Special Educational Needs Students Research Articles

Comparison study of student with special educational need in elementary school

The aim of this lecture is to observe the status of students with special educational needs (SEN) in Europe and Hungary. The European Union has made tough decisions in financing and educating disabled people, so they can be integrated into the society. According to the European directives, Hungarian jurisdiction and educational politics tend to follow the pedagogical processes. The relevant juridical and economical laws for SEN students have already been implemented. The number of students with SEN in Europe increases permanently, so it is reasonable to detect their controversy. Despite this fact, differences can be experienced in teaching methods among primary schools, as a result development of SEN students can be different. The aim of this study to compare the motor skills of SEN students in two different primary schools, with different pedagogical program. My research base were the Ferenc Móra primay school and Gyermekház alapítvány primary school in Budapest. My main question was, if a specially developed program targeted SEN students can increase their motor skills. Studying the girls in the 2 age-groups, we have not experienced significant differencies out of the 3 motor tests between the control and the experimental groups.Studying the boys in the 2 age-groups, we have experienced 3 significant differencies out of the 3 motor tests between the control and the experimental groups. SEN students, who have been taught in segregated form with the help of ’Alapozó Terápia’ – a special therapy – achieved better motor skills. The study makes recommendation to primary shools how to organise trainigs for these students.

10.5937/specedreh13-6617 = Decline in socialization at transition from class to subject teaching in inclusion

The goal of this research was to explore the potential socialization drop that might occur during students’ transition from class teaching (i.e. having mainly one teacher) to subject teaching (i.e. having many teachers). We had two competing assumptions: 1) that the socialization drop will affect both typically developed (TD) and so called special educational needs (SEN) students, and 2) that the drop will affect SEN students more. Using a transversal approach and sociometric method, we tested these assumptions on a sample of 685 (55 SEN) elementary school children from the Republic of Srpska, grades four through nine. The results clearly supported the second assumption. While sociometric social preference for TD children did not change through the grades, SEN children social preference dropped significantly in the transitional sixth grade, never again to recover to the fourth grade level, when there was no difference between SEN and TD children. This effect was only slightly affected by the peer discipline issues nominations. Thus, when trying to design potential socialization support and intervention programs in inclusion, we should be aware of the expected transitional socialization drop.

Evidence from full-inclusion model: the social position and sense of belonging of students with special educational needs and their peers in Italian primary school

Almost uniquely, a full inclusion model spanning all educational levels has been present in the Italian school for more than 30 years. However, the availability of empirical data is still very limited, meaning that we know little about the social and academic outcomes of students with special educational needs (SEN). This study attempts to bridge the gap. The social position and inherent sense of belonging of 418 (122 SEN) primary school pupils, aged 8–11, was analysed using The social inclusion survey and The belonging scale. Within the group of typically developing students, the findings demonstrate that it pays to be proficient. Indeed, the higher the proficiency, the higher the peer acceptance and the sense of belonging to their own school. Within the group of SEN students, the results support the idea that they struggle to gain a good social position, are less accepted and more peripheral within the class and feel quite distant from their school. These findings are strongly consistent with data from countries following a significantly different approach towards inclusion, thus suggesting that the full inclusion of SEN students into ordinary schools is not sufficient, per se, to increase their social abilities.

Inclusive Education in Korea: Policy, Practice, and Challenges

AbstractEven though the Korean experience with special education in the public education system is limited, inclusive education for special education needs (SEN) students has been at the center of attention at the national policy level since the mid‐1990s. Since then, Korean educators and administrators have put an emphasis on the revision and regulation of special education policies, guaranteeing the rights of SEN students to learn, and fostering the quality of teachers to strengthen inclusive education. These efforts have led to progress supporting inclusive education. However, there is still much to be achieved. The author examined the current practices and policies of inclusive education and the challenges to implementing successful inclusive education in Korea and found that what is needed is to transform the existing climate of the schools from being competition‐driven to being more cooperative and human‐centered. We need strong leadership from principals and administrators. The Korean process also needs to implement disability awareness programs at the national level in order to improve social perceptions. There is a need for closer collaboration and a stronger partnerships between regular and special education teachers. Teachers need to adopt a positive attitude and perception toward SEN students, and to achieve this, there is a need to provide preservice and in‐service education to promote among teachers the notions inherent to inclusive education. The challenges are long standing complicated issues with respect to the practice of inclusion in Korea. Many of these challenges at times appear almost impossible to resolve. However, every year, more SEN students want to participate in inclusive education and both regular and special education teachers, together with administrators and parents, believe inclusive education is a worthwhile ideal for the education of SEN students.

Study Regarding the Sociability Degree of SEN (Special Education Needs) Students

Our research is focused to confirm the fact that the practice of democratic–participative management at the level of the educational entity and the transfer of the managerial style at the micro – pedagogic level of the relationship professor – classroom, due to the secured socio- emotional climate established and also to the increased frequency of the situations in which students had the possibility to participate in informal activities thus widening the sphere of social interactions, leads to the generation of visible beneficial effects also in what concerns the students’ degree of sociability, this being a basic formative priority for persons manifesting special educational requirements.

<b>Saberes necessários aos professores para promover a inclusão de alunos com necessidades Educacionais Especiais</b>

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/3343O presente trabalho tem como objetivo identificar, por meio de revisão da literatura da área especializada, os saberes necessários aos professores para promover a inclusão de alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais (NEE) no ensino regular. Para tanto, realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico junto a sete periódicos, dez capítulos de livros e três dissertações da área de Educação e Educação Especial, produzidos entre os anos de 2005 a 2009. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de conhecimentos teóricos, conceituais e metodológicos específicos para incluir tais alunos em classe comum. Os dados obtidos foram organizados em categorias. Dentre os saberes indicados pelos autores consultados, destacam-se os conhecimentos relacionados a métodos e técnicas cooperativas e colaborativas para favorecer a inclusão de alunos com NEE; à caracterização desses alunos; aos procedimentos didático-pedagógicos para favorecer sua inclusão; à legislação e fundamentos da educação inclusiva; ao papel da educação especial na educação inclusiva; às barreiras sociais que dificultam o processo de inclusão dos alunos com NEE, dentre outros. Consideramos que os resultados desta pesquisa podem contribuir para subsidiar a organização dos conteúdos a serem contemplados no processo de formação de professores inicial, continuada e/ou em serviço para favorecer o processo de inclusão de alunos com NEE. Palavras-chave: Educação inclusiva; Saberes docentes; Formação de professores.

<b>Saberes necessários aos professores para promover a inclusão de alunos com necessidades Educacionais Especiais</b>

The main objective of the following paper is to identify, by a revision from the specialized area literature, the needed knowledge required by teachers to promote the inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in regular education. To achieve this goal, was prepared a bibliographic survey from seven magazines, ten books’ chapters and three dissertations from Education and special education area, produced between 2005 and 2009. The achieved data was organized into categories. The results indicate the necessity of specific theoretical, conceptual and methodological knowledge to include students in an ordinary classroom. Between all knowledge indicated by the checked authors, is pointed out the understanding related to corporative and collaborative method and technique to favor the inclusion of students with SEN; the characteristics of these students, to the procedure didactic-pedagogic to favor the inclusion; to the legislation and fundamentals from inclusive education; to the social barriers that difficult the inclusion process from students with SEN, among others. We consider that this research result can contribute to subsidize the content organization which will be contemplated in the teaching training and continued formation process and/or teachers who are working to favor the inclusion process for SEN students.

Formar professores de línguas para incluir em contextos de diversidade excludente

Inserido em um paradigma crítico (Freire, 1970); em uma visão de ensino-aprendizagem com foco na tríade conflito-negociação-transformação (Vygotsky, 1934; Bakhtin/Volochinov, 1929; Habermas, 2004); em uma visão de linguagem como “arena de conflito” (Bakhtin/Volochinov, 1929) e em uma metodologia que vê a colaboração (Magalhães, 2007) que ocorre na zona de desenvolvimento proximal como instrumento por excelência para a modificação dos sentidos e significados que todos trazem para a sala de aula, este trabalho enfoca a dicotomia ex-/inclusão, discutindo-a pela perspectiva histórica da educação brasileira para demonstrar que uma escola prioritariamente excludente não se torna inclusiva por força da lei, mas pela formação de seus agentes. A pesquisa se realiza (1) por meio de reuniões de formação de professores que trabalham com alunos com necessidades especiais e (2) por meio de visitas da pesquisadora-formadora às escolas cujos professores participam deste trabalho para gravação e análise das aulas e das entrevistas. Além da pesquisadora-formadora, participam do trabalho professores de línguas de escolas públicas da Grande São Paulo e seus alunos com necessidades educativas especiais. Inicialmente, as reuniões tiveram como objetivo discutir os problemas que os educadores têm para garantir um espaço de inclusão; hoje, enfocamos o desenvolvimento de materiais para alunos incluídos, para que estes não fiquem alheios às atividades escola. Encontrar uma ação que possa ser realizada pelo aluno com necessidades educativas especiais como membro participante da atividade social realizada é permitir que esse aluno seja também agente de seu desenvolvimento porque permite que ele crie quem ele é ao ser quem ele não é (Vygotsky, 1934).

Positioning people with intellectual disabilities as the experts: enhancing pre-service teachers’ competencies in teaching for diversity

The need for graduate teachers to own their professional responsibilities to engage successfully with students with special educational needs (SENs) in mainstream classrooms has been recognised in educational policies and programmes in many countries for well over two decades. Despite wide-ranging research, questions remain as to how pre-service education courses can help beginning teachers to develop the required commitment, knowledge and pedagogies to feel confident in teaching students with disabilities. Challenges to find new ways to enhance pre-service teachers’ familiarity with special needs children, overcome resistance from some towards including SEN students in mainstream classrooms and develop a sense of efficacy in teaching are common to many programmes. In this paper, we report on a pilot study where adults with intellectual disabilities, as members of a community theatre, were positioned as the experts and explored their schooling experiences and personal biographies with soon-to-be graduate teachers in a 3 h workshop. Taking the lead and working collaboratively with the workshop participants, members of Fusion Theatre used drama activities to develop understandings of strategies that helped them to learn. By challenging the traditional power relationships between those labelled as ‘disabled’ and those who would be teachers, the workshop helped the participants to engage on many levels. Here, we report on the data, analyse the findings and discuss implications for other pre-service programmes.

The Implementation of Inclusive Education for Students with Special Needs in Indonesia

Over the last decade, inclusion has become a world trend in special education. In response to that trend, the Indonesian government has adopted a progressive policy to implement inclusive education. The aim of this research is to describe the implementation process by focusing on the institutional management, student admission/identification/assessment, curriculum, instruction, evaluation, and external supports. The sample consisted of 186 schools with a total student body of 24,412, 12 percent of which (3,419) were students with special needs. In those schools, there were also 34 gifted students (0.1 percent). Of all the students with special education needs (SEN) students, 56 percent were males and 44 percent were females. The results showed, in terms of institutional management, that the majority of inclusive schools had developed strategic plans (for inclusion), legally appointed coordinators, involved related and relevant parties, and conducted regular coordination meetings. However, there were still many schools that had not restructured their school organizations. In terms of student admission/identification/assessment, 54 percent of schools set a quota for SEN students. Only 19 percent applied a selection process in student admission, half of which used different procedures for SEN candidates. Approximately 50 percent of inclusive schools had modified their curriculum, including a variety of standards. In terms of instruction, 68 percent of inclusive schools reported that they modified their instructional process. Only a few schools, however, provided special equipment for students with visual impairment, physical impairment, speech and hearing problems, and autism and gifted and talented students. In a student evaluation, more than 50 percent reported that test items, administration, time allocations, and students’ reports were modified. For the national exam, this number decreased dramatically. Finally, external supports in the forms of funding, coaching, and facilities were mostly provided by provincial governments and by the Directorate of Special Education.

Using a VLE to Enhance Assessment for Learning Mathematics in School Scector

This paper investigates the use of VLE in enhancing or supporting assessment for learning mathematics by the KS4 students with special education needs in the London borough secondary school. The main challenge in teaching and learning of mathematics is to provide the special education needs students with extensive support structure that is associated with their subject area. As part of continuous teaching and learning, many schools in the UK have embraced Assessment for learning as an effective and efficient way of providing students, their teachers and their home schools with feedback and feed forward. A virtual learning environment (VLE), which is an electronic system, provides online interaction of various kinds that can take place between learners and tutors, including online learning and assessment [1]. A VLE as a platform for teaching and learning supports assessment for learning (AfL), encourages personalised and collaborative learning, enabling students to carry out peer and self assessment of mathematics course within a unified supportive environment online. Evidence from literature suggests that VLE supports out of school hours of learning, and that the special education needs learners who do not respond well to the formal structure of learning within the school system take an active part in learning in informal settings. The finding presents key issues related to mathematics teaching and assessment for learning using a VLE, based on the perspectives of the special education needs (SENs) students in the school sector. The students who received in-class feedback and feed-forward during mathematics lesson, and through the VLE (Fronter) platform, moved their learning forward and much quicker when compared with students who only received feedback in class. Correspondingly, the instant feedback provided by a VLE after the Observation stage was greatly valued by the SENs students who used this period to take greater responsibility for personal learning. In general, the finding suggests that a VLE effectively enhances assessment for Learning by offering instant feedback and feed-forward to the SENs students who, now began to take responsibility for their own learning, and have also been motivated to correct their work. Furthermore, evidence of teacher – student interactivity which facilitates greater understanding of mathematical concepts is highlighted by the study.

The stability of social relations among adolescents with special educational needs (SEN) in regular schools in Norway

The study focuses the stability of friendships of students with special educational needs in regular schools, compared to regular students. The sample consisted of 114 students (M age = 14,4); 22 students (19.3%) were identified by the school as SEN students. The results show that on average, SEN students had fewer stable friendships than their peers. Further, a significantly lower proportion of SEN students were members of stable groups compared to regular students. Friendship stability was positively predicted by gender (boys more stable than girls) and perceived friend support. Friendship stability was negatively predicted by special needs (special needs predicted lower friend stability) and peer acceptance.

Trait emotional intelligence influences on academic achievement and school behaviour

BACKGROUND. Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) refers to individuals' emotion-related self-perceptions (Petrides, Furnham, & Mavroveli, 2007). The children's trait EI sampling domain provides comprehensive coverage of their affective personality. Preliminary evidence shows that the construct has important implications for children's psychological and behavioural adjustment. AIMS. This study investigates the associations between trait EI and school outcomes, such as performance in reading, writing, and maths, peer-rated behaviour and social competence, and self-reported bullying behaviours in a sample of primary school children. It also examines whether trait EI scores differentiate between children with and without special educational needs (SEN). SAMPLE. The sample comprised 565 children (274 boys and 286 girls) between the ages of 7 and 12 (M((age)) = 9.12 years, SD= 1.27 years) attending three English state primary schools. METHOD. Pupils completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form (TEIQue-CF), the Guess Who peer assessment, the Peer-Victimization Scale, and the Bullying Behaviour Scale. Additional data on achievement and SEN were collected from the school archives. RESULTS. As predicted by trait EI theory, associations between trait EI and academic achievement were modest and limited to Year 3 children. Higher trait EI scores were related to more nominations from peers for prosocial behaviours and fewer nominations for antisocial behaviour as well as lower scores on self-reported bulling behaviours. Furthermore, SEN students scored lower on trait EI compared to students without SEN. CONCLUSIONS. Trait EI holds important and multifaceted implications for the socialization of primary schoolchildren.

ICT Training for Special Education Frontline Professionals: A Perspective from Students of a Master's Degree on Special Education

A large number of special education professionals agree on the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is an important tool for teachers and students to overcome barriers and promote the acquisition of skills. ICT can promote school and social integration by diminishing the obstacles for students with Special Education Needs (SEN). A correct educational implementation of ICT depends strongly on the teacherâ??s awareness of the possibilities of their application and his/her training and capacity to adapt to the differentiated learning styles that he/she encounters in his/her teaching of SEN students. However, the lack of or no training on ICT is one of the most frequently pointed reasons for not using or for misusing the potential that ICT can offer to the education of pupils with SEN as pedagogical tools or as individual Assistive Technologies (AT). The findings of a survey conducted with teachers attending a Masterâ??s Degree on special education, balancing the acquisition of general ICT skills and facts on specially oriented ICT solutions for students with learning disabilities, will be reported here. The educational support provided by trained and specialized professionals at ease with basic ICT skills and assisted by specialized means and techniques constitute a form of aid for the student who needs to see his/her disadvantage reduced or overcome.

An analysis of the effects of in‐service teacher training on Turkish preschool teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion

Any implementation of an inclusive policy is largely dependent on educators’ attitudes. In Turkey, many teachers who educate preschool children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and who have not received in‐service teacher training (INSET) are observed to have negative attitudes towards their SEN students. The aim of this article is to examine differences between the attitudes of preschool teachers before and after an INSET course. Sixty‐six preschool teachers were selected for this study which had a single group pre–post‐test design. The teachers’ opinions and attitudes relating to mainstreaming SEN students in regular educational environments were assessed using the ‘Opinions Relative to Mainstreaming’ scale. The data indicate that these teachers were affected by the INSET programme in such a way that their attitudes towards the inclusion of SEN students became more positive.

The presence of several students with special educational needs in inclusive education and the functioning of students with special educational needs

Current research gives some indications about how inclusive education affects students with special educational needs (SEN), but there are too many different results to draw unequivocal conclusions. It is therefore important to focus on specific factors that could influence outcomes of inclusive education. In this study, we investigated whether there are differences between students with SEN who are included alone and students with SEN who are included in a class with other SEN students. A distinction was made between students with behavioural, cognitive and other problems. Data on 1839 primary school students with SEN in a Dutch cohort‐study were used. For the academic achievement of students with different types of SEN, it did not seem to matter whether they were the only student with SEN in their class, or whether they had a few or more classmates with SEN. For most measures of socio‐emotional functioning, no differences were found. For some other measures, however, differences were found. Because the results were not unequivocal, it would be important to try to replicate these findings in future research.

Testing the usability of information technology applications with learners with special educational needs (SEN)

This paper reports on the ‘usability’ element of a study examining the development of a multimedia Learning Environment (LE) for Special Educational Needs (SEN) students, designed to match learner requirements to learning materials, as elicited from cognitive and accessibility profiles drawn up by teachers and learning support assistants. In developing the system, the researchers examined how usability tests could be undertaken that meaningfully involved people with cognitive disabilities. Methods were developed following interviews with staff and much observation of lessons involving the use of computers. The usability tests themselves consisted of a series of graded activities drawn from various SEN sources. They required only one or two actions – activating a mouse and/or guiding a cursor – for completion. The study highlighted a number of issues inherent in working with a user group comprising SEN students, including interpreting non‐compliance and other behaviour patterns, making tasks meaningful, and accounting for the presence and degree of assistance given by a helper. Of particular interest was the issue of matching the intellectual level of tasks with the physical ease‐of‐use of the system. The paper suggests various methods for obviating problems elicited, and makes recommendations for the further development of computer‐based activities designed to promote independent learning and inclusivity.

Students with special educational needs in the inclusive classroom: social integration and self-concept

Successful implementation of diversity in education requires a special effort to respond to the special educational needs (SEN) of students. Schools generally tend to place priority on acquisition of academic knowledge but rarely make provision for activities designed to foster socio-affective development of special needs students. This paper evaluates the degree of social integration of SEN students in the school, and explores the relationship between social integration and the students' selfconcept in comparison with their non-special needs classmates. To do this, a sociogram and a self-concept test covering three dimensions: social, personal and academic self-concept, were administered. The study sample is made up of 97 special needs students integrated in a mainstream school in Catalonia (Spain). These children have hearing, motor, visual, relational, learning and mental retardation problems. Our results indicate that the special needs students have a positive selfconcept although it is significantly lower than that of their counterparts, especially in the social and academic dimensions. In addition, the study highlights the interrelationship between peer group perception and construction of personal selfconcept in special needs students. The paper argues that while school integration is a necessary condition facilitating social integration of SEN students – and consequently improving their self-concept – it is not in itself always sufficient for optimization of both these aspects of socio-affective development. Criteria for appropriate intervention and educational activities are suggested.

Implementation of School Choice Policy: Interpretation and response by parents of students with special educational needs

Abstract In England a restructured school system has been functioning throughout the 1990s. An integral aspect of this restructuring is the creation of a more competitive public‐market school system aimed at enhancing parental opportunities for choice amongst publicly‐funded schools. What has been the experience of the restructured system by one particular group of parents with specific needs and preferences, namely parents of students with special educational needs (SEN)? This article is intended to provide empirically‐based insights into the preferences, perceptions and responses of such parents. It draws on analyses of quantitative and qualitative data generated by a large‐scale, more general research study on school choice, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ref. no. R000234079). The findings reveal the depth and range of problems and difficulties encountered by parents of SEN students as they attempt to exercise choice in a more competitive public‐market environment.

School Choice, Markets and Special Educational Needs

Locating the debate within a policy framework of school choice and special educational needs (SEN) in England and Wales, the article investigates the ways in which schools competing within the educational marketplace perceive and respond to the needs of parents of SEN students, and considers the perspectives, experiences and values of these parents relating to school choice. In focusing in-depth on one case study area the article draws on the qualitative findings of the Parental and School Choice Interaction (PASCI) study, a 3-year longitudinal investigation into the interaction between parental choice of school and school decision making. The findings reveal the pressures on senior school managers and the difficulties encountered by parents of SEN students and suggest that as schools working in a public-market increasingly 'privilege the academic' so the needs and preferences of parents, and SEN students are increasingly marginalised and devalued.