Value Preferences of Teachers and their Attitudes towards Individuals with Disabilities

The article presents results of a study on the correlation between value preferences and attitudes towards individuals with a disability. Five hundred and eighty respondents took part in the research, among them 300 special needs teachers (SNT) and 280 general teachers (GT). Attitudes towards Individuals with a Disability Scale and Brzozowski’s Scheler Value Scale were used in the research. Significant correlations (Pearson’s r) between attitudes towards individuals with a disability and value preference were found only in the group of SNT and solely in terms of vital values. Canonical analysis showed significant complex correlations between value preferences and attitudes towards individuals with disability in SNT. Preference for the lower values and the rejection of the higher values correlate with ambivalence and with negative attitudes towards individuals with a disability. In the case of GT, the canonical variable is not statistically significant.     

The Attitudes of Different Partners Involved in Higher Education towards Students with Disabilities

In this article we analyse the inclusion of students with disabilities in the field of university attendance, emphasising the importance of attitudes of teachers as well as the rest of the university community as a whole for inclusion to be successful. The effect of variables of gender, education and training and contact with students with disabilities on these attitudes is also detailed. A scale was applied to assess attitudes towards disabilities to 2671 participants, including students with and without disabilities, teachers and administrative and services staff from the Faculty of Education in a University in Southern Spain. The results show that in general, the university community has positive attitudes towards students with disabilities, with differences according to the group, with university teachers having the most favourable attitudes. The results are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.     

论网络对残疾人教育的促进作用

残疾人教育是一个重要的社会问题,社会还没有给残疾人提供一种无障碍的教育环境,而高科技的网络工具能极大地改善残疾人的外部学习条件,创造平等的学习机会,从而提供一种无障碍的教育环境。网络对残疾人教育有着积极的影响,但目前在残疾人教育中应用网络技术还有很多困难和问题,需要政府、社会各界和残疾人群体共同为积极推动和加快发展残疾人的网络事业做出贡献。     

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Children Who Use AAC in Italian Primary Schools

ABSTRACT

Early Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) interventions in school environments aim to support the development of the communication skills of children with complex communication needs. Goals of this study were to analyse the teachers’ attitudes towards children using AAC in primary schools in Italy and their perceptions of the barriers and the benefits of using AAC. Two groups of teachers, those with and without AAC experience, responded to an online survey. The five scales of the Teacher Attitude Scale (TAS) questionnaire and two open-ended questions were used to compare the attitudes and the perceptions between the groups of teachers. Results showed that there was a significant difference among the two groups for two of the five scales of the TAS questionnaire. Both groups reported similar barriers and benefits and indicated the use of AAC as being the main barrier. In conclusion, having experience with children who use AAC in class impacts the teachers’ perceptions of their own abilities and the teachers’ perceptions of the abilities of the children.     

Constructing a Sense of Purpose and a Professional Teaching Identity: Experiences of Teacher Candidates with Disabilities

Abstract

Using grounded theory, we examined the ways in which undergraduate teacher candidates with disabilities developed a sense of purpose and constructed professional identities. Our findings suggest K-12 experiences with advocacy as well as exclusionary school experiences influenced their emerging professional identities. Resistance to a deficit view of disability was central to teachers’ professional identities and influenced their desire to become “change agents” in their future professions. We describe collegiate experiences that affirmed or presented roadblocks to their career path.     

试论新残疾人观及其对残疾人工作的启示

以“平等·参与·共享”为核心的新残疾人观,运用现代社会的文明、进步、科学的观念来认识残疾人和残疾人问题,对我国残疾人事业的持续健康发展有着积极的促进作用。本文简要回顾了我国残疾人观的沿革和新残疾人观的形成,分析了新残疾人观的深刻内涵和重要意义,并试图从中寻求对今后的残疾人工作的一些启示。     

美国残疾人教育法探析

教育法作为国家对教育进行领导、监督、管理的一种强制性手段,其重要性和复杂性越来越突出.如何使教育在国家法律的规范下良性发展,成为现代国家必须行使的重要职能.从20世纪70年代以来,为了有效促进残疾人教育的发展,美国颁布了一系列的残疾人教育法.本文通过对美国残疾人教育法的演进过程进行梳理,从中透视美国残疾人教育法取得的成效和存在的问题.     

广州市政府购买残疾人教育服务的实践与探索

残疾人作为中国公民社会很重要的组成部分,他们的教育权益、就业保障等问题日益受到社会的关注。如何为残疾人提供更好的、更优质的教育服务也是各级政府一直思考的问题。本文以广州市政府购买残疾人教育服务为例,总结成功经验,分析存在的问题,从而为广州市政府购买教育服务的理论与实践发展提供借鉴。     

Perspectives of Students with Disabilities Toward Physical Education: A Qualitative Inquiry Review

The purpose of this article is to review published qualitative inquiries that examine the perspective of students with disabilities toward experiences in physical education. Keyword searches were used to identify articles from electronic databases published from 1995 to 2014. Thirteen articles met all inclusion criteria, and findings were extracted. The 13 located qualitative articles were subject to a narrative analysis, and study characteristics were tabulated. The findings of targeted studies were explored and 3 thematic clusters emerged: (a) perspectives toward typically developing peers, (b) perspectives toward physical educators, and (c) perspectives toward inclusion and exclusion. Findings from this review support the notion that positive attitudes of physical educators may be a critical feature in ensuring meaningful learning experiences for students with disabilities. Meaningful learning experiences can be constructed through modifications and accommodations during activities, creating a welcoming physical education environment and providing a choice between inclusive and segregated learning environments. Directions for future research in this area are discussed.     

School-based Interventions for Improving Disability Awareness and Attitudes Towards Disability of Students Without Disabilities: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

This article presents the results of a meta-analysis of the effects of school-based interventions for improving disability awareness and attitudes towards disability of students without disabilities in Kindergarten through secondary school grades in the Republic of Korea (South Korea). A total of 20 studies published between 2001 and 2017 were included, covering a sample of 2679 students without disabilities. The overall effect was statistically significant and large (d = 1.335). Specifically, subgroup analyses showed that the effects were large for contact-based interventions, use of materials, role-playing, and human rights interventions in that order. The school-based interventions were significantly more effective in improving attitudes towards disability than disability awareness. The intervention effects did not significantly differ by school levels. Results of meta-regression analyses showed that the number of sessions had significantly more impact than instructional time per session. Limitations, recommendations for future studies, and practical implications are discussed.     

Parents’ attitudes towards inclusive education in day care facilities

ABSTRACT

Parents’ attitudes towards inclusive education in day care facilities in the city and rural district of Osnabrueck in Germany were assessed by conducting a written survey (N?=?809). In the survey, parents indicated their perceptions of advantages and risks of inclusion for children with and without special needs. The interviewed parents perceived more advantages than risks for both groups of children. The results of the assessment varied depending on the kind of child care facility. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and about how institutions should develop to adequately go about the implementation of inclusive education.     

我国残疾人高等教育院校教师队伍建设探讨

对我国当前残疾人高等教育教师队伍结构和研究现状进行分析,并以系统论作为研究视角,提出了残疾人高等教育院校教师队伍建设要坚持高等教育的质量目标,同时应具备共性结构要素和特性结构要素两个标准的思路.为了提升残疾高等教育教师队伍的整体素质,必须对目前我国残疾人高等教育教师队伍结构的缺失有针对性的优化,从而建立符合时代要求与当代残疾人高等教育规律的优秀教师队伍,实现提高我国残疾人高等教育的水平.     

Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology of Elementary Education Preservice Teachers: The first Spanish experience

Due to the important impact that biotechnology has on current Western societies, well-informed critical citizens are needed. People prepared to make conscious decisions about aspects of biotechnology that relate to their own lives. Teachers play a central role in all education systems. Thus, the biotechnological literacy of preservice teachers is an important consideration as they will become an influential collective as future teachers of the next generation of children. The attitudes toward science (and biotechnology) that teachers have affect their behavior and influence the way they implement their daily practice of science teaching in school. This study analyzes the attitudes and knowledge of Spanish preservice teachers toward biotechnology. We designed a new survey instrument that was completed by 407 university students who were taking official degree programs in preschool and primary education. Our results point out that although they are aware of biotechnology applications, topics concerning the structure of DNA, management of genetic information inside the cell, genetically modified organism technology and the use of microorganisms as biotechnological tools were not correctly answered. According to our attitude analysis, Spanish preservice teachers could be defined as opponents of genetically modified product acquisition, supporters of biotechnology for medical purposes and highly interested in increasing their knowledge about biotechnology and other scientific advances. Our results show a positive correlation between better knowledge and more positive attitudes toward biotechnology. A Spanish preservice teacher with positive attitudes toward biotechnology tends to be a student with a strong biology background who scored good marks in our knowledge test.     

论残疾儿童少年受教育权的法律保障及其实现

随着我国特殊教育事业发展步伐的大大加快 ,残疾儿童少年接受教育的权利进一步得到尊重和保障。但目前我国特殊教育还存在着许多困难和问题 ,制约和影响着残疾儿童少年接受平等的和适当的教育。为此 ,需要采取特殊措施发展特殊教育事业 ,依法保障残疾儿童少年受教育权的实现 :大力普及义务教育 ,保障残疾少儿平等接受教育的权利 ;完善特殊教育体系 ,满足残疾少儿日益增长的教育需求 ;提高教育教学质量 ,保障残疾少儿接受适当教育的权利 ;加大特殊教育的投入 ,为残疾少儿提供良好的教育环境 ;完善和落实特殊教育政策 ,保障残疾少儿受教育权的实现。     

北京香港两地普小教师对有特殊教育需要学生随班就读态度的比较研究

北京、香港两个地区的普通小学中随机抽取了 2 2 5名教师进行问卷调查 ,结果表明 ,在对有特殊教育需要学生在普通班级随班就读的基本态度上 ,香港地区持赞同态度的教师比例高于北京地区。但对各类有特殊教育需要学生的随班就读 ,两地教师的态度既有相同的方面 ,也有不同的方面。两地教师对随班就读的接受程度明显受学生的残疾类型和残疾程度的影响     

Attitudes of Slovene teachers towards the inclusion of pupils with different types of special needs in primary school

Numerous studies show that a successful implementation of inclusion of children with special needs (SN) largely depends on the teachers’ positive attitude towards it. The empirical research that is presented in the main part of the article analyses attitudes of a representative sample of Slovene teachers (n = 1360) regarding four domains of impact (impact of inclusion on pupils with SN, on peers, on teachers and on the classroom environment). In this, we controlled the role of the following two relevant characteristics of the sample: the category of SN (physical impairments, mild intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties and behavioural/emotional disorders) and the category of professional expertise of teachers in working with pupils with SN. We applied the Impact of Inclusion Questionnaire. The results show that teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion are determined by the type of SN the integrated pupils have. In the case of pupils with physical impairments, teachers expressed the highest level of consent and the lowest in the case of pupils with behavioural and emotional disorders. Our study shows that besides the type of SN, teachers’ professional expertise in working with pupils with SN is another important factor that determines the level of agreement with inclusion. It turned out that the teachers who had taken part in different forms of education and training had a more positive attitude towards all domains of impact.     

The rights to educational self-determination under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

ABSTRACT

The United States Senate's unwillingness to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) notwithstanding, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains significant safeguards protecting the rights of students with disabilities, acknowledging their participation rights in decisions about their futures. In the first of just two examples, as students ‘age out’ of special education, they participate in developing individualised transition plans guiding their movements to post-school activities. Second, the IDEA transfers parental access rights to students, granting them sole control over their educational records on turning 18 unless they are adjudicated incompetent under state law.

Against this background, this paper opens by considering the U.S. Senate's reluctance to ratify the CRC. The paper next reviews the history of rights in the U.S. before examining how the IDEA affords students with disabilities considerable opportunities to participate in planning their futures both through transition planning and taking control over their educational records. The article ends by reflecting on how the IDEA comports with the CRC in protecting the rights of students with disabilities to self-determination.     

美国《残疾人教育法》与残疾人高等教育

本文通过解读1990年的美国《残疾人教育法》及其1997年修正案,研究其如何有助于消除高等教育领域对残疾人的歧视、保障他们受教育的权利;进而探讨该法对我国高等教育的启示,即残疾丝毫不能损害个人参与和贡献于社会的权利;仅仅置身于全纳的高等教育环境中不能消除残疾人受歧视和教育"边缘化"的现象;要改变人们的观念,保护和提高残疾人受教育的权利,需要全社会和我们的政府一道进行艰巨的改革,勇敢地面对挑战.     

Measuring the Ways Significant Persons Influence Attitudes Towards Science and Mathematics

Young people's attitudes towards science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are subject to interpersonal influence of significant persons—defined as those who influence a person's attitudes. This article presents the development of an instrument designed to measure different modes of significant persons’ influence on attitudes towards STEM. The questionnaire used in the pilot study was compiled based on Woelfel and Haller's theoretical perspectives on interpersonal influence, Nauta and Kokaly's instrument Influence of Others on Academic and Career Decisions Scale, and focus group interviews with Norwegian adolescents in an STEM mentoring programme. Drawing on Rasch analyses of data material from the 114 participants in the pilot study, the final instrument—Significant Person Influence on Attitudes towards STEM (SPIAS)—is presented. Based on results from the piloting and development of SPIAS, a conceptual discussion of significant persons and the ways they influence attitudes towards STEM is given, and it is suggested that SPIAS may be used in the process of evaluating and improving interventions aimed at changing adolescents’ attitudes towards STEM.     

Inclusive special education: development of a new theory for the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities

Inclusive education and special education are based on different philosophies and provide alternative views of education for children with special educational needs and disabilities. They are increasingly regarded as diametrically opposed in their approaches. This article presents a theory of inclusive special education that comprises a synthesis of the philosophy, values and practices of inclusive education with the interventions, strategies and procedures of special education. Development of inclusive special education aims to provide a vision and guidelines for policies, procedures and teaching strategies that will facilitate the provision of effective education for all children with special educational needs and disabilities.