Predicting performance on academic and non-academic tasks: A comparison of adolescents with and without learning disabilities

Previous research suggests that adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) are less accurate in predicting academic performance than normally achieving (NA) adolescents and display a tendency to overestimate their level of performance (e.g., Klassen, 2007). However, no studies have been conducted investigating whether this overestimation is specific to academic contexts or a phenomenon that extends across domains. Ninety-four adolescents (46 LD, 48 NA) predicted their performance on a spelling task and on a ball-throwing task. Results revealed group differences in performance calibration across domains with adolescents with LD showing an overestimation of ability on the spelling and ball-throwing tasks, and NA adolescents demonstrating more precise self-appraisals. Additionally, the accuracy of non-academic performance predictions remained stable with increasing difficulty in the NA group whereas the adolescents with LD demonstrated a decrease in accurate performance prediction as the difficulty level increased.     

Self-efficacy from the perspective of adolescents with LD and their specialist teachers

This study used qualitative methodology to investigate the self-efficacy beliefs of early adolescents with learning disabilities (LD). We conducted a series of focus group interviews with 28 Grade 8 and 9 students with LD and individual interviews with 7 specialist LD teachers. Content analyses of the student and teacher data resulted in 2 a priori and 3 inductive themes: self-efficacy, calibration and levels of self-efficacy, students' self-awareness, attributions for failure, and problems and solutions. The students viewed themselves as low in self-efficacy and generally accurate in the calibration of their efficacy and performance, whereas the teachers viewed the students as overconfident about academic tasks. In contrast to the teachers, the students viewed verbal persuasion as a valued source of self-efficacy. Students attributed their failures to lack of effort, whereas their teachers attributed student failure to uncontrollable deficits. Problems and solutions related to student motivation were discussed from student and teacher perspectives.     

Story composition skills of middle-grade students with learning disabilities

This study examined the story composition abilities of learning disabled (LD) and normally achieving young adolescents as indicated by measures of writing category, cohesion, and fluency. Findings suggest that although adolescents with learning disabilities have a rudimentary knowledge of story form, this knowledge is less well developed than that of their nondisabled peers. Students with learning disabilities also had greater coherence problems in their writing and were less fluent writers. Several important age trends were noted when results of this investigation were compared with outcomes from a similar investigation involving younger students.     

Writing Instruction for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Programs of Intervention Research

Writing performance for a large number of adolescents, with and without learning disabilities (LD), in the United States is below the level required for success in college and in the world of work. Despite the importance of writing and students' with LD documented difficulties in this academic domain, writing intervention research for adolescents with LD is not as well established as research in other domains, such as reading. Programs of research in writing interventions for adolescents with LD, nevertheless, have provided frameworks for effective instruction for these students. Adapting criteria from Graham and Perin's (2007c) Writing Next report, 40 studies across six programs of research were located for our literature review in writing instruction for adolescents with LD. Based on the findings of these studies, instruction within two levels of support for adolescents with LD are recommended.     

Adolescents with Learning Disabilities as Writers: Are We Selling Them Short?

This article chronicles the evolution of a programmatic line of research on strategic writing instruction for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) conducted by staff and affiliates of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The goal associated with this research is that students with LD learn the writing skills that they need to succeed in high school and beyond and that their skills are comparable to the skills of their peers. Individual studies have shown that adolescents with LD can master a given writing strategy and can apply that strategy to novel prompts and in general education classes. Moreover, they can learn simple writing strategies from computerized programs. They can also maintain use of a writing strategy over time. When students learn several writing strategies, their scores on standardized tests improve, and their writing competency is comparable to that of peers. Studies have also shown that teachers can teach the writing strategies and achieve successful results. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that students with LD receive the instruction under conditions where they have multiple opportunities to reach mastery on each skill and receive individualized feedback on practice attempts. Overall, the research has shown that adolescents with LD can learn complex writing skills such as planning, writing, and editing multiparagraph themes; can apply these skills to tasks that are assigned in required general education courses; and can be successful in those courses.     

Writing in Early Adolescence: A Review of the Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs

This review examines and summarizes 16 research studies examining the writing self-efficacy beliefs of 6th- to 10th-grade students. In the majority of the studies, self-efficacy was found to play a primary role in predicting student writing performance. Students with learning disabilities were found to over-estimate their ability to complete specific writing tasks. Several studies found gender differences, with boys rating their confidence higher than girls, although actual performance did not differ. Grade-level differences in perceived efficacy for writing were found in some studies, but not in others. Most studies emphasized that those working with young adolescents need to be aware of the importance of self-efficacy and other motivational beliefs in conjunction with academic functioning. Difficulties with specificity of self-efficacy measures, and with correspondence between measure and criterial task were found in several studies. The article concludes with suggestions for future self-efficacy research.     

Common Core State Standards,Writing, and Students with LD: Recommendations

This article examines the Common Core State Standards as they apply to writing and students with learning disabilities (LD). We first consider why the implementation of these standards is advantageous to writing instruction for students with LD as well as the challenges in implementing them. Next, we make the following four recommendations in terms of their implementation: (1) increase general and special education teachers’ knowledge about writing development; (2) create a writing environment in which students with LD can thrive; (3) employ evidence‐based writing practices in general education classes (where most students with LD are taught); and (4) use evidence‐based writing practices effective with students with LD. We conclude by considering research that still needs to be undertaken to help educators maximize the probability that students with and without LD meet the writing benchmarks proposed in these Standards.     

学习困难学生自主学习策略研究

为揭示自主学习策略对学习困难学生的影响,并为学习困难学生的训练和矫正提供心理学依据,应用自主学习策略问卷,对小学5年级95名学习优秀学生和89名学习困难学生进行了自主学习策略比较研究。结果发现:学习困难学生自主学习策略明显低于学习优秀学生;学习困难女学生自主学习策略水平整体显著高于男生;影响学生学习成绩是多个自主学习策略因子共同作用的结果。     

Spelling rule usage among students with learning disabilities and normally achieving students

Spelling performance of students with learning disabilities (LD) was compared with that of same-age normally achieving subjects and younger normally achieving subjects. Subjects with learning disabilities were divided into two groups: poor readers/poor spellers and good readers/poor spellers. A spelling battery was administered that included one task of phoneme-grapheme correspondence rule usage and four tasks of suffix rule usage. The groups with learning disabilities performed significantly below the same-age normally achieving group on all tasks. No significant differences among the two groups with learning disabilities and their achievement-level peers emerged in primary analyses. However, secondary analyses revealed differences in mastery of the past tense spelling rule ed, and in some subskills related to the spelling of words with suffixes. The cognitive-linguistic significance of these results is discussed.     

The differential impact of academic self-regulatory methods on academic achievement among university students with and without learning disabilities

Although research on academic self-regulation has proliferated in recent years, no studies have investigated the question of whether the perceived usefulness and the use of standard self-regulated learning strategies and compensation strategies provide a differential prediction of academic achievement for university students with and without learning disabilities (LD). We developed and tested a model explaining interrelationships among self-regulatory variables and grade point average (GPA) using structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis for students with LD (n = 53) and without LD (n = 421). Data were gathered using a new instrument, the Learning Strategies and Study Skills survey. The results of this study indicate that students with LD differed significantly from students without LD in the relationships between their motivation for and use of standard self-regulated learning strategies and compensation strategies, which in turn provided a differential explanation of academic achievement for students with and without LD. These paths of influence and idiosyncrasies of academic self-regulation among students with LD were interpreted in terms of social cognitive theory, metacognitive theory, and research conducted in the LD field.     

The effect of using laptops on the spelling skills of students with learning disabilities

The current study examined the effect of using laptops on the spelling skills of students with learning disabilities (LD). It was conducted as part of the Israeli “Katom” (A Computer for Every Class, Student, and Teacher) Program. Participants included 93 Hebrew-speaking students with LD aged 13–16, who attend 10 special education classes in a regular middle school. We examined whether the experimental group using laptops showed significant differences in the number of their spelling errors as a result of the intervention on their pre- and post-spelling tests. We also investigated whether there would be differences on the number of spelling errors between the experimental and control groups, as measured by their pre- and post-spelling test results. The findings indicated that the participants in the experimental group significantly improved their spelling skills as opposed to the control group. It seems that the use of laptops in special education classes can enhance the spelling skills of students with LD.     

Written expression of students with and without learning disabilities: differences across the grades

This study compares the written expression of 48 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 48 normally achieving (NA) students (Grades 4, 8, and 11). Productivity, syntactic maturity, vocabulary, and mechanics were examined using writing samples obtained in response to a standard stimulus. Results indicate that, compared to their NA peers, students with learning disabilities write fewer words and sentences, write more words per sentence, produce fewer words with seven letters or more and fewer sentence fragments, and have a higher percentage of capitalization and spelling errors. No group differences were found for the number of T-units produced or the number of morphemes per T-unit. Comparison of group differences at each grade level and differences by groups across the grades reveals persistent written expression difficulties and signals a need for a careful review of current instructional practices and how they can be improved.     

Teacher interpersonal behavior and adolescents’ motivation in mathematics: A comparison of learning disabled,average, and talented students

This study examined student perceptions of teacher behavior in three motivational variables (self-efficacy beliefs, intrinsic value, and test anxiety in mathematics) for adolescents enrolled in three distinct schooling tracks. Questionnaires were administered to 111 learning disabled (LD), 224 average (AV) and 258 talented students (TA). Some differences among groups were found on students’ perceptions of teacher behavior as measured by the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction, and on motivational beliefs assessed by the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Overall, the results show that perceptions of teacher proximity and influence have implications for AV and TA motivation, but are not significant in students with learning disabilities. The findings are discussed with special attention given to LD and TA.     

Differences in transitional needs of high school students with and without learning disabilities

Studies investigating the post-high-school vocational status of individuals with disabilities have frequently found that these individuals are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, or employed part-time, when compared to nondisabled peers. Transition programs are needed for adolescents with disabilities to facilitate their vocational success. The current study surveyed 80 high school students with learning disabilities (LD) and 80 nondisabled (NLD) peers to determine their transitional needs. Results indicated that (a) more students with LD than NLD students are involved in transition programs; (b) career goals were established by the majority of both groups; (c) parents provided most of the assistance in making career decisions; and (d) twice as many NLD students as students with LD wanted to go to college, while twice as many students with LD as NLD students wanted to enter the job market. More students with LD than NLD students were aware of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, but the number was still below 50%. The majority of the information about VR services came from the school.     

The effects of computer-supported self-regulation in science inquiry on learning outcomes,learning processes,and self-efficacy

Recently, researchers have demonstrated the benefits of technology-enhanced science inquiry activities. To improve students’ self-regulation and assist them in controlling their own learning pace through inquiry activities, in this study, a self-regulated science inquiry approach was developed to assist them in organizing information from their real-world exploration. A quasi-experimental design was conducted in an elementary school natural science course to evaluate the students’ performance using the proposed learning approach. One class assigned as the treatment group learned with the self-regulated science inquiry approach, while the other class assigned as the control group learned with the conventional science inquiry approach. The students’ learning achievement, tendency of information help seeking, tendency of self-regulation, and self-efficacy were evaluated. The results of the study revealed that the self-regulated science inquiry approach improved the students’ learning achievement, especially for those students with higher self-regulation. In addition, the students who conducted inquiry with the self-regulated learning strategy increased their tendency of information help seeking, self-efficacy, and several aspects of self-regulation, including time management, help seeking, and self-evaluation. Accordingly, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of the self-regulated learning strategy, an approach with high learner control, in terms of improving students’ learning achievement and their self-regulation.     

Developing essay writing skills: an evaluation of the modelling behaviour method and the influence of student self-efficacy

Social cognitive learning theory has shown that observational learning positively influences essay writing development in high-school students, and that self-efficacy impacts on motivation. This study investigated the relative contribution of model observation, model evaluation, post-submission feedback, and factors relating to self-efficacy, as measured through academic confidence, in the essay writing development of 142 university students. The research compared students’ essay marks between two semesters in order to explore whether observational learning had an impact on the development of the complex skills involved. The results revealed that all students benefit from traditional feedback and higher levels of self-efficacy when developing their essay writing performance. Underperforming students particularly benefited from actual essay writing. However, contrary to the predictions drawn from the literature, students in this study did not appear to benefit from observational learning when developing their skills. Limits to social learning theory are discussed.     

Speaking to read: The effects of speech recognition technology on the reading and spelling performance of children with learning disabilities

In recent literature on persons with learning disabilities (LD), speech recognition has been discussed primarily as an assistive technology to help compensate for writing difficulties. However, prior research by the authors has suggested that in addition to helping persons to compensate for poor writing skills, speech recognition also may enhance reading and spelling; that is, what was designed as assistive technology appears to serve remedial functions as well. The present study was conducted to determine whether elementary and secondary students with LD who used the technology to write self-selected compositions and class assignments would demonstrate improvements in reading and spelling. Thirty-nine students with LD (ages 9 to 18) participated. Nineteen participants used speech recognition 50 minutes a week for sixteen weeks, and twenty students in a control group received general computer instruction. Results indicated that the speech recognition group showed significantly more improvement than the control group in word recognition (p<.0001), spelling (p<.002) and reading comprehension (p<.01). Pre- and posttests on five reading-related cognitive processing measures (phonological, orthographic, semantic processing, metacognitive reading strategies, and working memory) indicated that for the experimental group, only phonological processing improved significantly over the treatment period when compared to controls (p<.04). Further ANCOVA suggested that growth in phonological processing was associated with significant differences among conditions for all three academic measures: word recognition, spelling, and reading comprehension. Address correspondence to 971 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107. E-mail center@frostig.org.     

Perception of competence: risk and protective predictors following an e‐self‐advocacy intervention for adolescents with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of competence among adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) who participated in a virtual supported self‐advocacy programme within the risk and protective paradigm. The sample consisted of 374 adolescents with and without learning disabilities, students of the 7th to 9th grades, at 15 schools across Israel. The adolescents were divided into three groups, matched by age and gender: 111 adolescents with LD who participated in a five‐month virtual‐supported intervention, and two comparison groups: adolescents with LD (N = 115) who did not participate in the program and adolescents without LD (N = 148). The self‐perceptions of adolescents were assessed using the following questionnaires: basic psychological skills (competence and relatedness); hope and loneliness. Following the intervention, higher competence scores were reported by students with LD who participated in the programme. At that time (the end of the academic year), the predictors of the groups of students with LD for the competence measure were their level of competence at the beginning of the period, their belonging to the group who participated in the intervention, their loneliness and hope. Comparisons with predictors of the group of students without LD, and with predictors of competence at the beginning of the year, emphasized the importance of risk factors (loneliness) and the protective factors (hope) for students with LD. In addition, the results focused attention at the contribution of the participation in an e‐supported self advocacy programme for enhancing competence among students with LD.     

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Implementing Social–Emotional Learning to Support Students with Learning Disabilities

This study was designed to determine how special education teachers (SETs) in Saudi Arabia perceive their self-efficacy in implementing social–emotional learning (SEL) practices to support students with learning disabilities (LD). The data were collected by surveying 109 SETs of students with LD who teach at elementary and middle schools in Riyadh. The findings demonstrate that SETs had low to moderate self-efficacy in putting SEL into practice, and the participants highlighted the importance of receiving support that can enhance their self-efficacy in SEL. Moreover, the study's findings show some statistically significant variations in the responses of the teachers, as those who attended more professional development programs reported higher levels of self-efficacy. Additionally, middle school teachers and teachers with fewer years of experience showed a higher need for receiving support to enhance their implementation of SEL. Recommendations for future studies and practices are provided.     

Comparison of the effects on writing attitudes and writing self-efficacy of three different training programs in students with learning disabilities

This study aimed to investigate the importance of self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing in writing training. It was also necessary to establish whether these constructs could be more enhanced through a specific intervention as part of the motivational factors, than through training which coaches other writing components such as cognitive processes or cognitive style. To achieve this, the first training program, focusing on the strategies for planning writing, was applied to 28 5th and 6th graders with learning disabilities (LD); a second program, focusing on writing strategies plus reflexive processes, was applied to 49 learning disabled students studying the same grades as in the first group. Finally, the third intervention tried to enhance writing skills using motivational strategies, and it was applied to 66 students in the same conditions as the other samples. All the training programs were compared to a control group, who received only the ordinary curriculum. Results show that there are difficulties in training self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing, but also that different training programs provide different results in these aspects.