Understanding Student and Faculty Perceptions of the Accommodation and Support Procedures for Students with LD in Ontario Universities: A Mixed Methods Approach

With recent advances in disability policies, practices, and inclusive education mandates, students with learning disabilities (LD) are choosing to attend higher education at a rate that is greater than ever before. Despite these positive advances, however, the transition from secondary to higher education and the adjustment to post-secondary environments for students with LD continues to present a number of unique academic, social, and emotional challenges for this population, especially as this relates to obtaining access to accommodation and support for their learning needs. This study investigated how the needs of students with learning disabilities (LD) are currently being met at the post-secondary level in Canada by identifying potential barriers of access to support and accommodation. Specifically, this study aimed to understand the learning needs of students with LD in higher education settings, highlighting both students’ and faculty members’ perspectives of faculty preparedness to meet the needs of students with LD in today’s university contexts. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, this study employed two phases to assess the perceptions of both students and faculty from two different universities. Phase 1 took a quantitative approach, relying on the use of adapted versions of the Faculty Preparedness Questionnaire (Hansen, Dawson, & Specht, 2017). Participants included 64 students and 128 faculty from all disciplines across both universities. Phase 2 took a qualitative approach, relying on the use of interviews. Participants included 11 students and 20 faculty, both subsets of the populations specified in Phase 1. The theoretical perspective employed in this study relied on Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development (1977; 1998; 2006) and Tinto’s Theory of Student Integration and Retention (1975; 1993; 2012) to provide a multi-dimensional lens for examining the experiences of students and faculty in university contexts. Overall, the perspectives and experiences of students with LD demonstrated that many felt undersupported by faculty in university classrooms. The perspectives and experiences of faculty aligned with this finding; while the majority of faculty held inclusive beliefs around teaching and supporting students with LD in the university context, results revealed discrepancies between faculty knowledge and their ability to provide effective, tailored support to students at the classroom level. The findings of this study indicate a need for greater education and awareness for faculty about the nature of LD and the implications of this for student learning, and also a need for faculty training and more extensive professional development opportunities for faculty to learn more effective, practical pedagogical strategies to use in their teaching

“The First Day He Kicked Shoes at Me, the Last Day He Brought Me a Picture of Himself”: Investigating the Practicum Experiences of Pre-service Teachers

The purpose of this study was to describe the ways in which the experiences gained during practica influence the developing self-efficacy of Canadian pre-service teachers for teaching in inclusive classrooms. Questionnaires were issued to participants in teacher education programs at 11 universities across Canada, and the data were subjected to content analysis. Several themes that emerged from the participant responses were found to be influential in pre-service teachers’ feelings of efficacy, with behaviour management having the greatest influence, regardless of whether participants felt successful or challenged. Academic outcomes, relationships with students, and other school adults as resources were also identified as themes influencing pre-service teachers’ feelings of success and challenge in practica. The data revealed attitudes and beliefs about inclusion and the impact these may have on teacher efficacy. Several elements can positively influence teacher efficacy including the ability to identify and utilize instructional and personnel resources, the ability to form supportive professional relationships with other school adults, and the ability to recognize achievement as it pertains to the individual rather than prescribed norms. As beliefs about self-efficacy are informed by enactive mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, physiological factors, and verbal persuasion, teacher preparation programs can foster teacher efficacy by encouraging the development of positive attitudes and equipping teachers with the skills they need