Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs最新文献

This study examined how mathematics anxiety, trait emotional intelligence, and mathematics self-concept predict calculation fluency, numerical operations, and mathematical reasoning in students with and without mathematics learning difficulties (MLD). Participants (N = 326) were third- to fifth-grade students from China who completed standardized mathematics performance assessments and self-report measures of mathematics anxiety and trait emotional intelligence. Structural equation modelling showed that mathematics anxiety negatively influenced all mathematics outcomes, whereas trait emotional intelligence had a positive impact. Mathematics self-concept mediated the effects of mathematics anxiety in the full sample, with partial mediation for calculation fluency and full mediation for mathematical reasoning and numerical operations. No mediation effects were found for students with MLD. These results emphasize the need to address affective and non-cognitive factors in interventions and highlight the critical roles of self-concept and trait emotional intelligence in improving mathematics performance across diverse student populations.

Teachers' perceptions and practices of inclusive education shape the way diverse students with disabilities access regular education, which impacts their academic and social performance. The purpose of this exploratory case study is to examine the perceptions of inclusion and practices that general education and special education teachers use in their inclusive math and science classrooms to address the needs and interests of students with disabilities. This study is guided by Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and inclusive education theoretical approaches. A qualitative approach was conducted using semi-structured interviews with six general education teachers and one special education teacher who teach in inclusive secondary math and science classrooms. The results show that implementation of inclusive practices is influenced by teachers' attitudes towards inclusion and hindered by challenges related to collaboration. Implications for training on inclusive ideological and instructional practices and restructuring the collaboration between general and special education teachers are discussed.

This paper presents findings from interviews conducted with school leaders responsible for coordinating special educational needs (SEN) provision in primary schools across Ireland. Specifically, the experiences of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), principals who also serve as SENCOs, and principals without SENCO responsibilities were gathered regarding the SENCO role in Ireland. This research was framed through Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Systems Theory. Although there is increasing global recognition of the strategic and operational significance of the SENCO position, it remains unacknowledged in Irish policy. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. One central theme and four sub-themes emerged from the data. The findings revealed that the SENCO role is complex and comes with a significant workload. Contrary to some existing research in the Irish context, findings indicated that SENCOs are adopting strategic, collaborative, and distributed roles to cater to children with SEN. They assumed roles in advocacy and pedagogical leadership, acting as mediators of change and gatekeepers of knowledge. Findings enhanced the understanding of the SENCO role within the Irish context, where knowledge is limited, and they carry implications for policy and for professional learning and development for these specialists in schools.

Technological advancements have introduced new educational methods that, when combined with appropriate pedagogical foundations, transform the landscape of education. This study investigates the knowledge, skills, attitudes and challenges faced by teachers of deaf students (DSTs) in integrating Augmented Reality (AR) technology into their teaching practices. A descriptive mixed-method research design was utilized, involving 100 DSTs from various subject specializations and levels of experience in the Muscat Governorate. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA, while qualitative data were explored through thematic analysis. The results indicated that DSTs generally possessed limited knowledge and mastery of AR technology in educational settings. However, they exhibited positive attitudes towards using AR for teaching deaf students. Despite these positive attitudes, DSTs encountered several challenges in implementing AR. Additionally, no significant differences were found concerning teaching experience and subject specialization in the use of AR technology. The study concludes with implications for practice and recommendations for supporting DSTs in the effective integration of AR technology.

Secondary education can be a challenging environment for autistic students. Previous investigations show that autistic learners go through negative and distressful school experiences, possibly due to a lack of identification and understanding of their unique needs. Yet, research on the needs of autistic students, and particularly from their own perspective, is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to distinguish different need-profiles for autistic males in the Netherlands and Mexico (n = 44), two countries with an inclusive educational approach. Using Q-methodology, a combined quantitative and qualitative technique, we were able to identify three groups of autistic males with distinct need-profiles in each country. In this paper, we explore the similarities and differences between the most and least pressing needs of these groups of learners. Notably, autistic students across factors and countries had a strong need for teachers' understanding of their autism and the implications it has for the way they learn. Our findings indicate that there are several ways teachers can best support autistic male adolescents in mainstream secondary education.

The aims of this study were to investigate careers guidance for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in specialist provision in England. There has been growing interest internationally in ensuring effective careers guidance for secondary education promotes social mobility and gives all children and young people the best chance in life. Although there has been some limited consideration of how to tailor careers guidance to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings, there have been no substantive studies to date that have considered this in specialist settings. This is the first such study globally to consider this question and was undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) in England. The study involved 12 research visits to special schools, pupil referral units, and specialist further education colleges in England in 2023. The results will be of interest to both specialist and mainstream settings internationally and suggest that a clear focus on careers guidance, distinct from a wider focus on transition, is needed to ensure high career expectations for children with SEND.

This qualitative study investigates teachers' perspectives on anxiety among autistic learners with intellectual disabilities (ID) in special school settings. Research in this area remains limited, with existing studies often overlooking the distinct ways anxiety manifests and interacts with ID in this population. Semi-structured interviews with eight teachers explored their views on anxiety presentation, triggers and strategies for support. Reflexive thematic analysis provided nuanced insights into the findings. Teachers highlighted that anxiety often presents through behaviours misinterpreted as core features of autism, complicating identification and response to emotional needs. Environmental factors, including sensory stimuli, routine disruptions and limited spaces for sensory breaks, emerged as significant triggers. Unpredictable staffing and incompatible pupil groupings further exacerbated anxiety, contributing to social withdrawal and self-regulation challenges. To address these issues, teachers described using proactive strategies, such as transition planning, building trust or low-arousal environments. They emphasised the need for a whole-school, collaborative approach, alongside multidisciplinary support. However, teachers often felt overwhelmed due to limited access to external specialists or support. Participants advocated for neurodiversity-affirming practices focusing on environmental triggers and regulation. The study underscores the importance of increased teacher support, comprehensive planning, and integrating family and community resources to develop consistent anxiety management strategies.

Traditionally, research and academic writing associated with autism in education has focused on males. Consequently, a range of complex factors has led to the misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of autistic female learners, rendering their needs unrecognised and inappropriately supported. This ethnographic study, based in a mainstream Welsh-medium secondary school, drew upon a semi-structured interview with nine autistic females to explore their academic and social experiences, and the significance they believed that being an autistic female had on their relationships with their teachers and peers. The findings imply that while autistic adolescent girls may continue to encounter challenges relating to sensory differences and peer/teacher relations in secondary education, many of these challenges are also experienced by autistic males. However, the study highlights the impact of socially constructed gender norms on the way in which autistic girls' presentations are understood and received by non-autistic peers and teachers. Rather than reinforcing female autistic stereotypes, it is advised that further understanding is promoted about the diverse experiences and presentations of autistic girls, and how autism intersects with various aspects of identity. Personalised and relational pedagogical approaches, which give voice to autistic girls and involve them in planning their own learning, are also encouraged.

Dubai is culturally diverse with an inclusive education policy. But with its free market model of access to private education, how are parents of children with complex disabilities from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds making school placement decisions? Through an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach (IPA) this study follows the school placement journeys of five families from diverse backgrounds and children with complex needs. The project weaves together their lived experiences to shine a light on an unexplored experiential narrative. This study found that when looking for a school for their child with special educational needs (SEN), parents in Dubai, like parents across the world, experienced heightened levels of stress, expressed frustration over the lack of readily available impartial information, and valued settings where they perceived their child was treated with kindness and empathy. In findings unique to Dubai, parents expressed a desire for greater regulatory oversight in the process of hiring learning support assistants and the need for centralisation of information regarding inclusive educational services and their quality.

The aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between students' classroom behaviour and word reading (decoding), considering the role of students' engagement in learning (defined as on-task behaviour, OTB, as part of the more global ‘behavioural engagement’ sensu Fredricks) as a mediator between behaviour and reading. A wide range of classroom behaviour of 171 first-grade students (M = 6.7 years; SD = 0.30), including internalizing and externalizing behaviour, was rated after 2 months of schooling in grade one. Reading was tested at the end of first grade. Results indicated that out of six behavioural dimensions we analysed, only depression, aggression and hyperactivity had significant indirect effects on reading test scores via students' on-task behaviour, but no direct effects. Impulsivity, withdrawal and oppositional behaviour showed no effects at all. Learning engagement had a significant effect on reading.