The Turkish standardization of the Meadow-Kendall Social-Emotional Assessment Inventory for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Students

THE ARTICLE present results of standardization of the Meadow-Kendall Social-Emotional Assessment Inventory for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Students (Meadow, 1983), school-age version, for use in Turkey. The SEAI is a 59-item measure for assessing socioemotional adjustment of school-age deaf and hearing impaired students. A sample of 1,097 deaf students (609 boys, 488 girls), age range 7-19 years, was rated by their teachers (275 teachers: 149 female, 126 male) using the SEAI. Data were drawn from four types of educational settings: residential, day, special class, mainstream schools. Exploratory factor analysis of the data revealed three main factors of interest, which corresponded to the hypothesized constructs in the original American standardization: Social Adjustment, Self-Image, Emotional Adjustment. The data suggest high reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the SEAI relative to the original American version. Implications of adapting the SEAI for use in Turkey are discussed.     

The relationship between inclusion and academic achievement in English mainstream schools

This article presents the key findings and discusses the implications of a major study that explored the relationship between academic achievement and the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in England. It is based on a statistical analysis of nationally held data on all pupils in England that is collected at the end of each of the 4 key stages, when pupils are aged 7, 11, 14, and 16. The analysis considered the relationship between academic achievement and inclusivity having controlled for a range of other variables. Findings indicate that there is no relationship between academic achievement and inclusion at the local authority (LA) level while there is a small but, for all practical purposes, insubstantial relationship at the school level. In addition, there is also a large degree of variation at the school level, suggesting strongly that there are other factors within a school's make up, rather than its degree of inclusivity, that impact on the average academic achievements of its pupils. The overall conclusion, therefore, is that mainstream schools need not be concerned about the potentially negative impact on the overall academic achievements of their pupils of including pupils with SEN in their schools.     

Preservice Science Teachers’ Efficacy Regarding a Socioscientific Issue: A Belief System Approach

The aim of the present study was to understand the nature of teaching efficacy beliefs related to a socioscientific issue (SSI). We investigated Turkish preservice science teachers’ teaching efficacy beliefs about genetically modified (GM) foods using a belief system approach. We assumed that preservice teachers’ beliefs about GM foods (content knowledge, risk perceptions, moral beliefs, and religious beliefs) and their teaching efficacy beliefs about this topic constitute a belief system, and these beliefs are interrelated due to core educational beliefs. We used an exploratory mixed design to test this model. We developed and administered specific questionnaires to probe the belief system model. The sample for the quantitative part of this study included 441 preservice science teachers from eight universities. We randomly selected eight participants in this group for follow-up interviews. The results showed that preservice science teachers held moderately high teaching efficacy beliefs. Learning and teaching experiences, communication skills, vicarious experiences, emotional states, and interest in the topic were sources of this efficacy. In addition, content knowledge and risk perceptions were predictors of teaching efficacy. We believe that epistemologies based on traditional teaching and the values attached to science teaching are the core beliefs that affect the relationship between predictor variables and teaching efficacy.     

A Qualitative Case Study of Prospective Chemistry Teachers’ Knowledge About Instructional Strategies: Introducing Particulate Theory

The purpose of this study was to investigate prospective chemistry teachers’ knowledge about instructional strategies, one component of pedagogical content knowledge about introducing particulate theory, as well as sources of this knowledge. Twenty-two prospective chemistry teachers participated in the study. Data were collected by the means of a vignette, semistructured interviews, and lesson plans. Analysis showed that concrete objects, computer animations, and expository teaching were the preferred teaching techniques by prospective teachers. Several issues, such as general pedagogical knowledge, subject matter knowledge, and knowledge about students’ difficulties, were found to be the main factors for choosing a teaching strategy to make an introduction to particles.     

The nature of the relationship between teaching concerns and sense of efficacy

This study examined the relationship between prospective teachers’ concerns about their teaching and their beliefs about their sense of efficacy. Three hundred and thirty‐nine prospective teachers participated in this study. Two instruments, the ‘Teaching Concerns Checklist’ and the ‘Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Beliefs Scale’, were used to elicit the participants’ teaching concerns and their sense of efficacy. Canonical correlation analysis, conducted to explore the relationships between these two constructs, revealed that concern variables were negatively correlated with efficacy variables. This means that if teachers believe their efficacy is weaker, they tend to have more concerns about teaching. The results of this study have implications for teacher education programmes.     

SEN inclusion and pupil achievement in English schools

This paper presents and discusses the key findings from a study funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) that explored the relationship between achievement and inclusion in mainstream schools in England. Overall the results indicate that, although there is a small statistical relationship between inclusion and academic achievement, this is unlikely to impact on a school's overall performance. This is partly because of the large degree of variation among schools, suggesting that there are other factors within a school's make up rather than its degree of inclusivity which impact on the average achievements of its pupils. This was confirmed by the findings from a number of case study visits. The overall conclusion from the study is that mainstream schools need not be concerned about the potentially negative impact on the overall academic achievements of their pupils through including pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in their schools.     

Academic growth trajectories of ELLs in NAEP data: The case of fourth- and eighth-grade ELLs and non-ELLs on mathematics and reading tests

Utilizing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, this study examined (1) how fourth and eighth-grade ELLs' mathematics and reading scores on national tests compared to their non-ELL peers' scores over the testing period between 2003 and 2011, and (2) if gender and ethnicity contributed to variation in the growth patterns among the student groups across grade levels and content areas. Since the NAEP data, which provides a national sample of 10,000–20,000 students, is collected using a probability sample design, sampling weights are adjusted so inferences can be appropriately made. Sample sizes within NAEP are large enough to generate adequate power for statistical significance. Thus, to display the data in a multivariate mode, Tableau 8.0.0 software was used. Results suggested that the achievement gap between non-ELLs and ELLs is either steady or slightly widening in both mathematics and reading, with multiple paths across the content areas, grade levels, and gender and ethnic groups.     

Evaluation of a tangible mobile application for students with specific learning disabilities

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) typically do not perform at the expected levels of academic achievement. Tangible mobile applications are learning devices that allow for physical engagement and multisensory interaction. They present as promising tools to facilitate learning for students with SLD. This study explored the use of a tangible mobile application for assisting three seventh-grade Turkish students with SLD to learn scientific principles regarding cell concepts. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to examine the effectiveness of a tangible mobile application. In addition, issues related to usability of the application were also explored. The overall results of the study showed that the tangible mobile application was effective, and the students with SLD were willing to use this application, enjoyed the process, and used the application and objects easily/correctly.     

What was it like for you?

Abstract

As LEAs and schools develop their inclusive policies and practices, arguments about how to provide the most effective education for pupils with EBD continue. Is it possible to provide high quality education for this group in mainstream schools whilst not adversely affecting the education of the other pupils? What are the consequences of placing the most disturbed pupils in special schools? What do the pupils themselves think? This article draws on findings from 26 interviews with former pupils of an EBD residential school. We were interested in their opinions about the quality of education and care they received at the school and the impact of the placement on their experiences as young adults. Overall, despite some concerns, the former pupils have very positive memories of the school and felt that it had helped them to overcome their learning and behavioural difficulties. The findings have key implications for the development of policy and practice.