The Effects of a Sensibility Training Approach on the Attitudes of General Education Teachers Towards the Inclusion of Students with Special Needs

1
The Effects of a SensibilityTraining Approach on
theAttitudes of General EducationTeachers
Towards the Inclusion of Students with Special
Needs

• By
• Luz M. Torres, Ed. D.
• University of Puerto Rico
• Faculty of Education

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Difficulties of Students with Special Needs
(Vaughn, 1994)

• Frustration
• Lack of problem solving skills
• Feeling of unacceptance from the school community
• Low self concept
• Little motivation

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Purpose of the Study

• Determine the effect of a sensibility training
  approach on the attitudes of general education
  teachers towards the inclusion of students with
  low vision and other special needs

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Procedures

• Pilot study to test the training approach
• Construction and validation of the instrument
  (Fishbeins Reasoned Action Theory)
• Study

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Fishbeins Theory of Reasoned Action (1980)

• Semantical differential scale
• Determinants of human behavior
• Assumption
• -Different beliefs determine behavior
  decisions in the people as much as the
  beliefs of the peer group.
• Factors
• -Personal nature (affective feeling)
• -Social influence (subjective norm)

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Content Validation (Lynn, 1996)

• Internal validity - .96(alpha coefficient of item
  analysis)
• Random sample of high school teachers from the
  San Juan Educational Region
• Randomly assigned to two groups
• -Experimental group 24
• -Control group 25

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The Study

• Two Consecutive days for six hour sessions each
  day
• -Correct limitations of traditional
• approaches
• -Based on the principle that every learning
• experience must be oriented to the domain
• of skill development in order to motivate
• action
• -New approaches - active research instead of
  passive listening to conferences

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Sensitivity Training

• Personal Development
• Professional Development
• Technical Development

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Statistical Analysis

• MONOVA Test (SPPS-x)
• -Established differences between the two groups
  in three variables measured simultaneously for
  the four inclusion behaviors studied

• Attitude and subjective norm was
• positive as predicted in Fishbeins
• theory

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The Longitudinal Study

• The attitude questionnaire was administered on a
  second occasion to the experimental group one
  year after the initial treatment
• -19 out of 24 individuals from the initial group
  participated (79)
• -Open questions were added
• -Test of dependent samples
• Intention to act and attitude increased
  positively
• Subjective norm was not statistically different

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Important Findings

• Most important findings
• -Answers to open questions support
• statistical results
• -Answers to open questions help clarify
• the respondents feelings related to
• inclusion of students with low vision
• and other special needs

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Remarks

• I feel happy because I had support
• Im more confident and sensible now
• Some teachers feel it is too much work but these
  students need help and an opportunity
• Im here to help them
• The opinion of others does not affect me because
  I feel prepared to help if needed
• Im more patient now

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Activities developed to satisfy student needs

• Individualized help
• Adapted materials
• Reorganization of the working areas
• Special assignments
• Reinforcement of special abilities
• Participation in community activities
• Peer tutoring
• Cooperative work
• Others

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Activities to provide appropriate social
environment

• Group therapy to improve social relations
• Group dynamics
• Group discussions
• Talent shows
• Continuous reinforcement and motivation
• Parent interviews
• Others

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Help and resources used

• Special education teacher
• General program students
• Social worker
• Counselor
• Visual aids
• Teacher aid

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Subjects evaluation of the experience

• Beautiful
• Empowering
• A learning experience
• Very reinforcing
• A challenge
• Stimulating to become a better teacher
• Reinforcing but sometimes tiring
• Effective in sensibilization of students and
  teachers

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Recommendations

• Promote practical experiences as a training
  strategy
• Promote team work
• Enhance instruction through demonstrations and
  field work
• Increase sensibility to student needs
• Promote student participation in planning their
  own learning experiences
• Provide for socialization activities

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Recommendations

• Plan for dynamic and enthusiastic instruction
• Use theory to explain experience and practice
• Use introspection for self analysis and evaluation