Parent Involvement with Their Children's Schools: Perceptions of Saudi Parents of Elementary School Students with Learning Disabilities

This exploratory, qualitative study investigated the perceptions of Saudi Arabian parents of elementary school-aged children with learning disabilities with regard to their involvement in their children's education. Guided by results of previous research conducted primarily with Western samples, and using a semistructured interview methodology followed by thematic phenomenological analyses, specific interview topics included parental perceptions of (a) the importance of parent–school partnerships, (b) the means of encouraging a parent–school relationship, and (c) how school practices may affect parental participation. The study involved 13 parents of children in elementary education (ages 7–12 years) diagnosed with learning disabilities. The results suggest several ways to overcome the involvement barriers reported by parents.     

Parental Perceptions of Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The research presented in this article analyses 242 written responses to interview questions conducted with families who live in the United States to explore parental perceptions of disabilities. The data were analyzed through a case study methodology and discourse analysis. Findings from this study illustrate how parents drew upon both medical metaphors and sociocultural factors to discuss their perceptions of their or their children’s perceived learning disabilities.     

高职学生自主学习能力培养探讨

本文通过对高职教育与普通教育的培养目标分析,从个体终身发展需要和为了提高高职学生综合素质的基础上,阐述了高职院校在培养学生自主学习能力中学校、教师、学生三者在网络环境下新的角色定位,结合我校实际提出了学校与教师角色的新转变,希望能为后续的相关课程设置,自主学习能力培养提供一定的思考与借鉴。     

Marijuana Use in Suburban Schools Among Students With Learning Disabilities

Although much research exists on adolescent marijuana use, few studies have examined marijuana use in school settings. Students experiencing academic and social difficulties at school, such as those receiving special education services, may be more at risk for school-related substance use. Nevertheless, virtually no research has examined this problem. This study assessed the prevalence of marijuana use at school and the perceived availability and consequences of using marijuana in school among students with learning disabilities. The results showed that 15 percent of students reported using marijuana at school, and that marijuana was easily obtained. Most students perceived marijuana to be harmful to their schoolwork, and many non-users felt unsafe and angry when drugs were present at school.     

Social Perceptions of Students with Learning Disabilities Who Differ in Social Status

As a group, students with learning disabilities (LD) have social difficulties. One possible explanation for these difficulties is the unique way they process social information. Although students with LD may differ from their nondisabled peers in their social cognition, investigators have suggested the presence of subgroups within the population of students with LD who may differ in their social competence and, thereby, shed light on the source of the difficulties. The present exploratory study examined how two subgroups of students with LD in inclusive settings, students with high and low social status, perceive social situations. Using a sociometric technique, three students with LD receiving high social‐status ratings and three students with LD receiving low social‐status ratings were identified. A qualitative approach was used to gather and evaluate data from the participants and their teachers. Results suggested differences between the two subgroups in their (1) sensitivity to cues in the environment, (2) interpretation of social situations in relation to their own experiences, and (3) levels of self‐control. Implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed.     

Accelerated Online Learning: Perceptions of Interaction and Learning Outcomes Among African American Students

This study investigated student interaction, satisfaction, and performance in accelerated online learning environments with the use of an online learning course-management system. The interactions assessed in this study included learner–learner interaction, learner–instructor interaction, and learner–content interaction. The participants were African American students from a university in the southeastern United States. Quantitative approaches including correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the contribution of interaction predictors to student satisfaction as well as the relationship between student satisfaction and student performance. In addition, Internet self-efficacy and its impact on interaction was investigated. The results showed that learner–content interaction was the only significant predictor of student satisfaction whereas interaction among students or with the instructor did not significantly predict student satisfaction. Internet self-efficacy was positively correlated with three types of interaction. Student satisfaction was found to be related to student performance.     

Perceptions of School and Aspirations of Rural Students with Learning Disabilities and Their Nondisabled Peers

This study examined the school perceptions and educational aspirations of 6,599 rural high school students, a sample that included 428 students with learning disabilities (LD). Regardless of disability status, rural high school students who had negative perceptions of school had less well‐defined postsecondary educational plans and less often aspired to complete college or pursue an advanced degree. Compared to nondisabled youth, rural students with LD were more likely to have negative perceptions of school and lower postsecondary aspirations. However, students with LD who had positive perceptions of school more often planned to pursue postsecondary education and aspired to complete college or an advanced degree. Implications for research and interventions pertaining to the educational attainment of students with LD are discussed.     

Coping and Dissociation Among Female College Students: Reporting Childhood Abuse Experiences

This study examined the relationship among coping strategies, dissociation, and childhood abuse experiences of female college students. Results provided support for the theoretical links between 3 types of child abuse experience (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and negative home environment) and coping style and dissociation. The study's results add to an increased understanding of the relationship between coping strategies and dissociation as these processes relate to specific types of childhood abuse experiences among female college students.     

高职英语学习困难群体成因分析及其对策

提高高职学生英语教学效果,一直是广大教师努力工作的目标。根据英语基础及课堂表现,笔者将高职学生分为“活跃族”、“沉闷族”和“恐惧族”三类群体。文章对“沉闷族”和“恐惧族”的英语学习,进行成因心理分析。通过教学心理干预和教学多“给力”组合,以提高学习积极性,增强学习效果。根据实践教学,笔者进行了理性的分析和探讨。     

Modelling Techniques,Perceptions of Self‐Efficacy,and Arithmetic Achievement Among Learning Disabled Children

This study examined the effects of modelling (T₁) and participant modelling (T₂) techniques on perceptions of self‐efficacy and arithmetic achievement of learning disabled (LD) children. Subjects included 60 LD children randomly assigned to T₁, T₂, or control conditions. Children in the modelling condition observed a model explaining arithmetic concepts and working problems, while children in the participant modelling group observed the model and worked on problems while verbalizing solutions with the model; children in the control condition worked individually on identical instructional packets. Results indicated that children in both treatment groups achieved higher self‐efficacy and arithmetic scores, with the participant modelling group being the superior of the two.     

Civic Engagement Among Community College Students Through Service Learning

Higher education has been called upon to prepare its graduates to be civically engaged community members. Since the 1980s, faculty have taken up this call. Service learning is a common strategy that educators have adopted to stimulate civic engagement in students. In this study, service learning students and nonservice learning students from eight community colleges were given precourse and postcourse surveys on civic engagement. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in service learners’ civic engagement when compared to nonservice learners. The findings are consistent with other higher education studies that use an expanded definition of civic engagement.     

The Educational Attainment Process Among Adolescents with Disabilities And Children of Parents with Disabilities

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) to examine the relationship between disability, parental and youth university expectations in 1997, and youth high school completion and university enrolment by 2003. Results indicate that educational attainment is not equal for young adults with and without disabilities in the United States. Parents—but not adolescents—are likely to reduce their educational expectations when adolescents have a mild or serious disability, net of school performance. These parental—but not adolescent—expectations are significantly associated with high school completion. Finally, even after controlling for educational expectations and school performance, youth with serious disabilities are much less likely to graduate from high school than youth without disabilities. Despite the considerable strides made in the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities are not achieving educational parity in graded schooling.     

Science Education and Students with Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities (LD) are increasingly expected to master content in the general education curriculum, making the need for effective instructional supports more important than ever before. Science is a part of the curriculum that can be particularly challenging to students with LD because of the diverse demands it places on cognitive performance. In this summary we review a number of strategies that have been validated for learners with LD. The strategies include supports for (a) verbal learning of declarative information, (b) processing information in texts, (c) activities‐based instruction/experiential learning, (d) scientific thinking and reasoning, and (e) differentiated instruction. We also summarize the research regarding the impact of teacher behavior on achievement for students with LD in science education. The strategies reviewed yield tangible and positive effect sizes that suggest that their application to the target domain will substantially improve outcomes for students with LD in science education.     

从专科学生学习障碍看数学教学的有效性

解决专科学生的数学学习问题,必须从研究数学教学内容本身方面下大功夫。应尽量从最简单、最原始、最基本而又不失重要性的地方讲起;尽量给学生提供丰富的感性材料;尽量将所有的一般性结论都储存于感性材料或情境之中;尽量减轻学生的记忆负担,尽量将抽象的的数学内容揭示得简单而透彻。     

大学生英语自主学习能力的培养

文章通过实验研究,对大学生进行英语学习策略的培训,培养大学生的自主学习能力。实验结果显示,学习策略的培养可以提高大学生的学业成绩,并在提高策略意识和促进策略使用方面有一定的效果。     

Screening Students for Potential Learning Disabilities

The present study indicates that prenatal/birth complications, developmental delays, head injury history and family histry of learning disabilities occur at higher frequencies among college students with learning disabilities, but a family history of diabetes or hypoglycemia, and chronic ear infection history do not occur more often among students with learning disabilities.     

Academic Outcomes Among a Sample of Learning Support Community College Students

This research examined the relationship between placement in a learning support college program and subsequent academic outcomes. The sample consisted of 275 entering freshmen students who were enrolled in the Learning Support reading courses in the fall of 2005. Data were collected from the Gordon College Office of Institutional Research. The data showed that of the 275 students who enrolled in a Learning Support reading course in the fall 2005 semester, 189 returned for the spring 2006 semester. Data also showed that 58% of the 275 students enrolled in Learning Support reading during fall 2005 successfully completed a basic reading intensive course upon completion of their remedial reading class. One hundred eighty seven students who had previously completed Learning Support reading enrolled (spring 2006 or later) in Introductory English 101 and 121 passed. Fifty-five students who had completed Learning Support reading enrolled (spring 2006 or later) in History 1121, Western Civilization, and 20 students passed. Six of the 205 students who completed Learning Support reading graduated Gordon College within a three-year period. The results of the present study indicate that the Learning Support Reading Program in place at Gordon College has proven to be a beneficial tool for at-risk college students. It is assumed that programs such as the Learning Support Program described here may help students build a foundation that will aid them throughout their college career.     

Reporting Quality of Single-Case Research Published in Learning Disabilities Journals

Single-case research designs are useful for learning disability researchers interested in refining novel interventions (e.g., new mathematics intervention) before scaling, small n populations (e.g., students with comorbid learning and emotional and behavioral disabilities), and testing unique conditions (e.g., remote locales). Much attention has been devoted to developing research quality standards, which is essential for replication and implementation fidelity; however, little is known about the reporting quality of single-case design studies. To gain insight into the quality of learning disability single-case research design study reporting, we analyzed 72 articles published between 2010 and 2021 in six learning disability-focused journals using the Single-Case Reporting Guideline In BEhavioral interventions (SCRIBE) standards. Findings suggest that reporting quality has remained stagnant, and none of the studies reviewed met all of the reporting standards. Alignment with standards ranged from 33% to 77%. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.