Experiences at University: Perceptions of students with disabilities

Using Tinto's (1975) model of dropping out or persisting, this study examined the perceived experiences at university of students with disabilities. Tinto's (1975) model presents three variables which are related to persistence: background characteristics, integration into the academic milieu, and social integration. Thirty-six students completed a questionnaire, and of this group 17 participated in a narrative interview. Later, six of these people engaged in a focus group. The findings of this study showed that background characteristics and academic integration were more important variables related to persistence than social integration. Goal commitment, support of family and friends and understanding professors were found to be important elements related to persisting among these students with disabilities.En employant le modèle de Tinto (1975) relatif au décrochage ou à la persistance scolaire, cette étude examine d'étudiant(e)s handicapés quant à leurs expériences universitairies. Le modèle de Tinto (1975) présente trois variables en lien avec la persistance: le cadre de vie, l'intégration scolaire et l'intégration sociale. Trente-six étudiantes et étudiants ont rempli un questionnaire et, de ce groupe, 17 ont pris part à une entrevue individuelle. Par la suite, six de ces personnes ont participé a un groupe de discussion. Les résultats de cette étude démontrent que le cadre de vie et l'intégration scolaire sont des variables plus importantes que l'intégration sociale en ce qui concerne la persistance scolaire. L'engagement face au but, le soutien de la famille et des amis ainsi que des professeurs compréhensifs se sont avérés des éléments imiportants reliés à la persistance de ces étudiant(e)s handicapés

Perceptions of Learning and Stages of Concern Among Graduates of a Native Teacher Education Program

The purpose of this study was to examine the learning outcomes of students who had recently completed a two-year community-based Native Teacher Education Program (NTEP). The participants were 22 graduates of an NTEP who responded to open-ended items in a questionnaire on what they had learned throughout the program. Four women also participated in a focus group. The learning of the graduates was grouped according to the categories found in a previously developed framework: curriculum planning and evaluation, discipline and classroom management, pupils and pupil-teacher interactions, and the profession of teaching (Duquette & Cook, 1999). It was found that the NTEP graduates learned the most in the first three areas of the framework. As well, those with more than five years of experience working in the schools learned more in the pupils and pupil-teacher interactions category than their less experienced peers. The learning as stated by all the graduates showed that they addressed self-survival and impact concerns as described by Fuller (1969). The major source of their learning was through observation of their supervising teachers.L'objectif de cette recherche était d'étudier les résultats d'apprentissage d'étudiants qui venaient de compléter une formation communautaire de deux ans pour enseignants autochtones (Native Teacher Education Program ou NTEP). Vingt-deux diplômés du NTEP ont complété un questionnaire consistant en des questions ouvertes portant sur ce qu'ils avaient appris pendant la formation. Quatre femmes ont également participé à un groupe de discussion. L'apprentissage des participants a été classé selon des catégories tirées d'un cadre déjà établi: planification curriculaire et évaluation, discipline et gestion de classe, les élèves et l'interaction élève-enseignant et la profession de l'enseignement (Duquette & Cook, 1999). Les résultats indiquent que les diplômés du NTEP apprennent davantage des trois premières catégories et que ceux qui avaient plus de cinq années d'expérience dans les écoles en ont appris davantage sur l'interaction élève-enseignant que l'ont fait leurs collègues moins expérimentés. Tous les diplômés ont exprimé des préoccupations liées aux notions de répercussions et de survie personnelle telles que Fuller les décrit (1969). L'observation de leur enseignant surveillant a constitué la source la plus importante d'apprentissage chez les participants

Becoming a Role Model: Experiences of Native Student Teachers

This article examines identity and the experiences of being a role model among graduates of a Native Teacher Education Program (NTEP). It also studies how the NTEP supported the participants’ development as role models. Central findings focus attention on their leadership experiences, questions about their ability to be a role model, and the benefits and disadvantages of being a role model. It was also found that the NTEP provided the context for the participants to reconstruct their identity to include being a role model. Three stages of becoming a role model are described.Cet article porte sur l’identité et les expériences en tant que modèle de rôle des diplômés du Native Teacher Education Program (NTEP) un programme visant les futurs enseignants autochtones. L’appui qu’offre le programme aux participants en matière de leur développement comme modèle de rôle est également étudié. Les résultats traitent de ce qu’ont vécu les participants en tant que leaders, de certaines questions quant à leur capacité d’être modèle de rôle, et des avantages et des inconvénients découlant de cette expérience. Nous avons également constaté que le NTEP a offert aux participants un contexte dans lequel ils pouvaient reconstruire leur identité pour y incorporer celui de modèle de rôle. Finalement, nous décrivons trois étapes dans le développement d’un modèle de rôle

“With an LD you’re always mediocre and expect to be mediocre”: Perceptions of Adults Recently Diagnosed with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the educational and em-ployment experiences of 10 adults who had recently been diagnosed as having a learning disability. Seven of the participants eventually obtained a high school diploma or the equivalent and they all had held a variety of entry-level jobs. The participants felt that having an undiagnosed learning disability had negatively af-fected their past, present, and future educational and employment opportunities. The importance of a caring adult to advocate on behalf of at-risk students and a set of goals, skills, and abilities that should be developed while in school emerged from the findings

The Transition Process for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Perspectives of Five Families

This qualitative study examines, from the perspective of the families, the transition process to employment or postsecondary education for adolescents with learning disabilities (LDs) and the interplay of the roles of parents, students with LDs, and teachers. Using a case study design, series of three in-depth interviews were conducted with five individuals with LDs and with their parents. Data were analyzed inductively. The findings indicate that the families all had informal transition plans; formal transition plans were not written. For four of the families, the transition process was successful and occurred in two phases spanning the elementary and secondary school years. In the first phase parents controlled the transition process, and during the second phase they transferred this responsibility to their children with LDs. Parents’ high expectations and advocacy; students’ hard work, self-determination and self-advocacy; and teachers’ mentoring and support also contributed to the achievement of transition goals. Throughout the process parents, adolescents with LDs, and teachers worked collaboratively. In the fifth case, only the factor of parental advocacy was in place, and it was insufficient to bring about a successful transition for the adolescent with LDs

Facilitating Academic and Mental Health Resilience in Students with a Learning Disability

This qualitative study explored the educational journeys of five postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD) from the perspective of the students and their families. Using a resilience lens, it examined the challenges that they faced and the capacities and resources that facilitated their resilience and helped them achieve their current level of academic achievement and mental health. A retrospective, multiple case study design was used, and a series of three interviews was conducted with each university student with an LD and their families. The participants identified a number of interactions among the students and their parents, teachers, and peers that helped shape and develop the capacities they needed in order to negotiate for the supports and resources that sustained their well-being. These capacities included an awareness and acceptance of their LD and themselves as learners, the self-advocacy skills they needed in order to seek out and negotiate for the supports and accommodations that would help them succeed, the ability to set lofty yet attainable goals, the perseverance to work toward these goals in spite of setbacks and challenges, and the willingness to use the supports and resources that were available to them

Professional Development Schools: Preservice Candidates' Learning and Sources of Knowledge

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiential learning of preservice candidates when they are involved in professional development schools and in conventional practice teaching placements. It was found that the lessons they believed they learned were categorized into four groups: curriculum planning and evaluation, pupils and pupil-teacher interactions, discipline and classroom management, and professional knowledge. Their stated sources of knowledge were personal reflections, mentor teachers, other teachers, professors, and other supportive people. Student teachers in professional development schools also learned through weekly seminars and discussion with their peers.Cette étude a analysé les acquis expérientiels de stagiaires pendant leurs cours dans des écoles de développement professionnel et pendant leurs stages. Les résultats indiquent que les étudiants répartissaient ce qu'ils croyaient avoir appris dans quatre groupes: la planification du curriculum et l'évaluation; les élèves et les rapports enseignant-élève; la discipline et la gestion en salle de classe; et les connaissances professionnelles. Les étudiants ont identifié les sources de leurs connaissances comme étant les suivantes: les réflexions personnelles, les enseignants-mentors, d'autres enseignants, des professeurs, ainsi que d'autres personnes qui les appuyaient. Les stagiaires dans les programmes de développement professionnel ont ajouté qu'ils apprenaient également par le biais des séminaires hebdomadaires et des discussions avec leurs pairs

Implementation of a Differentiated Instruction Initiative: Perspectives of Leaders

Differentiated Instruction (DI) is a framework that supports planning for diversity within K-12 classrooms. Research has grown steadily over the past 15 years that explores DI implementation, as well as beliefs and practices. Literature to date has focused heavily on the experiences of educators, with limited attention given to the role of leadership in implementing DI in schools. The current study explores the perspectives of 19 school and board-level administrators regarding the ways in which a differentiated instruction framework was implemented within their school board as well as facilitators and barriers to the implementation and uptake of the framework. Interviews revealed five themes: a) DI continuum, b) differentiated professional learning supports, c) making space for shared professional learning, d) align/integrate/embed, and e) multi-level leadership. Our findings reflect a strong belief system of most of the participants with respect to the foundations of DI as well as an understanding of effective approaches to professional learning and school change.&nbsp

A Study of Classroom Inquiry and Reflection Among Preservice Teachers Candidates

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of four preservice teachers who used classroom inquiry and reflection to solve problems when implementing differentiated instruction in elementary classrooms during a practicum. Data from classroom observations, individual reflections, and discussions with a teacher educator were analyzed inductively. The findings show that the preservice teachers were able to describe their situations and reflect individually and collaboratively to analyze and resolve problems related to instruction, discipline, and student learning. The results extend our understanding of how teacher educators, mentors, or instructional coaches may provide preservice teachers with individualized support that can facilitate inquiry and reflection during their practica.L’objectif de ce projet de recherche était d’étudier l’expérience vécue par quatre futurs enseignants en contexte de stage. Ceux-ci ont utilisé une approche basée sur l’expérimentation et la réflexion pour résoudre des problématiques rencontrées lors de la mise en oeuvre de pratiques de différenciation. Pour ce faire, les auteurs ont effectué une analyse inductive des données recueillies lors d’observations en classe et suite à des réflexions individuelles et des discussions réalisées avec un formateur de maîtres. Les résultats démontrent que les futurs enseignants sont en mesure de décrire leur situation et de réfléchir, individuellement ou en mode collaboratif, pour analyser et trouver des solutions aux problèmes liés à l’enseignement, la discipline et l’apprentissage des élèves. Ces résultats approfondissent notre compréhension de la manière dont les formateurs, les mentors et les conseillers pédagogiques peuvent prodiguer un soutien individualisé aux futurs enseignants, facilitant l’expérimentation et la réflexion en cours de stage

Students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Inclusive Classroom Practices

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a term referring to a range of disabilities that are caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The physical characteristics (e.g., facial features) are often absent, making FASD an invisible disability. However, the effects of PAE on the brain present as cognitive, behaviour, and social impairments that range from mild to severe. The purposes of this scoping review of the research were to locate original studies relating to students with FASD educated in inclusive classroom settings and to “map” data from those studies that reflect teacher observations and classroom practices. Eight qualitative studies involving teachers and others participating in the education of students with FASD in Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States provided the data for this article. A thematic analysis of the data from the studies was conducted using qualitative methods. The findings revealed that several characteristics of FASD were observed in classroom behaviours. As well, educational practices with students who have FASD were largely ones that manipulated the environment, instructional strategies, and tasks to achieve appropriate academic and social behaviour. These practices were implemented with the entire class and were generally easy to use.