Special Education Research Articles

The Pictogram Icon as a Learning Media for Deaf Students in Visual Communication Design

In 2022, the total number of deaf or deaf students studying at Sahid University Surakarta will be 14 students. The government itself has mandated the right to education for children with special needs as regulated in Article 54 of Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, namely: Every child who is physically and/or mentally disabled has the right to receive special care, education, training and assistance at cost. state, to guarantee life in accordance with human dignity, self-improvement, and ability to participate in the life of society and the state. The obstacle so far has been communication in delivering material from lecturers to deaf students. This is because: 1) 90% of deaf students in Visual Communication Design cannot read written sentences that are too long. Deaf students of Visual Communications Design are accustomed to using hand sign language, namely a visual language that emphasizes the ease of moving hands, not the order of sentences based on SPOK, 2) The digital application used by deaf students to translate the lecturer's voice does not function properly. This is because sentences/words often appear that do not match what the lecturer in the course said. The aim of designing pictogram icons as a learning medium for Visual Communication Design students is that deaf students can understand and understand information about lectures and can carry them out well, so that deaf students are formed who are able to compete in society. To achieve this goal, the Innovation Development method is carried out using the Lee & Owens Model method which produces pictogram icons which can help simplify verbal and written language into visual language.

Special Education Teachers’ Practices in Preparing Students With Disabilities for Postsecondary Education in Saudi Arabia

This study explored how special education teachers (SETs) in public secondary schools in Saudi Arabia prepare students with disabilities (SWDs) for postsecondary education institutions. A literature review of best practices and predictors of secondary transition for SWDs guided the development of an instrument to examine SETs’ practices regarding transition assessment, transition planning, and instructional support provided to SWDs. After the validity and reliability of the instrument were tested, SETs ( n = 111) working in public secondary schools in Riyadh responded. Findings revealed that SETs’ implementation of most transition practices in assessment, planning, and instruction provision was high. However, using formal and informal assessment tools to assess self-determination skills, developing students’ summaries of performance, including plans of study and instructional and test accommodations in the SWDs’ transition individualized educational plans, and involving representatives from disability support services in higher education institutions were moderately implemented. The results are discussed considering the literature on secondary best practices, predictors, and transition services in Saudi Arabia. Recommendations include expanding the scope of the study to cover other areas in Saudi Arabia and utilizing other research methods to examine how SETs implement transition practices. Implications for practice and policy are also discussed.

Decoding skills, rapid automatised naming and dyslexia screening methods in Malaysia

Dyslexia is a learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Besides, it typically results from a phonological awareness deficit, leading to difficulties with word identification, spelling, and decoding. Dyslexia could lead to secondary consequences such as reading comprehension problems, reduced reading experience, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Recent research has provided strong evidence that congenital brain abnormalities, such as the impaired magnocellular system, play a crucial role in dyslexia. Nonetheless, since 2011, the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), via its Special Education Division, has defined learning disability as pertaining to individuals with similar or higher intellectual functioning in relation to typical students of similar age yet experiencing profound difficulty in spelling, reading, and writing. This definition fails to capture the current findings on dyslexia, and the shortcoming is evident in the question design of the Instrumen Senarai Semak Disleksia (ISD), the dyslexia checklist instrument currently used by MOE for screening students at risk of dyslexia at the entry level of primary schools. The inaccuracy in the definition adopted by MOE may further hinder an accurate understanding of dyslexia among Malaysians. In light of this, this paper aims to explain dyslexia and discuss the associated theories. This paper will review dyslexia screening methods in Malaysia and other countries as well as explain the importance of decoding skills and Rapid Automatised Naming (RAN) using the model of Simple View of Reading (SVR), advocating for increased emphasis on decoding skills and Rapid Automatised Naming in the ISD as a conclusion.

Examining Demographic, Social-Emotional, and Educational Factors Influencing Teaching Motivation among Arab Teachers in Regular and Special Education

In recent years, research has increasingly emphasized the emotional, social, and educational aspects of teacher training and professional practices in both regular and special education systems. This study aims to: (a) investigate differences in teaching motivation, socio-emotional learning, perceived social and family support, mental well-being, resilience resources, and situational anxiety across demographic variables (specifically gender, age, academic qualifications, and type of education system) among Arab teachers in northern Israel; and (b) assess the extent to which these socio-emotional and educational factors explain the variance in teaching motivation among these teachers. To achieve these objectives, teachers from both regular and special education settings were asked to provide demographic information and complete self-report measures targeting the specified factors. The results revealed significant differences in socio-emotional and educational factors across the demographic variables of gender, age, academic qualifications, and type of education system (regular or special education). Notably, a significant negative relationship was observed between teaching motivation and situational anxiety, while positive relationships were found between teaching motivation and perceived social and family support, mental well-being, socio-emotional learning, and resilience resources. Moreover, multiple linear regression analysis identified socio-emotional learning, mental well-being, and resilience resources as significant predictors of teaching motivation, accounting for approximately 35.3% of the variance. This study highlights the critical role of socio-emotional factors in shaping teaching motivation, particularly among Arab teachers in northern Israel. Understanding these dynamics can inform targeted interventions and support systems, ultimately enhancing teacher effectiveness and improving student outcomes in both regular and special education settings.

Promoting special education pre-service teachers’ technology integration self- efficacy through multimedia learning

The current study introduced and assessed the effectiveness of a multimedia-based instructional strategy to enhance the technology integration self-efficacy of 98 special education pre-service teachers. 78% of participants demonstrated growth in their self-efficacy scores. Specifically, pre-service teachers with initial low and medium self-efficacy levels experienced significant improvement whereas high-level students did not. The multimedia creation project was found to promote more realistic self-assessments of technology integration skills and foster positive perceptions of skills for using technology in the classroom. These findings offer valuable insights for designing introductory instructional technology courses.

Precision teaching in the 21st century: trends, barriers and the path forward

Purpose This paper aims to explore the current state of Precision Teaching, identifies key barriers the field must address and outlines future directions for progress. Design/methodology/approach Precision Teaching (PT) is a methodology that uses the family of Standard Celeration Charts to monitor changes in behaviour frequencies, guide instructional decisions and promote the acceleration of learning. Since its inception, PT has been widely adopted across general and special education and other settings. Research has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving skill acquisition in interventions, including reading fluency, mathematical skills and critical thinking. Findings Despite its success, barriers to broader implementation remain, including limited awareness, technological challenges and research promotion. As the field continues to evolve, interdisciplinary collaboration and technology promotion will be key to ensuring the continued growth of PT. Originality/value By addressing these barriers, the methodology can expand further, enhancing its impact across a diverse array of fields and populations.

Environmental education for deaf people in special education: systematic review

Environmental education for deaf people in special education: systematic review

The Effect of Hand Hygiene Training Provided with Dance Assistance to Mild Mentally Disabled Middle School Students on their Hand-washing Skills

Introduction: Supporting students with intellectual disabilities through education is crucial for improving their hand-washing skills. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of dance-assisted hand hygiene education given to mildly mentally disabled secondary school students on their hand-washing skills. Method: This study was conducted in a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design between January and May 2024. The study population consisted of 36 students studying at Special Education Secondary School, and the sample consisted of 29 students who met the research criteria and whose parents gave consent. The data of this study were collected with the Student Introduction Form and Correct Handwashing Evaluation Form. In this study, dance-supported hand hygiene training was given to mildly mentally disabled secondary school students for an average of 20 minutes in one session. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and McNemar test. Results: In this study, a statistically significant difference was determined between the pre-test and post-test pulling up garment sleeves, wetting hands with some water, switching off the tap, lathering hands thoroughly with some soap, rubbing between fingers, rubbing by taking the thumbs into the hand and Fingertips in the Hand and Rubbing practices (p < 0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that dance-supported hand hygiene training given to mildly mentally disabled secondary school students increased the students' application skills in 50% of the hand-washing steps. In line with this result, it is recommended that hygiene education given to mildly mentally disabled secondary school students should be supported by dance.

Quality of Life and Related Factors in Patients Diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidosis and Their Caregivers.

Quality of life (QoL) is directly associated with physical-psychological well-being, family and environmental factors in patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). The present study aims to investigate the factors affecting QoL in both MPS patients and their caregivers. The sociodemographic characteristics, clinical findings, and special needs of 37 patients with MPS were questioned, among which 28 pediatric patients were evaluated for QoL using the KINDL-parents scale. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHO-QoL-BREF) was used to assess the QoL of 37 caregivers of patients. The patients with MPS type III had the lowest median score in the self-esteem domain among the other types. The patients undergoing enzyme replacement therapy scored high in the friends domain, while the physical-psychological/emotional domain scores of the patients with sleep disturbance and their parents were lower than those without. Patients with appetite/eating problems scored low in the self-esteem domain and their caregivers scored low in the social relationship domain. The psychological/emotional domain scores of the patients who needed special education and their parents were lower than those who did not. Total scores and KINDL disease domain scores were decreased in those receiving psychiatric medical treatment. In this study, the aim was to simultaneously assess the quality of life of MPS patients and their parents. Sleep disturbances, appetite problems, special education, and psychiatric treatment negatively impacted QoL.

Sociology of Education: Exploration of Stakeholders Experiences of Inclusive Education in Schools

The study explored lived experiences of major stakeholders with regard to Inclusive Education (IE) practices in mainstream public basic schools using heuristic inquiry of descriptive phenomenological approach. The sampled participants were selected using purposive sampling technique. Six set of semi-structured interview guides were used to collect the data. The data were manually analysed reflexively using Braun and Clarke six-phase model of thematic analysis. The study revealed that there is some level of misconception about IE on the part of stakeholders. Also, these stakeholders have malfunctional experiences regarding their lived experiences of IE practices in schools. Nevertheless, when teachers are able to employ innovative, gender and culture responsive instructional strategies that take into consideration the sociocultural and Special Education Needs and Disabilities differentials of learners, they will be able to ensure inclusion of all learners. Regular organisation of in-service trainings to stakeholders, particularly those in the working and lower classes, regarding the conceptualisation and practices of IE based on our IE policies and laws will help in ensuring that we educate all learners in well-integrated school settings.

EXPLORATION OF THE USE OF SCIENCE LEARNING MEDIA FOR BLIND STUDENTS AT SDLB NEGERI SEJAHTERA BOGOR CITY

Education is a basic need for everyone, including people with disabilities, who have the right to education. Children with visual impairments are usually called "blind children" in the field of special education. Based on data from the 2012 National Socio-Economic Survey, the number of Indonesian people with disabilities was 2.45%, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of children with special needs (ABK) in Indonesia reached 1.6 million children in 2017. According to Ministry of Education and Culture, West Java has a total of 688 blind students in 2021. The method used in this research is a literature review. Literature review is the first and important step in preparing a research plan. Literature review is a search and research of the literature by reading various books, journals and other publications related to the research topic, to produce an article regarding a particular topic or issue. In the initial stage of collecting articles based on the variables contained in the title, out of 10 articles, 4 articles were obtained that matched the title topic. At the article reduction stage, there were 4 articles that were not included because there were variables that did not match the title topic.

The Determinantity of Inclusive Leadership Behaviors on Work Engagement: A Research in The Field of Special Education

The Determinantity of Inclusive Leadership Behaviors on Work Engagement: A Research in The Field of Special Education

Computational Thinking in Undergraduate Pre-Service Special Education Programs

In the 21st century, an increased emphasis on integrating computational literacy within classrooms occurred (Bouck & Yadav, 2020). This learning representation aims to equip preservice special education teachers (PSSETs) with tools to deliver inclusive computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS) instruction, fostering an understanding of CT/CS concepts and promotes integration across content areas. This technology-rich learning representation employs robots, interactive whiteboards, and a blend of unplugged and plugged CT activities to demonstrate how CT can be integrated into a PK-12 classroom. This learning representation concludes with an assessment tasking PSSETs to create an activity integrating CT. This approach prepares PSSETs to provide equitable and accessible CT/CS education, aligning with current educational priorities.

The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute: Mentoring Educational Leaders in Partnership

Leadership matters and sustaining mentoring programs for new educational leaders is critical. This article will provide a brief historical accounting leading to the planning and development of the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute through collaborative partnerships in the state. Guiding leadership standards and professional licensure requirements propelling the need for continued mentoring support of new superintendents, special education directors, and principals will be discussed. Literature will support the critical role of mentoring in developing leadership knowledge as new skills are applied onthe-job in the first years of practice. Experienced and trained KELI mentors understand the importance of solid relationships, an individualized approach, and establishing professional networks to foster growth and move theory to practice. KELI’s operational structure and program components will be described; demonstrated through clear expectations, careful matching, and a responsive approach to field-based needs. Field practitioners designed KELI and showcase mentoring practices that help newly positioned educational leaders understand who they are and the impact of their decisions. KELI is gold accredited by the International Mentoring Association and is considered the premier mentoring program for new educational leaders in Kansas. KELI’s impact is evidenced by 13 years of state-wide program participation data and annual perception survey data highlighting programmatic effectiveness in supporting new educational leaders in Kansas.

Personal Factors as Predictors of Attitude Towards ICT Utilisation Among Lecturers of Students with Special Needs in Nigeria

Teaching students with special educational needs in higher institutions of learning, through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) facilities and equipment is beneficial to both the students and their lecturers. This study, therefore, investigates the contribution of lecturers’ personal factors (age, teaching experience, area of specialization and educational qualification) to the attitude of lecturers towards the use of ICT in teaching students with special educational needs in higher institutions of learning in Oyo State Nigeria. The descriptive research design was used, while the multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the study. There was a purposive selection of two institutions namely, the University of Ibadan and Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. Using random sampling technique, 80 lecturers were selected from the two institutions. An adapted questionnaire on the attitudes of in-service teachers toward the use of the ICT was adopted for data collection. Data was analysed using frequency counts, percentages and multiple regression statistics. Demographic profiles revealed that the majority of the respondents were aged 44 years and above, highly experienced lecturers, Ph.D holders, special educators and from the non-science disciplines. The joint contribution of personal factors to lecturers’ attitude towards the use of ICT in teaching persons with special educational needs shows a multiple correlation R of 0.147 and a multiple R2 of 0.022. Also, the relative contributions of the independent variables to the dependent variable, expressed as beta weights, reveal: age (β = 0.02), teaching experience (β = 0.10), area of specialization (β = 0.07), and educational qualification (β = 0.03) respectively. The study concluded that the selected demographic variables are not significant predictors of lecturers’ attitude towards the use of ICT in teaching students with special educational needs in higher institutions of learning. It was recommended that all categories of lecturers, notwithstanding their demographics, should be encouraged to acquire more skills in the use of ICT tools for teaching their students with special educational needs and use these skills effectively for enhanced learning outcomes.

Special Educators’ Knowledge of Foundational Reading Skills: A Review of the Literature

Teachers’ knowledge of foundational reading skills (e.g., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) and the impact of this knowledge on the ability to provide effective reading instruction has been a topic of interest in teacher preparation for decades. Given the number of students with disabilities with significant instructional needs in reading, understanding the knowledge and skills of special educators and effective approaches for improving teachers’ knowledge is especially critical. Therefore, a systematic narrative review of the literature was conducted to identify studies that employed survey methods to examine special educators’ knowledge of foundational reading skills. The results of 18 studies published between 2001 and 2020 revealed that most investigations focused on assessing knowledge of the phonological aspects of reading. Furthermore, inconsistent performance and knowledge gaps were identified both within and across studies. Detailed summaries of studies are provided and recommendations for future research and practice explored.

Neurodiversity in Saudi Arabia: Towards quality education and reduced inequalities.

Traditional educational frameworks in Saudi Arabia have historically adopted a deficit-based approach to special education, potentially overlooking the benefits of neurodiversity. As global educational paradigms shift toward inclusive practices, examining the alignment of Saudi special education laws with neurodiversity principles becomes crucial. This content analysis study aimed to explore the existing literature on special education in Saudi Arabia to ascertain whether the laws and policies support or hinder the practice of neurodiversity, a concept that is gaining international recognition but remains nascent in Saudi Arabia. A systematic literature search was performed in Web of Science and Scopus, yielding 21 relevant studies after screening and application of inclusion criteria. A content analysis was conducted, focusing on the categorization of data relevant to special education laws and their implications for neurodiversity. The analysis identified seven key categories, including Implementation of Inclusive education and transition services, that reflect the current state of special education laws in relation to neurodiversity. A conceptual model was developed, illustrating the potential of special education laws to both support and impede neurodiversity in Saudi Arabia and potentially worldwide.

Meeting the Needs of Students and Teachers: The Implementation of Co-Teaching at Wheeler Middle School

Kyle was the new principal at Wheeler Middle School. It did not take him long to realize special education services in the building were not serving students well while simultaneously setting up his special education teachers for burnout. This prompts Kyle to engage in a transformation and learning process for himself and his staff. As a result of this process, Wheeler moved to a co-teaching model. But, even with all the good work before implementation, there was still uneven success. The case concludes with Kyle wrestling how to deal with poorly functioning co-teaching teams.

Empathy Development in Preschoolers With/Without Hearing Loss and Its Associations with Social-Emotional Functioning.

Empathy plays a crucial role in children's social-emotional development. There is an increasing trend in recent studies to recognize empathy as a multi-dimensional construct, consisting of three distinct hierarchical levels: emotion contagion, attention to others' feelings and prosocial behaviors (Hoffman, Motiv Emot, 14(2), 151-172, 1990). The present study is amongst the first to use a longitudinal approach to examine the development trajectories of the distinct empathic levels, based on a sample of Chinese preschoolers aged 2 to 6 years, half of the sample being deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). Our results showed that according to the parental observation, DHH preschoolers manifested similar extent of emotion contagion and attention to others' feelings as their TH (typically hearing) peers over preschool years. Yet, DHH preschoolers showed fewer prosocial behaviors, compared to their TH peers. As for the longitudinal associations over time, emotion contagion contributed to more internalizing and externalizing behaviors in both groups; whilst attention to others' feelings contributed to fewer internalizing behaviors in only DHH children. Prosocial behaviors contributed to better social competence, and fewer internalizing and externalizing behaviors in both DHH and TH children just as expected. These outcomes imply that the early intervention or special education may be useful to safeguard children's empathic development, shrinking the gaps between DHH and TH children; but meanwhile, cultural factors might cause latent effects on children's understandings of empathy and impact on how empathy "regulates" children's social-emotional functioning, in a Chinese cultural context.

COMPARISON OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AND PLAY BEHAVIORS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WHO HAVE AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AN EARTHQUAKE

It was aimed to compare the social-emotional competence and play behaviors of preschool children who did and did not experience the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes in this study. There are two study groups in the research. The first study group consists of 114 children aged 5-6 years who witnessed the 6 February Kahramanmaraş earthquake, who reside in Adıyaman province, who attend preschool education, and who lack any special education diagnosis. The second study group consists of 87 children aged 5-6 years who have never witnessed an earthquake, who reside in Sinop province, attend preschool education, and who lack any special education diagnosis. According to the research findings, empathy, emotion recognition/emotion expression, self-regulation, social competence, and social play score averages of five- and six-year-old children who have and don’t have an earthquake experience show a significant difference in favor of children who don’t have an earthquake experience. On the other hand, concerning the earthquake experience of children, while there is a difference between groups in one of the five play types (social play), there is no difference in the remaining four play types (solitary passive play, reticent play, solitary active play, and rough play).