Special Education Resource Research Articles

Concerns of Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) in implementing inclusive education in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Concerns of Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) in implementing inclusive education in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF RECEIVING TEACHERS IN HANDLING BEHAVIORAL ISSUES OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

This qualitative phenomenological study provides a comprehensive exploration of the challenges, strategies; coping mechanisms, and insights experienced by receiving teachers in addressing behavioral issues among students with special needs in inclusive education settings. Through in-depth focus group discussions with five receiving teachers from Island Garden City of Samal, Davao Del Norte, the study exposes the real struggle and complexities of managing diverse behavioral concerns. The thematic analysis uncovers the intricate web of both academic obstacles and behavioral manifestations, prompting the development and implementation of tailored strategies, including individualized behavior plans and collaborative problem-solving approaches. Moreover, the study highlights the vital role of coping mechanisms, such as seeking support from colleagues and prioritizing self-care practices amidst the demanding educational landscape. The insights gleaned from teachers lived experiences underscore the transformative potential of empathy, adaptability, and inclusive teaching methodologies. Ultimately, the research advocates for targeted professional development initiatives and collaborative support networks to empower receiving teachers to effectively navigate the unique challenges presented by students with special needs, especially students with behavioral issues. By promoting inclusive and supportive learning environments, this study contributes significantly to the enhancement of special education practices and resources. KEYWORDS: Special Education, Behavioral Issues, Receiving teachers, research, teaching, Inclusive Education, and special education practices.

Collaborative Planning: The Critical Foundation for Successful Math Interventions

In this article, we illustrate how mathematics and special education teachers can collaboratively plan together to differentiate mathematics instruction for students with exceptionalities. We describe a structured, collaborative planning protocol that is the first phase of a Mathematics-Specific Consultation for Students with Exceptionalities (MSC-SE). Using the exemplar triad of a third-grade mathematics teacher, a special education resource teacher, and a third-grade student diagnosed with Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), we show what this planning looks like for the specific content area of fractions. We highlight how these teachers, in collaboration with the student, work together purposefully to understand what her strengths are, why she is having difficulty, and what mathematics-related supports she needs. Within this context, we discuss how the two teachers develop a mathematics instructional hypothesis that provides them a focused and informed foundation for developing an individualized instruction/intervention plan for their student.

The Gap Between What Parents Need and How Pediatric Primary Care Providers Can Help Families of Children With Special Education Needs.

We describe the gap between parents' special education needs and pediatric primary care providers' (PCPs) ability to address those needs from a mixed-methods study at a safety-net hospital. We conducted qualitative interviews with English- and Spanish-speaking parents (n = 25) and PCPs (n = 11) about special education knowledge and experience and interactions with a primary care-embedded special education clinic. PCPs also answered survey questions on these topics. Parents reported four challenges: (1) knowing where to start and how to advocate for their youth, (2) being heard or having a say, (3) using the "right" language, and (4) gathering information on special education resources. Primary care providers disclosed three barriers: (1) training, (2) knowledge to assess the appropriateness of supports, and (3) time to address concerns. The gap between PCPs and parents was bridged by the special education clinic. Systematic interventions can ensure that PCPs help parents address the special education needs of their patients.

Korean American Children with Disabilities and Their At-Home Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a Survey of Parents

Abstract This study investigated the at-home distance learning experiences of Korean American children with disabilities and their families during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 53 Korean American parents with children with disabilities residing in Southern California completed an online survey. Results revealed that their children with disabilities did not receive all the special education and related services they were entitled to during the pandemic. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, these children received fewer hours and a smaller number of related services. The survey results further identified the lack of resources and services in the Korean language as one of the greatest related challenges. Analysis of the open-ended survey showed that language barriers and lack of teacher preparation were the main challenges of the distance learning parents utilized for their children with disabilities during the lockdown. The findings advance understanding of disparities in special education services and resources and the unique challenges of Korean American students with disabilities and their families.

Special Education Resource Rooms Type 1 in Brazil: An analysis of research objectives in dissertations on mathematics education

This article presents the results of an investigation aimed at analyzing research on Type 1 Multifunctional Resource Rooms (MRR1) in Brazil, materialized in the form of dissertations, in the teaching of mathematics at the levels of Elementary Education 2 and High School. The dissertations analyzed were accessed on the website of the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (DLTD) through the following search triggers: "resource room", "mathematics", "intellectual disability", "teaching of mathematics", "mathematical games", and some restrictive details were highlighted in the methodological procedures. From this process, we selected 10 dissertations, which were analyzed in their completeness. However, for this article, we focused only on interpreting the research objectives presented by the authors of these productions. In our analysis, we constructed three categories from the themes presented in three axes, namely: Axis 1, concerns the perceptions, conceptions, and activities developed for the training of student teachers, beginning teachers, and/or those in practice in MRR1 for the teaching of mathematics; Axis 2 concerns the discussions, observations, and theorizations about MRR1 for the teaching of mathematics, and finally, Axis 3, which encompasses proposals and descriptions of activities as pedagogical resources in MRR1 for the teaching of mathematics.

Experience in the development and implementation of a system of visualized teaching cases in Physics using a digital computer measuring system Einstein

Time has come to form a new education system. This is confirmed by the UNESCO initiative on the future of education for 2050 and thereafter and provides an opportunity to understand how education can shape the future of humanity and the planet. Today, the development of ICT, artificial intelligence, digital platforms and information growth are agents of change in the educational process. The amount of information in the world doubles every day; information-oriented society (a community connected to each other and the world through information and technology) is being formed. Open information systems, global educational networks, interacting digital resources, developing digital educational and information resources provide an opportunity to improve the quality of education. In view of this, special information educational resources are developed in accordance with the trends of science, regional context, individual characteristics and needs of students. In recent years, STEM education has been actively developing both in the world and in Ukraine. This contributes to students’ involvement into STEM disciplines, and young people’s choosing engineering professions. This article substantiates the feasibility of developing a system of visualized teaching cases in Physics. A classification of educational cases is proposed. The paper describes the experience of development and introduction of visualized cases using a combination of Google-services and digital computer measuring system Einstein in the process of teaching Physics as a STEM-discipline. The method of organization of classes with the help of digital computer measuring complex Einstein in the context of situational teaching of Physics is suggested. The article also presents the analysis of the results of implementation of the system of visualized Physics teaching cases into educational process on the basis of Physics and Educational Technologies Laboratory of Kherson State University.

Strategies for the Architectural Space Design of Special Education Resource Center in China

In view of the current problems in China’s special education resource centers, such as lack of functional cognition and unreasonable architectural function and spatial organization, which result in the inability to coordinate regional education resources, the formulation and implementation of special education ISP program are undertaken, and the development of integrated education is promoted. This paper draws on the concept of integrated education in developed areas and the design wisdom of resource centers. The research is carried out from the perspective of meeting the behavior patterns and special needs of different users, and the perfect and reasonable functional composition and the key points of special space design are put forward, and the feasible design strategies are expressed through establishing the model and plane layout.

Образователните и социално-педагогическите фактори за развитие на таланти в училищна среда – анализ на анкетно проучване

The article examines some educational and socio-pedagogical factors for finding supporting and developing gifted and talented students on the basis of a comparative analysis prepared after a survey in two schools in Veliko Tarnovo. The research raises questions related to the need for in- depth socio-pedagogical work, special educational design additional pedagogical qualification and educational resources for gifted children in the Bulgarian school.

Exploring Dysphasia Learners’ Vocabulary Acquisition through the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: An Experimental Study

Purpose of the study: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning for students with dysphasia in learning disabilities. Another aim was to find out the acquisition of vocabulary toward News in levels lesson – Robinson Crusoe for Students of English. Twenty-four students with dysphasia in learning disabilities have participated in the study. The sample population was exposed to a similar handing environment for the research though they had various backgrounds. All the instructions, experiments, teaching-learning activities were provided in the special education resource room. 
 Methodology: The Experimental Research Design was employed in the study. Pre-test, post-test, retention test, and Vocabulary Knowledge Scale questionnaire were administrated to collect the required data from both the control and experimental groups to study the impact of the multimedia and non-multimedia instructional methods. 
 Major findings: The findings of the research revealed that the multimedia instructional method of teaching outperformed the non-multimedia instructional group. The retention test results and the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale questionnaire reaffirmed that students with dysphasia have motivated and store the new information in their long-term memory. They could retain most of the vocabulary when the multimedia instructional method was integrated into the teaching-learning process. All the test result scores were analyzed using the SPSS software package. A paired test value comparison was used to compare the results for both the control and experimental groups.

The impact of special education resources and the general and the special education teacher’s competence on pupil mathematical achievement gain in inclusive classrooms

ABSTRACT Research in inclusive settings is complicated by the nested relationships between the general education teacher (GET), the special education teacher (SET) and pupils. In this study, the impact of SET resource and selected variables of teacher competence (professional mathematical knowledge SET, attitude towards inclusion GET, classroom management GET) on the mathematical achievement gain of typically developing pupils (TYP) and pupils with intellectual disability (ID) was examined. Mathematical achievement was tested at the beginning of the school year (t1) and the end (t2) in 34 inclusive classrooms (sample ID: n = 42; sample TYP n = 525). IQ and gender – and the average mathematical achievement at class level in the sample TYP – were included as control variables. For pupils with ID, hierarchical regression modelling revealed that the mathematical knowledge at t1 explained most of the variance in mathematical achievement gain. For the group TYP, the results of a multi-level analysis showed that mathematical knowledge at t1, IQ and the average mathematical achievement at class level all had a positive effect on mathematical achievement gain. The more hours a SET was present in the classroom, the more the mathematical achievement of the group TYP increased. The other teacher competence variables had no apparent impact.

The Policy Implementation of the Inclusive Education at the Secondary Education Level in Palu City, Indonesia

This study aims to analyze how implementers understand the implementation of inclusive education at the level of secondary education in Palu City. This type of research is qualitative research. The Education and Culture Office of Central Sulawesi Province as an analysis unit for the implementation of inclusive education policies and the School for Providing Inclusive Education mostly understood the standards and targets and orientation of inclusive education, but in accepting students was limited to specific children with special needs, for example disabled, low vision, slow leaner and mild autism, while those who are blind or deaf are recommended to Special Education School. The pattern of communication developed in the implementation of inclusive education policies in the secondary education level in the city of Palu in Central Sulawesi Province involves various institutions such as: The Office of Education and Culture of Central Sulawesi Province in this case the PK-PLK Sector, Inclusive Organizing Schools, Special Education School and Higher Education. Forms of communication developed between institutions implementing inclusive education are formal, vertical and horizontal. The resource support, namely special tutor who has Special Education qualifications and resource space for children with special needs is not yet available, and there is no proportional budget available for schools implementing inclusive education. The contributions of the social environment are the school and the community response, especially parents provide the support. However, the economic aspect is that schools which provide the inclusive education are not supported by proportionally specific budgets. Political factors in the context of local politics, for example the elections, did not find any influence in the implementation of inclusive education policies. Keywords: Policy of Implementation, Inclusive Education, Secondary education DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-4-06 Publication date: April 30 th 2020

A Review of Web-Based Special Education Resources Provided to Parents by State Departments of Education

Parents who are knowledgeable of special education are more likely to engage in their child’s education. Parents seek information about special education from a number of sources including State Departments of Education (SDEs). However, little is known about the web-based special education resources SDEs provide to parents. We sought to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of SDE websites and special education resources. Two-thirds of SDEs provided special education resources in a parent-designated section of their website. The number of resources provided varied greatly by state and the majority of resources were specific to conflict/dispute resolution. Future research should explore how information provided can best support increased parental knowledge to improve parental engagement. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Common sense coping: Improving sensory resources in rural schools

Special education funding and resources for schools are often limited and prevent inclusion of specialized sensory items. Litvinov (2015) argues the government has done a poor job of funding the special education initiative. Although the use of sensory materials has proven to be successful in reducing distress and improving self-soothing among youth (Novak, Scanlan, McCaul, MacDonald, & Clarke, 2012), many children with special needs receive only materials and resources districts are able to afford. While this lack of funding poses an issue for all districts, rural communities may be placed at an even greater disadvantage (Azano & Tackett, 2019). The proposed project seeks to incorporate sensory materials into a rural special education classroom to assess behaviors and benefits. Data will be gathered using a pre-posttest method to compare behavioral data charted by the school during the 2019/20 school year to the 2020/21 school year following implementation of sensory items. Specifically, data will be compared in the following areas: regulated behavior, disruptive behavior, aggressive behavior, and overall time of dysregulation. Future directions and implications for the project will be discussed.

Reduced Neurosteroid Exposure Following Preterm Birth and Its' Contribution to Neurological Impairment: A Novel Avenue for Preventative Therapies.

Children born preterm are at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems and neuro-behavioral disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Whilst neonates born at all gestational ages, even at term, can experience poor cognitive outcomes due to birth-complications such as birth asphyxia, it is becoming widely known that children born preterm in particular are at significant risk for learning difficulties with an increased utilization of special education resources, when compared to their healthy term-born peers. Additionally, those born preterm have evidence of altered cerebral myelination with reductions in white matter volumes of the frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum evident on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This disruption to myelination may underlie some of the pathophysiology of preterm-associated brain injury. Compared to a fetus of the same post-conceptional age, the preterm newborn loses access to in utero factors that support and promote healthy brain development. Furthermore, the preterm ex utero environment is hostile to the developing brain with a myriad of environmental, biochemical and excitotoxic stressors. Allopregnanolone is a key neuroprotective fetal neurosteroid which has promyelinating effects in the developing brain. Preterm birth leads to an abrupt loss of the protective effects of allopregnanolone, with a dramatic drop in allopregnanolone concentrations in the preterm neonatal brain compared to the fetal brain. This occurs in conjunction with reduced myelination of the hippocampus, subcortical white matter and cerebellum; thus, damage to neurons, astrocytes and especially oligodendrocytes of the developing nervous system can occur in the vulnerable developmental window prior to term as a consequence reduced allopregnanolone. In an effort to prevent preterm-associated brain injury a number of therapies have been considered, but to date, other than antenatal magnesium sulfate and corticosteroid therapy, none have become part of standard clinical care for vulnerable infants. Therefore, there remains an urgent need for improved therapeutic options to prevent brain injury in preterm neonates. The actions of the placentally derived neurosteroid allopregnanolone on GABAA receptor signaling has a major role in late gestation neurodevelopment. The early loss of this intrauterine neurotrophic support following preterm birth may be pivotal to development of neurodevelopmental morbidity. Thus, restoring the in utero neurosteroid environment for preterm neonates may represent a new and clinically feasible treatment option for promoting better trajectories of myelination and brain development, and therefore reducing neurodevelopmental disorders in children born preterm.

English

English

The use of bicycle desks to increase physical activity in two special education classrooms

BackgroundAlthough the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom.Participants and procedureTwo special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task behavior data were collected. In addition, student acceptability of bikes was explored.ResultsThe results indicated that the overall mean heart rate during bike riding was significantly higher than the overall mean heart rate when seated on a traditional chair. Also a significant main effect was found for time on calories expended while riding. No significant results were found for miles or on-task behavior.ConclusionsOverall, students enjoyed the use of bicycles during class, found the bicycle workstations to be beneficial to their learning, and appeared to note as many benefits as limitations with the bicycle workstations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Varying access to professional, special educational support: a total population comparison of special educators in Swedish independent and municipal schools

Independent schools are securely established in the Swedish education system. Prior research shows they generally have fewer pupils in need of support and lower proportions of special educators. Here, results are presented from a total population study of Swedish special educators (n = 4252) examined after 2001. The aim was to explore and compare the occupational situations of special educators working in Swedish municipal and independent schools. This is done by studying their occupational situations and the values they express regarding identification of – and work with – special support. The results show that while the respondents are demographically similar and express similar values, they have very different occupational situations. Those employed in independent schools have fewer years’ experience as special educators, are more often employed part‐time than full‐time and are more likely to hold other positions in schools (such as head teacher) than those employed in municipal schools. The results further illustrate different organisational approaches towards special educational support. Apparent is that independent schools offer professional special educational resources to a lower degree and utilise them differently. This is likely to influence the situation of pupils in need of support, and has consequences for the image of the Swedish education system.

Comparisons of Mathematics Intervention Effects in Resource and Inclusive Classrooms

In this article, we describe results of a reanalysis of two randomized studies that tested the effects of enhanced anchored instruction (EAI) on the fractions computation performance of students in special education resource rooms and inclusive mathematics classrooms. Latent class analysis and latent transition analysis classified students according to error subtypes and tracked their performance patterns. Results indicated that EAI was more effective than business as usual in reducing combining errors (e.g., adding denominators) and denominator errors (e.g., not finding common denominator) of students with disabilities (SWD) and students without disabilities in both settings. SWD in inclusive classrooms scored higher on the pretest than SWD in resource rooms, but EAI reduced the disparity on the posttest. An important additional finding revealed that the SWD who received more support from special education teachers in inclusive classrooms scored higher and made fewer errors than the SWD who were provided only limited support.

Studying teaching methods, strategies and best practices for young children with special educational needs

Teaching objectives in special education are different from those in the ordinary classroom. Educational programmes for special needs students are focused on individual learning, achievement and progress. Thus, the instruction in special education classrooms and resource rooms in inclusive schools has to be specific, directed and individualised. The present study aimed to investigate the use of teaching methods, strategies and best practices in resource rooms of inclusive schools and to discuss their appropriateness and quality in relation to literature review. The study was a qualitative one, using triangulation of data collection, semi-structured interviews and observation. The participants were 30, experienced, special education teachers and 120 special education future-teachers. The study took into account the qualitative research ethical recommendations. The research revealed that the self-reported data show that the participants had great interest in their students' learning outcomes and they used effective teaching methods, techniques and strategies, but this was not confirmed by the data of observation. The present study would affect the educational policies regarding the critical issue of teacher evaluation and the differences between general and special teaching effectiveness.