ERIC Number: EJ1091442
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1034-912X
EISSN: N/A
Special Teachers' Educational Responses in Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the Domain of Social Skills Development
Vlachou, Anastasia; Stavroussi, Panayiota; Didaskalou, Eleni
International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, v63 n1 p79-97 2016
The acquisition of appropriate social skills is considered critical for a person's social development and personal well-being. This consideration is far more crucial in the area of inclusive education, where the development of social skills in children with SEN has been associated with academic progress, social inclusion and successful transition to adult life. Special teachers are considered to be critical agents in designing and implementing school-based interventions targeting at the social development of students with SEN. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the responses of forty (40) Greek special education teachers about dealing with the difficulties experienced by students with SEN in the social domain. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and were coded and analysed according to the principles of the inductive data-driven analysis approach. The analysis revealed that special teachers had to respond to a wide range of difficulties concerning the students' social skills that were mainly associated with the formation and maintenance of peer relations, the development of assertion, self-management, compliance and academic related skills. The participant teachers used a repertoire of strategies. However, their responses were not a part of a systematic social skills programming. Furthermore, many participants did not consider themselves efficient enough to create and implement such programmes. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to advance the initial training and professional development programmes of special teachers by incorporating courses related to designing and implementing multi-layered and holistic school-based interventions targeting at the social skills development of students with SEN.
Descriptors: Interpersonal Competence, Social Development, Skill Development, Disabilities, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Role, Qualitative Research, Teacher Attitudes, Semi Structured Interviews, Coding, Barriers, Peer Relationship, Self Control, Compliance (Psychology), Student Behavior, Academic Ability, Foreign Countries, Inclusion, Elementary Schools
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A