Knowledge and degree of training of Primary Education teachers in relation to ICT taught to disabled students

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the inclusive classroom requires competent teaching staff from both the technological and pedagogical points of view. Within this context, and with the aim of looking at one of these theoretical premises, this study aimed to identify the degree of training and technological knowledge of primary school teachers in Spain with respect to the use of ICT with individuals with disabilities (functional diversity). A descriptive ex post-facto research method was used, where the sample comprised 777 teachers. An ad-hoc questionnaire was used as the data-collection instrument. The results revealed the low skill levels of the teachers with respect to the use of ICT with students with disabilities, where the level of training of the teaching staff was determined by personal (gender, age), professional (teaching experience) or educational (qualifications) variables. The findings of this study point to the need for teacher training that instructs teachers on the use of ICT in order to favour the learning and educational innovation of students with disabilities

Applying A Methodology For Educating Students With Special Needs: A Case Study

The introduction of innovative educational technologies opens up new ways of interacting with students. We propose to exploit this potential to help in the education of children with special needs. We analyze the state of the art of tools supporting the teaching process, focusing on the omissions of existing research. We propose a new framework to help throughout the whole teaching process and describe its application to Proyecto Aprender (Learn Project), an educational resource targeting children with learning difficulties. Finally, we outline some conclusions and current/future research lines

Digital teaching competencies and disability. Validation of a questionnaire design using the K coefficient to select expert

Higher education is one of the types of education most influenced by digital technologies. This situation, in educational contexts of quality and equity, presents different advantages but, at the same time, also many challenges. One of them is the use of ICT to support students with disabilities. In this line, the main objective of this study is to evaluate an instrument to measure the level of training and knowledge of university teachers in Spain concerning the application of ICT as support for students with disabilities. For the validation of content, the technique of “expert judgement” was used, applying a process of expert selection called “Expert Competence Coefficient” or “K Coefficient”. The instrument’s reliability index was obtained through two statistics, Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega. From the results obtained, it is confirmed that the questionnaire under study is an instrument with evidence of validity and reliability that allows us to diagnose, among university teaching staff, sub-dimensions of special relevance to find out the level of training and knowledge they have about ICT and students with disabilities

Students with Disabilities in Dutch VET: An Exploratory Study

[Excerpt] The inclusion of persons with disabilities in general programmes of vocational training has been called for by the ILO in international labour standards over many years, including standards relating to Human Resources Development and disability-related standards. This call is taken up strongly in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which calls on States Parties to take appropriate steps to enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general tertiary education, vocational and life-long learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, and to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to that effect. While many countries have expressed commitment to this vision of inclusive vocational training, progress has been limited, even in countries which have adopted policies to promote, and there has been limited analysis of the factors hindering the effective implementation of such policies. It was thus appropriate for the ILO to undertake this exploratory study, to seek to pinpoint elements of policy and practice that might need to be addressed, if these policies on inclusion are to make a difference to persons with disabilities seeking to develop their skills with a view to obtaining decent jobs. The issues identified in this study will hopefully contribute to the wider policy debate, particularly on the matter of instructor preparation for disability inclusion and on the impact of funding arrangements. It will also hopefully stimulate further research to establish whether the patterns identified here are general patterns to be found and tackled elsewhere

Factors influencing digital skill competencies among persons with disabilities in Malaysia

Malaysia has about half a million persons with disabilities registered with the Department of Social Welfare. This study, therefore, tries to determine factors influencing digital skill competencies (technical competency, cognitive competency, and personal competency) among persons with disabilities. The factors explored are intensity of Internet usage, perception of the Internet, benefits of the Internet, and usage of the electronic devices. This study employs a quantitative research design using the survey method where a questionnaire is used as the research instrument. A total of 1200 persons with disabilities participated in the study. The impairment is either visual, hearing, speech, learning, physical or mental. Results show that the majority (84.1%) use the Internet. All factors correlate positively with the digital skill competencies. The best predictor is the perceived benefits of the Internet. Suggestions are put forth to the relevant authorities toward having a digital inclusion policy for persons with disabilities so that they can remain competitive in the employment market

The use of distance learning and e-learning in students with learning disabilities: A review on the effects and some hint of analysis on the use during covid-19 outbreak

Even if the use of distance learning and E-learning has a long tradition all over the world and both have been used to keep in contact with students and to provide lessons, support and learning materials, there is an open debate on the balance between advantages and disadvantages in the use of distance learning. This debate is even more central in their use to support students with Learning Disabilities (LDs), an overarching group of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect more than 5% of students. The current COVID-19 outbreak caused school closures and the massive use of E-learning all over the world and it put higher attention on the debate of the effects of E-learning. This paper aims to review papers that investigated the positive and negative effects of the use of Distance Learning and E-learning in students with LDs. We conducted a literature review on the relationship between Distance Learning, E-learning and Learning Disabilities, via Scopus, Eric and Google Scholar electronic database, according to Prisma Guidelines. The findings are summarized using a narrative, but systematic, approach. According to the data resulting from the papers, we also discuss issues to be analyzed in future research and in the use of E-learning during the current pandemic of COVID-19

Are primary education teachers trained for the use of the technology with disabled students?

Incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) in inclusive class‑ rooms requires competent teachers, both technological and pedagogical. To contrast these theoretical assumptions, this study aims to identify the level of training and technical knowledge of primary school teachers in Spain regarding the use of ICTs for supporting students with special needs. The research methodology used was a mixed research design (quantitative and qualitative method), analysing 777 questionnaires supplied to primary school teachers and 723 interviews conducted with key inform‑ ants (members of management teams, ICT coordinators, directors and technological advisors of teacher training centres). The results informed teachers’ knowledge about ICT and disability and barriers or obstacles to their training. Among the conclusions, teachers’ inadequate training regarding ICTs for students with special needs stands out and the lack of training experiences in this feld

Teacher education for inclusive education: a framework for developing collaboration for inclusion of students with support plans

A study was conducted to explore the impact of professional development related to the individual education plan (IEP) process on teachers’ understanding and practices in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). This paper reports on part of that research, focusing on teachers’ collaborative practices in the IEP process. In the RoI, teachers working as special education teachers (SET) can avail of State-funded professional development through an award-bearing model provided by universities. The study combined survey of three cohorts of teachers who undertook this professional development course in one university with follow-up focus groups, observation and documentary analysis in five schools. Challenges to effective team functioning were identified in relation to the constructs of joint instructional work, communication, and values and ethics. Building on these constructs, this paper proposes a framework for developing competencies in collaborative practice for inclusion of students with IEPs with implications for practice and for teacher educators

AN APPRAISAL OF THE COMPUTING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, GHANA

The study examined the knowledge and skills in using computers by students with disabilities at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). The study employed the descriptive survey design which used a questionnaire to solicit information from forty-six (46) students who were randomly sampled. The study found out that majority of the students had some knowledge and skills in the use of computers. However, it was established from the results, that many of the students’ knowledge and skills about computers were inadequate for higher education level academic work. Finally, the study found out that the type of disability a person has, does not have any significant influence on their knowledge and skills for computer usage. It was recommended that students with disabilities should have access to specialized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre where adaptive services would be organized and delivered to enhance their skills. This ICT centre should be manned by competent ICT personnel who understand the needs of students with disabilities, and whose main responsibilities should be to attend to the technological needs of students with disabilities.  Article visualizations