show the importance of continuing to investigate the influence of AT on students with disabilities in Arabic-speaking nations. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about assistive technology in special education, particularly in Arabic-speaking countries. It is a great resource for educators, policymakers, and researchers, emphasizing the significance of student-centered approaches, training, and the potential of AT to improve results for students with disabilities.

Improving Student Attitudes Toward Autistic Individuals: A Systematic Review.

There is an increasing number of autistic students being educated alongside their neurotypical peers. However, placing a student in the general education setting is not sufficient for meaningful inclusion. Historically, autistic students have had fewer friendships, been less accepted, and experienced stigmatization. Interventions to increase peer attitudes toward autism have emerged as a method for creating more inclusive environments. The purpose of this literature review was to describe the interventions to improve peer attitudes toward autism, review the quality of the research, and determine the effectiveness of interventions. Specifically, this review aimed to answer the following questions: (1) what are participant characteristics and components of interventions designed to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals? (2) What is the methodological quality of interventions designed to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals, as measured by Council for Exceptional Children standards for evidence-based practices in special education (2014) criteria? (3) What is the effectiveness of interventions to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals? A total of 13 studies were located through a systematic search. Included studies were coded for study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention, and outcomes. Across the studies, there were a total of 2097 participants. All studies included contact (either direct, indirect, or peer-mediation) and most included an education component (k = 10). Findings indicated that interventions are effective at improving attitudes toward autism, but further research is required to determine their overall impact.

Expanding Law- and Policy-Relevant Discourse Within Special Education Research

The field of special education stems from the efforts of parents, adults and children with disabilities, invested policymakers, and other civil rights advocates within legal and policy forums. Yet, over time, as intervention- and scientific-based research within special education were moved to the forefront, the focus on how special education practices are shaped by law and policy were siloed within academic discourse in special education journals. To better understand the use of legal and policy analysis as a methodology within special education journals, the authors systematically analyzed the submission criteria for the top-10 U.S. -based special education journals. Stemming from these findings, this article argues why it may be necessary to consider expanding the field of special education research to include more peer-reviewed academic journals with a predominant focus on special education and disability law and policy, as an understanding of how law and policy shape the academic and personal lives of students with disabilities and their families remains pertinent. Finally, the article offers a framework for creating new academic journals in this space that may offer opportunities to generate dialogue between academics, practitioners, and policymakers across an interdisciplinary discourse.

Innovation for All: Unleashing the Power of Assistive Technology in Special Education in Arabic-Speaking Countries

This topical review digs into special education teachers' growing usage of Assistive Technology (AT) in Arabic-speaking countries to serve children with impairments. This study investigates AT's benefits, drawbacks, and possible applications in this educational setting by reviewing the available literature from six major academic databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, ERIC, Academia, and ResearchGate. The findings highlight the need for tailored and student-centered approaches to AT adoption and effective training and ongoing support for educators and students. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the potential of AT to improve academic and functional outcomes, allowing students to overcome obstacles and actively participate in their educational path. The significance of these findings for future special education research and practice is examined, laying the groundwork for further investigation of AT's influence on children with disabilities in Arabic-speaking countries. The outcomes of this review emphasize the need to implement AT in Arabic-speaking special education settings using tailored and student-centered approaches. Students with disabilities can effectively use AT solutions to enhance their learning experiences by tailoring AT solutions to specific needs. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of instructor and student training and ongoing assistance. Proper training provides instructors with the skills and information they need to properly deploy AT tools, while continual support ensures that AT remains effective in the classroom.

A Delphi Study to Generate, Clarify, and Prioritize Professional Recommendations on Age of Majority-Related Practice in Special Education

A confluence of research and current events in the United States has brought guardianship for people with disabilities into focus in recent years. In the process, the field of special education has been confronted with an unpleasant reality. In their action or inaction, special education professionals may play a role in parents of students with disabilities pursuing undue and overbroad guardianship. The purpose of this study was to work with researchers and practitioners supporting alternatives to guardianship to gather their foremost recommendations for the field of special education on addressing the use of undue guardianship. To this end, the researchers conducted a three-round Delphi study with these established professionals to solicit, rate, and revise their ratings of related recommendations toward achieving consensus. The 30 top recommendations they offered have been collected here and discussed in terms of their relevance for policy, practice, and research in the field.

COLLABORATIVE TEACHING FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

This article was developed through research where bibliographical references were consulted, from a qualitative point of view, in the area of special education, with emphasis on the contribution of specialized educational services for inclusion students, using the reference of Scientific Work Methodology , by the author Gilberto de Andrade Martins. Aiming to understand how collaborative teaching can help in the teaching-learning process. Evaluate the feasibility of implementing collaborative teaching in Brazilian public schools, taking into account the importance of the school inclusion process. It seeks to dialogue with different experienced contexts and identify different possibilities for a better insertion of children and young people with special needs in the school space, including trying to shed light on the pedagogical practices of special education in general terms. It appears that assessment is a construction and investigation process of the teaching-learning process that leads to the origin of specific functional learning disorders and specialized care for the target audience of special education, involving children, family members, teachers( as), health professionals, pedagogues, management team, among others.

Federal Leadership Perspectives and Role on the Era of Access, Accountability, and Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

This article is part of a case study of federal leadership in special education from the perspective of those who served in the roles of Assistant Secretaries of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services and Directors of the Office of Special Education Programs or their equivalents in the former U.S. Office of Education and later U.S. Department of Education. This case study covers the time period from the George W. Bush administration and lasting through the first 4 years of President Barack Obama’s administration (2000–2012). During this time, government intervention in education reached its zenith with the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. The participants detailed their (a) career and appointment, (b) vision for educating students with disabilities, (c) theory of change, (d) politics and financial constraints, (e) advocacy, and (f) views of the past, present, and future.

Professionalism and the challenges of inclusion: An evaluation of special education teachers' practice

This research paper critically examines the role of professionalism in shaping the practice of special education (SE) teachers. Working with students with diverse needs, SE teachers face complexities and contradictions in their profession. Despite the initiation of inclusive education in 1994 as a promising concept to support students with disabilities, its effective implementation remains elusive. Therefore, this study delves into the educational system and regulatory frameworks that govern teacher work to identify areas of improvement. Qualitative methods were employed to explore the impact of accountability activities, particularly standards-based tests, on SE teachers' professionalism. The findings reveal a negative influence of such activities on their professional autonomy and well-being. The prevailing nature of educational systems that restrict teachers' authority and collaborative opportunities appears to contribute to stress and ethical dilemmas. Interestingly, the study contradicts prior research by indicating that SE teachers' professionalism is not necessarily linked to the successful implementation of inclusion. The research underscores the significance of autonomy and flexibility for SE teachers, allowing them to tailor their approaches to meet the needs of students with disabilities effectively. This autonomy contributes significantly to the successful integration of inclusion practices. Moreover, the study emphasizes the crucial role of autonomous education systems in fostering teacher practices in inclusive classrooms and facilitating the development of knowledge and skills among students with disabilities. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of how empowering education systems can foster a conducive environment for SE teachers, consequently benefiting students with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Shaping executive function in pre-school: The role of early educational practice

Recent approaches to the development of Executive Function (EF) claim that it is trainable. Purpose-designed programs have proved successful in training EF skills in young children. If the EF is permeable to training from an early age, then the type of educational practice in the first years may as well have an effect. Despite the important implications of this thesis, there is limited evidence of the role of early educational practice in shaping the EF. Previous studies suggest that children in Montessori schools, which promote autonomy and self-regulation, often perform better on EF tasks than children in conventional schools. Evidence to date, however, is not unequivocal across the studies due to a number of factors, including the heterogeneity of the tasks used to assess EF and/or possible baseline differences in the groups that are compared. Here we compare the EF skills of fifty-eight, 4- to 6-year-olds of a similar socio-economic background who had been attending either a Montessori preschool or a conventional preschool for the same period of time. Their performance was assessed with different tasks involving a range of EF processes, such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and self-regulation. Results show an advantage of Montessori preschoolers in all EF tasks. More broadly, findings suggest that even when EF skills are not purposely trained, they can be enhanced by specific educational practices.

Społeczność wzajemnego uczenia się. Opinie nauczycieli na temat możliwości ich uczenia się w szkołach realizujących międzynarodowe programy kształcenia

The purpose of the study is to identify teachers’ opinions on their learning opportunities in schools implementing the following international programmes in Poland: International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The study was conducted using the diagnostic survey method on a group of 103 teachers. The theoretical basis was Wenger’s (1998) model of learning in communities of practice, which assumes that adult learning (in this case, teachers) can be analyzed in four areas: (1) Belonging, (2) Doing, (3) Becoming, and (4) Experiencing. Therefore, the socio-cultural situation of teachers and their common but specific educational practices conditioned by the specificity of international schools were adopted. The results show that teachers do not feel fully prepared to work after graduation, they use the knowledge and skills acquired in the workplace more often than that acquired during studies, and international programmes create favourable conditions for their learning and professional development. Teachers form a learning community at three levels: school, national, and international. Thus, they form a type of community of communities that Wenger calls a ‘constellation’.

Practice, Teaching, and Research Ethics in Special Education

Practice, Teaching, and Research Ethics in Special Education

Special Education Evaluation Considerations in a Post-pandemic Era.

While disruptions to typical education, special education, and psycho-educational service delivery practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have dissipated, their impact magnified educational systems' overreliance on evaluations to determine eligibility for special education and related services. Given that the potential for future disruptions is now ever-present, it is imperative that service providers learn from these recent experiences to improve typical policies, procedures, and practices under normal service delivery circumstances as well as to respond efficiently and effectively to any future disruptions, should they arise. To this end, this work presents several reminders and considerations for multidisciplinary teams related to assessment, testing, special education evaluations, and closely related processes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Special Education Technology

This manuscript presents a preliminary discussion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a disruptive technology with the potential to significantly change special education practices. The article begins with a brief description of the development of AI. The authors recognize our assertions are subjective and require further research. Several references are not peer-reviewed because educational research takes years to conduct, analyze, and disseminate outcomes. In this manuscript, we discuss current software used for writing with students in special education and discuss similarities and differences with AI software. This discussion is followed by questions and examples related to implementation, ethical and policy considerations, and preservice special education teacher preparation. The article concludes with future considerations for how AI will impact the special education technology field.

Re-setting special education for justice: An essay on the logics and infrastructure enabling deep change in the COVID-19-era.

COVID-19 shocked the education system, disrupting the policies and practices of special education over multiple school years. This essay brings together the institutional logics perspective and racialized organization theory to first examine aspects of special education and then describe how leaders and teachers can improve special education to target inequities. We illustrate features of three logics of special education: compliance, intervention, and equity. We explain how these logics are racialized structures in the special education field. Applying an agentic stance, we portray how leaders and teachers draw on multiple, competing logics of special education. Next, we highlight how infrastructure enables leaders and teachers to enact the equity model of special education. In sum, this essay encourages improving infrastructural elements and confronting racism and ableism to re-envision special education in the face of COVID-disruptions.

The effect of strengthening and aerobic exercises on balance and functional independence levels in students with intellectual disabilities

Purpose This study was planned to examine the effects of strengthening and aerobic exercise training applied to students with intellectual disabilities on balance and functional independence. Methods A total of 107 intellectually disabled students, 36 girls, and 71 boys, aged between 11 and 18 years, studying at Denizli Çamlık Special Education Practice Center School were included in the study. In the study, a training program consisting of twice-a-week aerobic exercises was applied for one year and home strengthening exercises three days a week was applied for three months. Participants were assessed before and after the training program. Balance was assessed with the 10-meter walk test and Pediatric Balance Scale (PDS). Functional independence was assessed with the Children’s Functional Independence Measure (WeeFim). Results Participants demonstrated significant improvements in 10-meter walking test, PDS and WeeFim scores (p < 0.05). Conclusion The results obtained from the study showed that strengthening and aerobic exercise training applied to students with intellectual disabilities positively affected walking, balance, and functional independence.

Herbart's Pädagogischer Takt: Educational Theory as Metapraxis

교육이론의 학습은 바람직한 교육의 실천을 위해 교사에게 요구되는 기본 조건이다. 그러나 실천 없는 이론은 현실과 지나치게 동떨어져 있고, 이론 없는 실천은 방향성의 상실이라는 문제를 안고 있다. 그리하여 이론과 실천 양자 사이에는 이론을 강조하면 실천이, 실천을 강조하면 이론이 소홀하게 취급되는 일종의 긴장이 발생한다. 헤르바르트는 이렇게 양자를 서로 분리된 것으로 간주하는 사고방식이 ‘있는 그대로의 인간’에 의하여 발휘되고 있는 슬기를 간과한다는 점을 지적한다. 교사가 교육의 실천사태에서 발휘하는 슬기에는 양자가 서로 구분되지 않는 상태로 통합되어 있으며, 따라서 그것은 마치 교사가 하고자 하는 행위가 교육이론에 어긋나지 않는 그런 사태, 교육활동의 ‘표준’에 대한 미묘한 감각을 발휘하는 사태를 특징짓는다. 슬기가 ‘있는 그대로의 인간’에게서 나타난다는 그의 견해에 비추어 보면, 교육이론이 구체적인 교육의 실천에 도움이 되는 한하여 의미를 가진다는 생각은 받아들여지기 어렵다. 교육이론은 교육의 실천을 이론적으로 설명한 것으로서, 거기에는 교육활동이 따라야 할 사고방식과 행동방식, 그리고 거기에 수반된 태도와 자세 등이 들어있다. 그리하여 그것의 학습은 가르치는 자로서의 교사로 하여금 바로 그 가르침이 겨냥하는 것을 불완전하게나마 구현하도록 이끈다. 요컨대, 실천의 설명으로서의 교육이론은 또 하나의 실천으로서의 의미를 가지며, 이 점에서 교육이론을 학습하는 과정은 교육의 실천이 겨냥하는 바로 그것, 즉 인격을 형성하는 과정과 다르지 않다.The learning of educational theory is an essential condition required of teachers for the practice of desirable education. However, a theory that overlooks practice is far removed from reality, and on the contrary, a practice that overlooks theory has a problem of loss of direction. Thus, a kind of tension arises between theory and practice. Herbart points out that this way of thinking that regards the two as separate from each other overlooks the tact(Takt) exercised by 'man as he is'. Pedagogical tact integrates theory and practice, and thus it represents the situation in which an action the teacher wants to do does not contradict the educational theory. In light of his point of view, it is difficult to accept the idea that educational theories have meaning only as long as they are helpful to specific educational practices. Educational theory is a theoretical explanation of the practice of education, which contains the way of thinking and behavior that educational activities should follow, and the attitudes involved in it. Its learning leads the teacher to embody what the practice of education aims at. In short, educational theory as an explanation of practice has meaning as another practice. In this respect, the process of learning educational theory is not different from the process of human becoming, which is exactly what educational practice aims at.

Özel Eğitim Öğretmenlerinin Sorunlarının Analizi

This research aims to reveal the opinions of special education teachers about the problems experienced in special education and the solutions for these problems. The research was conducted using a qualitative research design. The study group consists of the teachers of the Trabzon Province Sürmene Special Education Practice School in the 2022-2023 academic year. Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. According to the findings, teachers working in special education schools experience problems arising from the education system, parents, school management, teachers and students. In addition, they stated that educational environments do not meet the needs of special education students and that the tools provided are insufficient. Teachers working in special education schools, graduated from different fields, consider the wages they receive to be insufficient. In the appointment of field experts and special education graduates as teachers to special education schools, it is expected that it is necessary and important to have competencies such as patience, understanding, compassion, effective communication and motivation within the scope of personal and professional competencies.

The Reading Journey of Zion—A Case Study of Race in the Context of Special Education

The reading trajectory of African Americans males within the PreK-12 special education system has been at the forefront of scholarship. This case study was to understand how Zion's misidentification may have influenced his reading experiences. The inequalities Zion encountered in Special Education are examined through the Critical Race Theory and DisCrit lens. The article is illuminating the racialized impact of special education practices and policies, analyzed through Zion's experiences of receiving services for an emotional/behavioral disability identification rather than receiving specific reading services and accommodations.

Science and Learning in the Digital Era

No AccessScience and Learning in the Digital EraPhD Cristina Dumitru, Mihai Christopher Marian Radovici, Gresa Rasiti, PhD Ljiljan VeselinovićPhD Cristina Dumitru University of Pitești Romania PhD; is a lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of Pitești and coordinator of several Erasmus projects on Education and Specific Learning Disorders. With 15 years of teaching and research experience in working with SEN students, Cristina Dumitru is active in special education and inclusive education practice. Additionally, she has written several manuscripts on special education topics. © 2023Search for more papers by this author, Mihai Christopher Marian Radovici Bucharest University of Economics Romania MA; is currently a PhD student specialising in International Relations and subsequent fields at Bucharest University of Economics. Christopher is currently engaged in following connex research projects abroad. As an alumni of DofE, SUSI, Aspen Institute, amongst others, he has continued being involved in civil society and also became the owner of a social entrepreneurship start-up.Search for more papers by this author, Gresa RasitiMA; works as a human resources manager for a real estate tech company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching and a master‘s degree in Democracy and Human Rights in South East Europe. During her studies, Gresa was part of a research group working on the topic of De-institutionalisation of Children with Disabilities, now published in the Global Campus of Human Rights repository.Search for more papers by this author, PhD Ljiljan Veselinović University of Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina PhD; is an associate professor at the School of Economics and Business (SEBS), University of Sarajevo, but is also engaged in the Education Laboratory and Quality Assurance Team at SEBS. His research focuses on various topics in business, economics and education, dealing with entrepreneurship, the labour market, business environment and education topics.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:Feb 2023SectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail About Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Download book coverVolume 63Issue 1-2February 2023 ISSN: 0012-5415eISSN: 2307-289XHistoryPublished online:February 2023 PDF download