Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs最新文献

The primary socializing agents have been found to play a key role in shaping teachers' attitudes. In the realm of inclusive education (IE), one of the most extensively researched themes is teachers' attitudes regarding inclusion. Contrary to a plethora of attitudinal studies that are solely concentrating on describing teacher attitudes, the present study sought to investigate the perceived social support (PSS) perceptions of pre-service special education teachers in terms of their attitudes towards inclusive education and their self-efficacy beliefs (TSE). The population of this correlational research design study consists of 525 pre-service special education teachers from six different colleges of education in Egypt's northern, central and southern big cities. Using a correlation technique and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the research data were analysed. The findings revealed that the PSS scales' sub-dimensions indicate having a significant and positive relationship with TSE as well as attitudes towards IE. In addition, research revealed that pre-service special education teachers' PSS significantly predicted their TSE beliefs and attitudes towards IE. The study's findings reflect crucial implications for teacher education policymakers in addressing pre-service teachers' needs of professional learning programmes that should include a career development stage targeted at generating socially supportive role models.

Inclusive education has been widely accepted as a useful policy to offer equal access to education to all children. However, practices have stalled in many countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), necessitating support for system strengthening to enhance the existing practices in schools. While leadership is at the heart of effective practices, there is little discussion on the leadership required to leverage inclusive practices. In the UAE, little information is available regarding inclusive education leadership at early school levels, which is dominated by female teachers. This study examined the structural validity of the heuristic leadership framework, which focuses on leadership tenets (transaction, transformation and instruction) controlled by school leaders, to explain female leadership practices in the implementation of inclusive education in early education schools in the UAE. A scale based on the study framework (heuristics leadership framework) was used to collect data from 151 school leaders, including principals, vice principals, faculty heads and lead teachers, working at early school levels across the UAE. The results of this study provide theoretical support for the heuristic leadership framework and some demographics, providing valuable insights into leadership practices among female education leaders in the UAE.

This study aimed to examine the literature on the skill sets of autistic individuals and determine how these skills align with current and projected future labour market needs. Based on a literature review, researchers identified the following skill categories common to autistic individuals: visual skills, attention to detail and systemizing composite skills. Researchers then gathered aggregated data on occupations and industries from over 90 state and federal sources in the United States. Next, they collected data on the most in-demand jobs, their industries and relevant skills by analysing hundreds of millions of online job postings. The results indicate the most viable occupations aligned with each skill category. There is minimal available research using labour market data to generate special education goals and transition plans for autistic students. By providing educators and practitioners with critical information regarding viable employment pathways, all stakeholders can more effectively and equitably prepare autistic individuals for the 21st-century workforce.

Students with General Learning Difficulties present low levels of social competence. In order to increase them, students participate in school psychological support programmes. There are no research data available in Greece regarding social competence in students with General Learning Difficulties in the first grades of elementary school. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of an intervention programme, which focused on strengthening their social competence, in the first grades of primary school. The levels of social competence of the students were evaluated before and after the implementation of an 8-month social empowerment programme, following a mixed-methods approach with the use of semi-structured interviews and observation in the school context. The participants were 21 students with General Learning Difficulties, 18 education professionals, whose classes the 21 students attended, together with the 21 parents of these students (one parent per student). The results showed that the social competence of the participants was low before and that it increased after their participation in the intervention programme. In addition, girls had higher social competence than boys both before and after their participation in the intervention programme. These results highlight the benefits of classroom intervention programmes for children with General Learning Difficulties.

The feasibility of a pedagogical approach—MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)—was investigated in collaboration with a teacher and a student with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD). Educational research for this group of learners is scarce, but research has suggested the potential of integrating music and multisensory storytelling to promote interactive engagement. A case study using co-production between a teacher and researchers was conducted. The development, implementation and evaluation of MSMD lessons were performed, by carrying out the lessons, iteratively refining them through stimulated recall interviews and ratings of student engagement. The long-term feasibility was investigated through a post-intervention survey and a follow-up interview. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. In-depth descriptions of the implementation process are provided. The teacher found the MSMD approach useful in relation to the syllabus and motivating for the student. She reported that she had continued to use MSMD with all of her students and that several of her colleagues had started to use it as well. Our results suggest that MSMD can be a meaningful approach for practitioners working with these learners. The study also reveals aspects of professional knowledge when working with students with S/PIMD.

Positive transition to adulthood of youth with disabilities is influenced by the type of support they receive. This study aims to analyse current transition to adulthood practices in the province of Quebec to map them to recommended practices and present an overview of the situation and needs. A multiple case study methodology included focus groups in six schools with 65 participants as well as internet searches and interviews with experts. A thematic analysis within and across cases was used. Results underscore the best practices in place concerning student-focused planning, student development, interagency collaboration and family engagement. They also highlight youths' and parents' opinions about strategies to better support transition. While inspiring practices are present, further efforts with regards to programme structures are required to ensure adequate support for transition to adulthood.

This article presents findings from a mixed methods study which explored the perspectives and experiences of post-primary teachers in Ireland regarding students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Using an anonymous online questionnaire (n = 239) and semi-structured interviews (n = 8), this research examined teachers' views and opinions of ADHD, its impact in the classroom and their experiences with diagnosed students. Teachers reported that students with ADHD presented numerous challenges in the classroom which had a negative impact on teaching and learning, and they felt professionally ill-equipped to properly support their students. We argue there are multiple tensions and contradictions at play within the Irish educational system which may be impacting both teachers' perspectives of students with ADHD and the inclusion of these students in the larger post-primary context.

Schools are increasingly encouraged to adopt evidence-based or evidence informed interventions and implement them using insights from implementation science. The literature relating to implementation of interventions in schools has focused largely on universal interventions, particularly for social and emotional learning (SEL), which are designed for all children and young people. In contrast, targeted interventions provide additional support for those pupils who may require small group or individual support over and above that provided at the universal level. To date there has been limited consideration of factors which are important for the implementation of targeted SEL interventions. Data from an exploratory case study with two schools implementing Lego therapy are used to illustrate the implementation factors relevant to this targeted intervention. Findings indicate similarities in universal and targeted intervention core components and factors but also a number of distinct elements that are important to consider when implementing Lego therapy and potentially other targeted SEL interventions. Key considerations include the interaction with the wider school system, the pivotal role of the intervention champion, and the importance of external support for problem solving and sustainability. The resulting model may inform further development of implementation frameworks for Lego therapy and other targeted SEL interventions.

Neurodivergent students exhibit an inclination towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, yet their learning experiences in STEM courses remain underexamined. Utilizing an online survey of neurodivergent (n = 60) and neurotypical (n = 83) US college students, this study identified various factors influencing their self-perceived learning experiences, including interest in the course content, instruction quality and performance outcomes. Compared to their neurotypical peers, neurodivergent students attributed negative experiences in STEM courses less frequently to performance-related factors and more often to a mismatch between their interests and the course content. Both groups also articulated a variety of strengths and challenges encountered in their STEM studies. Neurodivergent students were more likely to report having interest and passion for STEM and less likely to report having peer support and effective study skills and habits as their primary strength for studying STEM. Conversely, while neurotypical students cited difficult content as their central challenge, neurodivergent students more commonly faced challenges with focus and attention. Despite the study's limited sample size, it revealed emerging patterns that emphasize the importance of developing inclusive teaching methods and specific support mechanisms to cater to the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent students in higher education.

Moderating the intensity and expression of our emotions is necessary for successful engagement in learning. This systematic review explored, “what are schools doing to support autistic children and young people to develop their emotion regulation skills?” Critical analyses considered the inclusiveness of interventions and whether/how autistic pupils were asked about their participation. PsycINFO, Web of Science (Core Collection) and ERIC were searched on 18 July 2022. Eight studies were included, incorporating 419 autistic pupils, aged three to 17, from at least 955 schools in the USA, Australia and France. A narrative synthesis was used to provide an overview of the literature. Seven different approaches to emotion regulation were utilised, and only one was used in the school prior to the research. Forty out of 419 autistic pupils were asked for their views of the intervention they received. There is a lack of research considering school-led approaches to embedding emotion regulation skill development in everyday school practices and a lack of involvement of autistic pupil's views about emotion-regulation interventions. More research is needed to enable educational professionals to provide evidence-informed support for autistic pupils to develop their emotion regulation skills.