scholarly journals UAE Teachers’ Awareness & Perceptions of Testing Modifications

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hala Elhoweris Elhoweris ◽  
Negmeldin Alsheikh

The objectives of this study were threefold: (a) to determine whether the Unit-ed Arab Emirates (UAE) general and special education teachers were making any specific testing modifications for students with disabilities; (b) to survey UAE general and special education teachers’ perceptions of testing modifications in terms of their usefulness, easiness, and fairness; and (c) to explore possible differences between general and special education teachers’ aware-ness and perceptions of testing modifications. Two hundred and eleven UAE general and special education teachers participated in this study. Results re-vealed that participants have a moderate level of awareness of testing modifications when assessing students with disabilities. Additionally, UAE teachers as a group perceived testing modifications as easy to make and fair. Statistically significant differences were found between general and special education teachers where special education teachers were found to be more informed than general education teachers.

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Bettini ◽  
Nathan D. Jones ◽  
Mary T. Brownell ◽  
Maureen A. Conroy ◽  
Walter L. Leite

Novice special education teachers (SETs) consistently report feeling overwhelmed by their workloads, and their perceptions of their workloads predict outcomes of concern, such as burnout and plans to quit teaching. Yet, to date, research provides few insights into feasible strategies school leaders could use to help novices better manage workloads. Therefore, we examined how school social resources contribute to novice SETs’ and general education teachers’ (GETs) perceptions of workload manageability. We found that novice SETs’ perceptions of workload manageability were predicted by instructional interactions with colleagues and schools’ cultures of collective responsibility for students with disabilities, but not by instructional interactions with mentors. The pattern of relationships differed for GETs, suggesting different populations of novices may benefit from different supports.


1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 347-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Watson Moody ◽  
Sharon Vaughn ◽  
Jeanne Shay Schumm

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of general and special education teachers' perceptions of grouping for reading and the types of grouping patterns that are implemented in classrooms in a diverse urban school district. Forty-nine third-grade teachers (29 general education teachers who had students with learning disabilities in their class for part of the day and 20 special education teachers) participated in the study. Individual and focus group interviews were used. The results of the interviews revealed that teachers value control over their decisions on how to group for reading. General education teachers indicated that they feel constrained by the demands of the district and school administration, whereas special education teachers believe they have more autonomy in their grouping decisions. The majority of the general educators reported predominant use of a whole class grouping format, whereas special education teachers used a more varied format. For the most part, general educators endorsed mixed-ability grouping arrangements for both social and academic reasons. Special educators, on the other hand, supported same-ability groups. The discussion provides insights into why teachers do not differentiate instruction when teaching in classrooms that have culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse student populations. The need for professional development in flexible grouping strategies is also addressed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Y. Mngo ◽  
Agnes Y. Mngo

The opinions of general education secondary school teachers in seven select schools involved in a pilot inclusive education program in the Northwest Region of Cameroon were sought. The findings reveal that most teachers in Cameroon still prefer separate special education institutions to inclusive ones. These conclusions contradict earlier research which showed that resistance to integrated classrooms was emanating from beliefs and customs. Teachers with some training on teaching students with disabilities and more experienced and highly educated teachers were more supportive of inclusive education indicating that resistance to the practice is linked to inadequate or complete lack of teachers’ preparedness. Younger, less experienced teachers with no training in special education indicated less enthusiasm regarding the benefits of inclusion, their ability to manage integrated classrooms, and teach students with disabilities. The implication of these findings for future research, institutional support systems, institutional policies, and overall instructional leadership is discussed in this article.


Author(s):  
Delinda van Garderen ◽  
Amy Scheuermann ◽  
Apryl L. Poch

In this article, we present findings that examined special education teachers’ perception of students’ with disabilities ability, instructional needs, and difficulties for using visual representations (VRs) as a strategy to solve mathematics problems. In addition, whether these perceptions differed by instructional grade or setting currently teaching was examined. Survey data from 97 in-service teachers revealed, regardless of instructional setting or grade level taught, that they believe students with disabilities have the ability to learn about and use VRs and need to be taught to use VRs. Furthermore, the special education teachers perceived students with disabilities to have difficulty with all aspects related to using VRs in mathematical problem-solving. Implications for teacher training and development are provided.


1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myrna R. Olson ◽  
Lynne Chalmers ◽  
John H. Hoover

School principals and special education teachers identified general education teachers who were the most skilled at including students with disabilities in their classrooms. After 10 individuals identified by both principals and special educators were interviewed, seven themes emerged. These teachers (a) described their own personalities as tolerant, reflective, and flexible; (b) accepted responsibility for all students; (c) described a positive working relationship with special educators; (d) reported adjusting expectations for integrated students; (e) indicated that their primary inclusionary attitude was showing interpersonal warmth and acceptance in their interactions with students; (f) felt that there was insufficient time available for collaboration; and (g) expressed reservations about fully including all students. Results are discussed in terms of teacher preparation, administrative practices, implications for increased inclusion, and suggestions for further research.


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