Perceptions of teamwork in inclusive classrooms

Questionnaire for teachers in inclusive classrooms

Methodological concerns regarding eye movement analysis illustrated with the assessment of training effects in inductive reasoning in at risk groups

Im Rahmen des vorliegenden Beitrags werden Problematiken von Blickbewegungsanalysen anhand von Studien, welche Trainingseffekte im schlussfolgerndem Denken von Kindern mit und ohne Lernschwierigkeiten sowie Jugendlichen mit (leichter) geistiger Behinderung evaluieren, kritisch aufgezeigt. Das Trainieren von Regeln und Lösungsprozessen ist Bestandteil von dynamischen Tests, welche z.B. die Fähigkeit zum schlussfolgernden Denken messen. Die Evaluation der Trainingseffekte kann u.a. mit Blickbewegungsanalysen vorgenommen werden, allerdings ergeben sich dabei methodische Probleme. Diese hängen unter anderem mit dem häufigeren Verlust von Blickbewegungsaufzeichnungen, infolge von ungünstigen Testbedingungen bei der Durchführung von Studien mit Kindern oder Personen mit Behinderungen, zusammen. (DIPF/Orig.)In this article several difficulties are illustrated that may arise when using eye movement equipment to analyze changes in problem solving behavior of young children and adolescents with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities as a result of training. Training of rules and procedures in analogical reasoning tasks is used, e.g., in dynamic measures of reasoning capacity. Several eye-movement studies investigating whether problem solving processes indeed change as a result of training are presented to illustrate some methodological concerns. These are related to data loss due to imperfect conditions when assessing young children or adolescents with disabilities, but also to the precision and validity of the eye-tracking data obtained. (DIPF/Orig.

Teachers’ Implementation of Inclusive Teaching Practices as a Potential Predictor for Students’ Perception of Academic, Social and Emotional Inclusion

The aim of the study was to illustrate the impact of teachers’ implementation of differentiation and individualization (perceived by students) on students’ perception of their inclusion regarding their social inclusion, emotional wellbeing and academic self-concept. The study sample comprised 824 third-to-eighth-grade students [255 males (31%) and 569 females (69%)]. Around 10% of the sample (82) had special educational needs (SEN). Students’ perceived inclusion levels and academic self-concept were examined with the Arabic version of the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ-S-AR). Students’ ratings of inclusive practices in their classroom were examined using the Arabic version of the Inclusive Teaching Practices Scale (ITPS). SEN students expressed lower perceived social inclusion, emotional inclusion, and academic self-concept in comparison with non-SEN students. Moreover, high levels of inclusive teaching practices strongly predicted students’ perceived emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept. The results of the study supported the importance of school-level inclusive teaching practices and their relation to students’ school experiences. It also highlighted the need for schools and teachers to work towards improved school-level inclusion experiences for SEN students

DI (Differentiated Instruction) Does Matter! The Effects of DI on Secondary School Students’ Well-Being, Social Inclusion and Academic Self-Concept

In consideration of the substantial increase in students’ learning demands, teachers are urged to address student heterogeneity in their daily teaching practice by means of differentiated instruction (DI). The practice of DI, as a vehicle to achieve inclusive education, not only aims to support all students’ academic learning but also foster their social and emotional development. However, current research in the field of DI has mostly been limited to an examination of its effects on students’ achievement outcomes. Consequently, the potential impact of DI on students’ socio-emotional outcomes has, till now, received very little attention. In order to address this gap in the research, the current researchers seek to investigate the effects of DI on school students’ well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. Survey participants in this study included 379 students from 23 inclusive and regular classes in secondary schools in Austria. Following multilevel analyses, the results have indicated that students’ rating of their teachers’ DI practice is positively associated with their school well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. However, a t-test for dependent samples demonstrated that students perceive their teachers’ DI practice to be infrequent. Implications of the results along with further lines of research are also presented in this paper.Peer Reviewe

Achievement and Integration of Students with Special Needs (SEN) in the Fifth Grade

In Styria 77.3% of all students with special needs are educated in integrated classrooms. Currently, it is not known much either about the school performance nor the active class participation of these students. This study examined 230 fifth grade students – 43 with and 187 students without special educational needs (SEN). Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that the available data for this study represents the first wave of larger longitudinal study. The school performance of the students with SEN ranged one standard deviation below the level of the students without SEN. All students felt emotionally well integrated in the school settings, but the differences in the degree of social integration were evident. In fact, the students with SEN mentioned that they got along well with their classmates less frequently than the students without SEN

Österreichs Integrationsklassen: Kompetenzdefi zite durch soziale Benachteiligung? Ein Vergleich zwischen Integrations- und Regelklassen

Im Rahmen des vorliegenden Kapitels wurde anhand der österreichischen Bildungsstandardüberprüfungen im Fach Deutsch für Schüler/innen der vierten und achten Schulstufe untersucht, inwiefern sich Regel- und Integrationsklassen voneinander unterscheiden. Zum einen zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass in Integrationsklassen (d. h. Klassen, in denen auch Schüler/innen mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf unterrichtet werden) eine stärkere soziale Benachteiligung vorherrscht als in Regelklassen. Zum anderen zeigt sich, dass leistungsschwache Schüler/innen eher Integrationsklassen besuchen. Ein Ausblick auf die Fragestellungen für das Fach Mathematik zeigt, dass die berichteten Hauptergebnisse, wenn auch in leicht veränderter Form, übertragbar sind. Basierend auf den Analysen werden für Regelschüler/innen die Auswirkungen von Heterogenität im Zusammenhang mit Klassenkompositionseffekten als Gelingensbedingung von Integrationsklassen zur Diskussion gestellt. (DIPF/Orig.

What is behind the diagnosis of learning disability in Austrian schools?

Every school system has to deal with children with Learning Disabilities (LD). However, the concepts of LD, the assessment procedures, the diagnostic criteria as well as their interpretation vary widely from country to country. What they usually seem to have in common is that general cognitive abilities, as measured by standardized IQ tests, are seen as an important aspect of the label.. In Austrian schools the diagnosis of LD is largely based on expert opinions provided by special education teachers. The diagnostic procedure is quite unregulated and open to individual interpretation. As a rule, standardized tests are not used in this connection. In the present study the characteristics of children with a diagnosis of LD are evaluated in terms of standardized testing. Thiry-seven pupils diagnosed as having LD and 136 regular school children were assessed at the end of the 5th grade in Austrian schools using standardized tests of intelligence, reading, writing and arithmetic skills and questionnaires regarding social integration in class, emotional integration in school and cultural capital of their families. Compared with a group of pupils without LD, matched for IQ and age, the LD children showed significantly worse basic arithmetic and reading skills, inferior social integration in class and lower familial cultural capital. A stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that poor basic arithmetic and reading skills were the strongest predictors of having a diagnosis of LD. Other variables, including IQ, had significantly less weight. The results are seen as indication of the fact that precise guidelines for diagnosing LD in the school system and a transition to a system of evidence-based allocation of resources are urgently needed