ERIC Number: ED638029
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 129
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3800-9596-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Being an Asian Student in Special Education: Do Race and Stereotypes Matter in the Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities?
Yu Zhong
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Miami University
Existing literature has shown that disproportionality in special education remains a persistent and significant issue that has garnered attention in educational research. Asian American students were found to be underrepresented in the identification of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). The consequences of disproportionality can be detrimental, leading to educational inequity, limited opportunities, and potential long-term negative impacts on students' academic and socioemotional development. Research evidence has suggested that disproportionality can arise due to various factors, and educators' biased perception is one of the contributors. This research aimed to examine the extent to which school psychologists make decisions based on their explicit and implicit attitudes toward Asian American students and investigate whether knowing the existence of risk for under-identification impacts their evaluation outcomes. A survey was designed, consisting of a hypothetical case vignette, the Internalization of the Model Minority Myth Measure (IM-4) of model minority stereotype, and a set of demographic questions. A total of 552 responses from school psychologists and school psychologist interns nationally were collected and analyzed. The binary logistic regression results showed that the interaction of student's race and the risk ratio prompt significantly impacted school psychologists' identification decisions for SLD, suggesting the existence of racial bias during the decision-making process. However, these two factors did not affect their confidence levels. Additionally, this research also explored school psychologists' perceptions about Asian American students. Results showed that participants reported that they tend to neither disagree nor agree with the Model Minority Stereotype (MM)-Achievement Orientation and somewhat disagree with the MM-Unrestricted Mobility belief. A MANOVA test revealed that participants' roles and the percentage of Asian American students enrolled impact the level of endorsing the stereotypical beliefs. Lastly, participants' endorsement of MM-Mobility was found to have a negative relationship with the possibility of identifying Asian American students for special education services. This research contributes to the limited literature on the disproportionality of Asian American students in special education. Being over- or underidentified in special education could lead to the neglect of students who require services. For Asian American students, who have already reported experiences of peer and adult discrimination, being underidentified may further impact their academic growth and socio-emotional well-being. The findings of this research will hopefully contribute to the literature on students with minority backgrounds in special education and promote more research and practical attention for suitable educational services and support to these students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Asian American Students, Disproportionate Representation, Learning Disabilities, Disability Identification, Ethnic Stereotypes, Racism, School Psychologists, Attitudes, Special Education, Students with Disabilities
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A