The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptions of future educators on two dichotomous scales (i.e., hostility/receptivity and anxiety/calmness) regarding serving students with disabilities in general education settings. Graduate and undergraduate preservice teachers (n ϭ 326) from three universities completed the Preservice Inclusion Survey (PSIS) during the first and last class sessions of enrollment in a survey of exceptionalities course. The results of this study have implications for future teachers' acceptance and disposition in serving students with disabilities in general classrooms. Participants in a survey of exceptionalities course significantly decreased their level of anxiety and hostility toward serving students with disabilities in general education settings. More research is needed to define disposition toward serving students with disabilities.
The complex nature of written expression presents difficulty for many students, particularly those with learning disabilities (LD). The literature in the area of written expression and students with learning disabilities indicates that explicit, rule-based instruction can enhance the writing skills of struggling students. Research in Direct Instruction (DI) writing programs is promising, but limited at this time to a small number of group design studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the DI writing program, Expressive Writing, for high school students with learning disabilities using a single-subject design methodology. Results indicated that the Expressive Writing program improved the writing skills of the students in this study. Students also were able to generalize and maintain the writing skills learned during intervention.Writing is a complex metacognitive activity that draws on an individual's knowledge, basic skills, strategies, and ability to coordinate multiple processes. Graham (1997) identified the following four vital areas in the writing process: (1) knowledge of writing and writing topics, (2) skills for producing and crafting text, (3) processes for energizing and motivating participants to write with enthusiasm, and (4) directing thoughts and actions through strategies to achieve writing goals. Scardamalia and Bereiter (1986) also described the cognitive factors that influenced writing. These researchers noted factors such as the speed at which memory is searched, the amount of information stored in shortterm memory, the speed at which information is placed in long-term memory, the number and nature of competing demands for attention, and the efficiency with which the writer can switch attention among competing demands have profound effects on the writing process.Requests for reprints should be sent to
This study investigated the differential effects of two direct instruction (DI) reading programs, one with overt decoding strategies and one with more covert decoding strategies, on the reading achievement of struggling seventh graders in an urban middle school. The students participating in this study (N = 55) were 2 to 4 years behind in reading achievement according to standardized pretests. Results indicate that after a 6-week reading intervention, all students, regardless of overt or covert DI programs, made significant gains in reading, with the only differential effect demonstrated in the area of reading rate. These findings are significant considering that the participants were struggling readers. Implications for increasing the performance of struggling middle school readers are discussed.
Children with autism are included in general education classrooms for exposure to appropriate social models; however, simply placing children with autism with typical peers is insufficient for promoting desired gains in social skills. A multiple baseline design was used to explore the effects of concept mastery routines (CMR) on social skills for four elementary-age boys with high functioning autism. Visual and non-parametric analyses support the conclusion that small group instruction with typical peers via the CMR was effective for increasing responses, initiations, and recognition of emotional states. The skills taught in small groups generalized when the visual strategy of the completed concept diagram was taken to another setting. Most importantly, the four boys experienced improved social status following intervention.
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