College Teachers' Expectations of LD Students

Abstract

University teachers hold negative academic expectations for LD students and are pessimistic about their ability to teach them.

Enhancing Faculty Awareness and Knowledge of Students With Disabilities

“…Faculty responding to questionnaires in several states reveal limited knowledge of the nature and needs of students with disabilities and available services. Minner & Prater (1984) found in a study of faculty expectations that faculty reacted more negatively to students with a learning disabilities label. Researchers concluded that such stereotypes may hinder a student's success in the classroom.…”

Students with Learning Disabilities in the University Environment

“…The present findings do raise the possibility that faculty's academic expectations for students with learning disabilities may be unduly influenced by the disability label. As Minner and Prater (1984) pointed out, this could be especially damaging at the university level, where studentteacher interaction is often limited, thus making alterations in one's perceptions more difficult. Whether conscious or unconscious, misconceptions or prejudicial attitudes may create barriers to the pursuit of certain careers or result in unequal opportunities.…”

Adults with Learning Disabilities: Current and Future Research Priorities

“…The assessment of attitudes toward postsecondary students with learning disabilities has been proposed by a number of researchers (Miller, McKinley, & Ryan, 1979;Minner & Prater, 1984;Vogel, 1982;Vogel & Adelman, 1980). Minner and Prater found that the initial expectations of college faculty toward students with LD were negative.…”