Students’ attitudes toward disability: a systematic literature review (2012–2019)

Freer, John R. R.

doi:10.1080/13603116.2020.1866688

Cited by 45 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…In fact, Macmillan et al., (2014) noted that the CATCH scale was the most commonly utilised instrument for measuring students’ attitudes towards disability in the studies included in their review, which spanned from 1966 to 2011. This finding was consistent in a more recent review of the literature (Freer, 2021b). In addition, the CATCH scale has been used internationally and translated into different languages (e.g., Blackman, 2016; Godeau et al., 2010; Holtz and Tessman, 2007).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The results of the parametric tests can help to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed TI. Finding a non‐significant interaction effect on the global CATCH scores was a bit surprising given that most interventions are effective in improving students’ attitudes towards disability (Freer, 2021b; Lindsay and Edwards, 2013). In addition, the duration of this intervention was substantial compared to other successful interventions (e.g., Gaad, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of the Tripartite Intervention on students’ attitudes towards disability

Freer

2021

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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Poor attitudes towards disability held by one’s peers can negatively impact the social experiences of students with exceptionalities. Fortunately, educational intervention efforts can serve to enhance children’s attitudes towards disability. This quasi‐experimental study tested the effectiveness of the Tripartite Intervention (TI), a 12‐lesson educational intervention aimed at improving students’ attitudes towards disability. Two Grade 4 classes from a large rural school in Southwestern Ontario made up the control and experimental groups. The CATCH scale was used to measure students’ attitudes towards disability before and after the intervention. 2 × 2 mixed ANOVAs were calculated to measure the effectiveness of the intervention. There was a significant main effect for time, but a non‐significant interaction effect when global attitude scores were examined. A significant interaction effect was found, however, for the cognitive dimension. These findings indicate that the TI had an impact on how students thought about disability. Determinant factors were also examined. Having a family member was associated with more positive attitudes towards disability, whereas self‐reported gender and friendship with someone who has a disability were not. Replication studies on the effects of the TI with larger and more diverse samples are needed.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of the Tripartite Intervention on students’ attitudes towards disability

Freer

2021

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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“…Leyser et al, 1998;Lombardi & Murray, 2011;Lombardi et al, 2013). This correlation is another one that can be observed early on (de Boer et al, 2012;Freer, 2021).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Similar trends can be observed in the K-12 literature. For example, among children, contact with people who have disabilities has been reported as a consistent determinant factor associated with more positive attitudes toward disability (Armstrong et al, 2017;Freer, 2021;Macmillan et al, 2014). Significant differences in participants' attitudes toward disability were not observed based on whether or not they were familiar with the AODA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For example, Sniatecki and colleagues (2015) found that professors tended to hold more favourable attitudes toward physical disabilities compared to mental health disorders and learning disabilities. Generally, people tend to have an easier time accepting disabilities that are more obvious (e.g., physical disabilities), a pattern which seems to emerge at young ages (de Boer et al, 2012;Freer, 2021). While some researchers have examined specific disabilities or disability categories, others have investigated instructors' attitudes toward disability as a general construct (Freer, 2018;Lombardi & Murray, 2011).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experiences matter: Educators’ attitudes toward disability in higher education

Freer

Kaefer

2021

CJHE

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This study investigated 128 post-secondary educators’ attitudes toward disability at a college and a university in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The participants completed the Educators’ Attitudes toward Disability Scale (EADS) and a demographic questionnaire that included questions about their experiences with disability. There were three research questions at the heart of this study: (1) What are post-secondary educators’ overall attitudes toward disability? (2) Do demographic factors predict post-secondary educators’ attitudes toward disability? (3) Does exposure to people with disability predict post-secondary educators’ attitudes toward disability? The findings of this study suggest post-secondary educators hold overallpositive attitudes toward disability and there were very few differences observed between groups (e.g., based on age, gender, discipline, etc.). Educators’ experiences with people who have a disability, however, were positively associated with their attitudes. This factor included personal experiences (e.g., friends, family, etc.), but also professional experiences (e.g., students in their classes).

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