Peer‐Mediated Instruction in Inclusive Secondary Social Studies Learning: Direct and Indirect Learning Effects

Ten inclusive middle school social studies classes, including 133 general education students, and 24 students with mild disabilities (21 with learning disabilities and 3 with emotional disabilities), were assigned at random to a traditional instruction condition, or an experimental condition involving classwide peer tutoring with specialized materials and parent training. After 18 weeks of instruction, posttest data revealed that students in the experimental condition gained significantly more than students in the traditional instruction condition. These effects were observed on content included in the tutoring intervention, as well as on related content that was taught but not included in the tutoring intervention. Results are discussed within the context of recent research on inclusive secondary content area instruction.     

Team‐Based Learning for Students with High‐Incidence Disabilities in High School Social Studies Classrooms

We examined the effectiveness of implementing team‐based learning (TBL) practices on content acquisition for 11th grade students with high‐incidence disabilities enrolled in general education social studies courses. TBL components focus on collaborative discourse within heterogeneous teams. TBL, which requires critical thinking and the application of content knowledge for problem‐solving, was implemented for three units of instruction. Results indicated no statistically significant differences between groups on a measure of content knowledge, although a moderate effect size was noted (ES = 0.50). Significant and large effects (ES = 1.01) favoring the TBL treatment were noted for items related to content‐area vocabulary. There were no significant differences on items measuring comprehension of historical events, facts, and issues (ES = 0.38). Practical implications for content‐area instruction are discussed.     

Social Skills Learning for Students with Learning Disabilities and Students with Behaviour Disorders

This study examined the effects of a computer‐assisted social skills intervention on the social competence and behaviour adjustment of students with special needs. The sample consisted of 114 male students, divided into two groups: 52 students with learning disabilities (LD) (mean age = 12.23; SD = 1.12) and 62 students with behaviour disorders (BD) (mean age = 12.53; SD = 1.34). The students were trained with the “I Found a Solution” computer‐assisted social skill package. The intervention consisted of the computer‐assisted program and teacher‐guided work. Each student was assessed, before and after the training, on: teacher‐rated self‐control and maladjusted behaviours, peer‐rated social acceptance and self‐rated loneliness. Through conceptualisation based on the students’ loneliness and externalising maladjustment, four subgroups were identified: (a) relatively adjusted students; (b) externalising and not‐lonely students; (c) lonely and non‐externalising students; and (d) lonely and externalising students. The analyses included subgroups b, c and d, excluding the relatively adjusted subgroup, adding up to a sample of 83 students (35 students with learning disabilities and 48 students with behaviour disorders). A series of two‐way ANOVAs with repeated measures (grouping by subgrouping, with pre‐/post‐training scores as the repeated measures) revealed that following training, students in both groups felt less lonely and were more accepted by peers. Teachers rated them as demonstrating higher levels of self‐control and decreased externalising and internalising maladjustment. The differential impact of the training between groups (LD/BD) and among subgroups (b/c/d) highlighted the significance of the subtyping approach for understanding the children's social learning profiles and for directing effective social skill programming.     

Literacy Challenges and Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities in Social Studies and History

The Common Core State Standards for literacy in history and social studies present opportunities and challenges for teachers of and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD). In addition to reading challenges, students must engage in higher order thinking and reasoning. To provide opportunities for students to successfully respond to such challenges, teachers must have an understanding of the expectations in the Standards, and of the learning needs of students with LD. Teachers can assure success for adolescents with LD by selecting proven instructional procedures and engaging in collaboration to provide students with the supports they need. Examples of one evidence‐based practice, Content Enhancement, are provided to illustrate instructional protocols for teachers of diverse classes that include adolescents with LD.     

The Effects of Peer‐Mediated Instruction in Mathematics for Students with Learning Problems: A Research Synthesis

The purpose of this synthesis is to summarize the effectiveness of peer‐mediated interventions on the mathematics performance of both students with disabilities and those at risk for mathematics disabilities. Meta‐analytic techniques were used to calculate mean effect sizes for 17 studies that met inclusion criteria. Results indicate that peer‐mediated interventions in mathematics are moderately effective for improving students' mathematics performance. Also, findings are strongest for students at risk for mathematics disabilities, elementary‐aged participants, and mathematics computation content. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are discussed.     

学习障碍学生社会技能迁移及其干预

学习障碍学生的社会技能缺失主要表现在社会认知、判断力、情感识别能力、社会成熟、社会交往活动频率、人际排斥及社会技能迁移等方面,这些社会技能缺乏的表现可归为四种基本类型.学习障碍学生的社会技能干预模式主要包括直接教学形式和策略教学模式.教育者可根据社会技能缺失的类型和特点设计社会技能训练过程,并采取不同的干预方法对学习障碍学生进行干预.     

学习障碍学生社会技能训练的内容与方法

社会技能训练在促进学习障碍学生社会技能发展方面具有重要作用。学习障碍学生社会技能训练的内容主要包括基本交往技能、情绪情感表达和控制技能、社会关系技能、课堂交往技能、决策与问题解决技能以及冲突管理技能。学习障碍学生社会技能训练主要通过六步直接教学法、隐性课程法、社会解析法和应用行为分析法进行     

Self‐Processes of Acceptance,Compassion, and Regulation of Learning in University Students with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD

University students with a learning disability (LD) represent a growing fraction of the student population within North America. Although past research has focused on cognitive aspects of living with an LD and/or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social–emotional factors have received less attention. Such factors may play an important role in self‐regulation of learning. This study investigated the relations among self‐compassion, self‐acceptance of an LD, and self‐regulated learning in university students with an LD and/or ADHD. Participants were 78 university students who self‐identified as possessing an LD and/or ADHD. Variables were measured using an online questionnaire. These students had lower self‐compassion scores than found by researchers in other studies. Correlational analyses revealed significant associations among self‐acceptance of an LD, self‐compassion, and self‐regulated learning.     

Ensuring Content‐Area Learning by Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Three factors tied with secondary student success in content‐area reading are demonstrated: (a) validated teacher‐focused and student‐focused interventions, (b) integrated and comprehensive service delivery systems, and (c) well‐designed, data‐based professional developmental programs. Difficult challenges face secondary students with LD and their teachers with regard to these students’ participation and success in required general education classes. Recently, instructional methods and materials have been developed and validated for promoting these students’ success. Some of them focus on how general education teachers plan and teach their content‐area courses; others focus on giving students the strategies they need to respond independently to the demands of their courses. This article describes these instructional methods, a service‐delivery model for implementing these interventions in secondary schools, and professional‐development mechanisms and administrative support that must be in place for the model to be maintained effectively.     

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.     

Social Attributions of Students With Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the social attributions of students with learning disabilities (LD) compared to those of nonlearning-disabled (NLD) low- achieving (LA) and average-achieving (AA) students. Ninety-two subjects partici- pated in the study; 32 students with LD and two matched control groups that consisted of 29 LA and 33 AA students. The results indicated that students with LD were likely to exhibit different social attribution patterns than did their NLD peers. They displayed a greater tendency to use external factors in explaining their social successes and failures, while attributing their successes to internal factors, than did LA and AA students. LA and AA students, conversely, were more likely to use interactional explanations of social events.     

Academic Self‐Perceptions,Effort, and Strategy Use in Students with Learning Disabilities: Changes Over Time

This study investigated changes in teachers' and students' perceptions of students' effort, strategy use, and academic difficulties when strategy instruction was infused into the classroom curriculum. The sample consisted of 201 students with learning disabilities, 210 average achievers, and 57 teachers from Grades 4–9 in two urban and suburban communities. After six months of classroom‐based strategy instruction, students with learning disabilities reported more consistent use of strategies with their schoolwork and perceived themselves as struggling less in reading, writing, and spelling. Teachers perceived the students with learning disabilities as more strategic and as applying more effort to their schoolwork. Teachers also perceived their students as showing significant improvements in spelling, regardless of whether they had learning disabilities. These findings extended the results of previous investigations and indicated the small, positive impact of classroom‐based strategy instruction. Further investigations are critical to evaluate the generalizability of these findings.     

The Test‐Taking Strategy Intervention for College Students with Learning Disabilities

Limited research exists related to empirically validated strategies to assist college students with learning disabilities (LD). Given that students with LD demonstrate both fewer test‐taking skills and higher levels of test anxiety than their peers without LD, and poor test‐taking skills contribute to higher levels of test anxiety, such research is critical. The present study examines the effectiveness of the test‐taking strategy on test performance (timed/untimed), degree of strategy usage, and time on test‐taking task, with a sample of university students with LD. This strategy has been successful with adolescents with LD, but has not been studied with postsecondary populations. Results of a multiple baseline design suggested that the strategy was an effective intervention for these students. Implications are discussed.     

学习困难学生理解监测和控制的特点

以即刻学习判断分数和学习分配时间为指标,采用2×2混合实验设计,考察在不同难度的阅读材料条件下,学习困难学生理解监测和控制的特点。被试为金华某中学15-16岁的32名学习困难学生和34名学习优秀学生。结果发现,学习困难学生对不同难度阅读材料的即刻学习判断分数显著低于学习优秀学生,学习困难学生用于高难度阅读材料的时间显著少于学习优秀学生。     

学习障碍儿童社会技能研究的新进展

学习障碍儿童社会技能研究主要围绕社会技能缺失、社会技能训练有效性和社会技能研究方法方面进行。社会技能缺失研究主要探讨学习障碍儿童社会技能缺失成因、分类以及社会技能缺失是否是一种学习障碍等问题。影响学习障碍儿童社会技能训练有效性的因素主要包括干预的频率和强度、干预方法、治疗完整度和训练效果的迁移与保持等。社会技能研究方法的研究主要包括对现有社会技能评定量表和测量方法的分析与评价以及对新的社会技能研究方法———最小可觉差法和功能分析法的特征分析和有效性评价。     

Fostering Self‐Regulation of Students with Learning Disabilities: Insights from 30 Years of Reading Comprehension Intervention Research

Thirty years of intervention research on the effects of reading comprehension strategies for students with learning disabilities was reviewed in this quantitative synthesis. Specifically, researchers targeted studies that contained self‐regulated learning components. A systematic search yielded 18 studies from nine research journals that met specified inclusion criteria. Studies were evaluated for methodological quality and to identify types of instructional and self‐regulation components within interventions. Large effect sizes were found immediately after instruction and after a time delay, suggesting that instruction in reading comprehension strategies that contain self‐regulation components may have a long lasting impact on student performance. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

学习障碍学生归因训练研究综述

归因训练是帮助学习障碍学生增强学习动机,提高学习成绩的有效 干预手段。目前关于学习障碍学生的归因训练多以小学生和初中生为对象, 采用的训练方法为直接法和间接法。研究表明,个体和小组形式的归因训练 优于团体归因训练,实验情境中的归因训练优于课堂情境的效果,将策略教 学与归因训练结合比单独使用归因训练更为有效。提高团体形式和课堂情 境中归因训练的有效性是今后研究的重点。     

Comparisons of Self‐Efficacy,Mood, Effort,and Hope Between Students with Learning Disabilities and Their Non‐LD‐Matched Peers

The goals of this study were to compare self‐perceptions of self‐efficacy, mood, effort, and hope between 123 adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) and a group of 123 Non‐LD peers, who were matched for their level of academic performance and gender, and to explore the relations between measures of self‐perception and achievement. The results showed that students with LD reported lower academic self‐efficacy and lower social self‐efficacy. They also rated their mood as more negative and reported lower levels of hope and less investment of effort in their academic work. At the same time, no significant differences were found for emotional self‐efficacy in comparison to the Non‐LD peer group. In addition, among students with LD who were successful in their studies, a subgroup continued to report low levels of hope. The results demonstrated that even when the academic performance of students with LD is similar to their Non‐LD peers, their specific and global self‐perceptions continue to reflect their distress. It is not clear if these results represent past difficulties, day‐to‐day struggles, and/or future worries. Resilience models are proposed and research limitations are specified.     

Executive Function Coaching for College Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A New Approach for Fostering Self‐Determination

Given growing numbers of college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disabilities (LD), it is important to understand why these students choose ADD (“executive function”) coaching to enhance their academic success when more traditional forms of campus support already offer this help. Fifty‐four undergraduates with ADHD and/or LD participated in a study of their experiences with coaching. To better understand students’ perspectives on the manner in which coaching helped them minimize executive function challenges while addressing academic goals, a purposive sample of seven of these students participated in two interviews. All seven described highly self‐determined approaches to goal attainment that they associated with coaching. These students also reported that, in contrast to traditional campus services, coaching focused primarily on supporting their emerging autonomy, helping them develop and manage their executive function skills and promoting their self‐efficacy and confidence about future success. Findings are linked to recommendations for additional research and service delivery options.     

The Effects of a Strategic Writing Program for Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Fifth‐Grade Classes

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a comprehensive writing program for students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in inclusive general education classrooms. The program incorporated research‐based components including instruction in a prewriting planning strategy, narrative text structure, writing strategies, and the process approach to writing. The study was conducted in five fifth‐grade inclusive classrooms with 113 students (including 14 students with LD). A quasi‐experimental comparison‐group design was utilized, whereby three intact experimental classes received the writing intervention, and two intact comparison classes received traditional writing instruction. Measures included several writing indicators as well as state writing competency test scores. Results indicated that the students with and without LD in the experimental group made significant gains from pretest to posttest on several writing measures. Although students in the comparison group made some gains, the gains were related to fewer measures than the measures associated with experimental‐group gains, and the effect sizes were smaller.