Abstract:As policy makers and educators respond to legislation promoting the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, there is sometimes confusion about why this is being done and how it can be accomplished effectively. In this article, two categories of fallacies, or misunderstandings, are identified. The first fallacy is that students with disabilities are incapable of learning the general education curriculum. The second fallacy is that teachers are required to ‘cover’ the entire curr… Show more
“…The explanations provided by children for this were due to the difficulty level of the task, the quick pace of lessons and a ‘one size fits all’ regarding learning in some instances. This links in with King‐Sears' (2008) approach –‘Universal design for learning’ (UDL). This approach highlights that children with learning difficulties are capable of learning grade level content in the mainstream classroom, provided variety and flexibility is built into instructional design and delivery among other aspects.…”
This paper reports on a four‐year research project examining the experiences of children with dyslexia in mainstream schools and reading schools/classes. The focus of this paper is on the socio‐emotional effects of dyslexia on a group of children attending a reading school/class for a specific duration before returning to mainstream. The findings suggest that while the primary focus of attending such a placement is to attain greater levels of literacy, other gains such as increased positive socio‐emotional manifestations and confidence are also evident. Therefore, the emotional elements of learning must work in tandem with the academic elements in helping children with dyslexia access the curriculum in full. The roles of attribution, motivational and expectancy theories are explored and how a comprehensive understanding of these theories can help teachers explain and respond to the exhibited behaviours of children with reading difficulties.
“…The explanations provided by children for this were due to the difficulty level of the task, the quick pace of lessons and a ‘one size fits all’ regarding learning in some instances. This links in with King‐Sears' (2008) approach –‘Universal design for learning’ (UDL). This approach highlights that children with learning difficulties are capable of learning grade level content in the mainstream classroom, provided variety and flexibility is built into instructional design and delivery among other aspects.…”
This paper reports on a four‐year research project examining the experiences of children with dyslexia in mainstream schools and reading schools/classes. The focus of this paper is on the socio‐emotional effects of dyslexia on a group of children attending a reading school/class for a specific duration before returning to mainstream. The findings suggest that while the primary focus of attending such a placement is to attain greater levels of literacy, other gains such as increased positive socio‐emotional manifestations and confidence are also evident. Therefore, the emotional elements of learning must work in tandem with the academic elements in helping children with dyslexia access the curriculum in full. The roles of attribution, motivational and expectancy theories are explored and how a comprehensive understanding of these theories can help teachers explain and respond to the exhibited behaviours of children with reading difficulties.
“…The tendency of schools to be averse to failure by pupils is confirmed by anecdotal accounts of staff at ‘special’ festivals who quite commonly express surprise along the lines of, ‘ I didn't know (s)he could do that!’ from which it would appear that SEND pupils are not often given the chance to undertake more challenging activities in their normal science lessons. The latter explanation is borne out by the suggestion in response to question 12 that outreach ought to ‘give pupils a chance to excel’ and may be another consequence of risk‐averse teaching in a high‐stake assessment culture in which teaching occurs (King‐Sears, )…”
Teacher and support staff perceptions of science learning, and specifically engagement with science outreach, by pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) were ascertained through questionnaires. The responses indicated that science is seen as serving distinctive learning purposes when undertaken by learners with SEND. Staff who accompanied SEND pupils to science outreach events expressed more positive views about separate outreach events for SEND pupils than other respondents, in line with current policy expectations of differentiated classroom practice. The desire for different provision for SEND learners also appeared to be associated with the staffs’ pastoral concerns about their pupils and their reluctance to let their pupils ‘fail’. The data suggests that, despite policy and legislative reform in the UK, curriculum science is still viewed primarily as a means to career progression for an able minority, rather than as an educational and cultural entitlement for all.
“…As in many other country settings, current policy in Australia recommends that most students who have disabilities should learn the same content as those without disabilities; the only variation to this requirement appears to be in the way the content is taught (Bays and Crockett, ). This general expectation is confirmed in this study's data from mainstream principals, with recognition by school leaders that considerable pedagogical adaptations may sometimes be required (King‐Sears, ). Such a differentiated approach is exemplified by one principal who stated: ‘I am always looking for opportunities for inclusion with our students from the Support Unit.…”
Section: Understanding Of Developmental Milestones and The Differentimentioning
This article examines the personal and professional attributes of school leaders in relation to special educational needs and disability (SEND) and assesses the extent to which these might be sufficient to give such professionals the confidence necessary to be role models for their staff. Data were collected via a survey of a randomly selected set of Australian school leaders, in both special and mainstream schools. This included principals from all sectors of the Australian school system. The study was based on the premise that school principals place as much importance on the need to be instructional leaders as they do on being managers. The study was informed by an assumption that in order to be successful as a school leader in respect of SEND, a school principal requires a deep pedagogical knowledge and a clear understanding of children's developmental milestones. The study found that school leaders expressed a need to develop further understanding of how to differentiate the taught curriculum in order to identify and support school‐wide quality teaching and learning processes for students with SEND.
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