How satisfaction and self-efficacy for inclusive education matter for Swedish special educators’ assessment practices of students with intellectual disability

Abstract

Introduction: Assessment of learning outcomes is integral to both mainstream and special needs comprehensive schools for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, assessment of students with ID poses a challenge both to special educators and their cooperation with mainstream teachers in cases of fully included students with ID with an individualised curriculum. Objectives: We describe and predict the type of assessment practices Swedish special educators in special needs comprehensive schools use for assessment of students with ID. Methods: Swedish special educators (n = 148) were recruited using a non-random sample. To analyse our data, we used the item response model. In addition, we analysed special educators’ expected satisfaction with assessments using linear regression and logistic regression. Results: The study suggests that special educators had the greatest difficulty conducting multiple choice and written assessments. Moreover, the study suggests that satisfaction with assessment and self-efficacy for inclusion matters for predicting types of assessment practice. In addition, the study reports an interaction between job satisfaction for moderately experienced special educators that predicts both types of assessment practice and the special educators’ satisfaction with assessment. Conclusion: We demonstrate how assessment satisfaction, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and experience matter for special educators’ assessment of students with ID.