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Educational Service Provision for Students with Mild Intellectual Disability: Curriculum and Programming, Teaching Strategies and Classroom Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Robert Conway ,
Greg Robinson ,
Phil Foreman  and
Ian Dempsey
Robert Conway*
Affiliation:
Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle
Greg Robinson
Affiliation:
Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle
Phil Foreman
Affiliation:
Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle
Ian Dempsey
Affiliation:
Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Robert Conway, Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308.
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Abstract

This paper is the second of two which report the results of a three stage study of educational services to students with mild intellectual disability in two NSW Department of School Education regions. The three phases of the study involved a teacher questionnaire, a teacher interview and classroom observations. This paper reports results in the areas of curriculum and programming, teaching strategies and materials, and classroom management techniques within the special class setting. The study found that 85% of teachers would like a specific curriculum for students with mild intellectual disability and a similar percentage saw a need for greater inservicing and feedback on their programming. While teachers reported the use of a variety of teaching techniques including small group instruction, classroom observations showed that individual or whole class instruction was commonly used with no evidence of data-based instruction, cognitive, metacognitive or problem solving strategies. Some teachers found that classroom management took a considerable amount of their time while others, including those observed, had strong classroom control. Recommendations based on the findings in each of the three areas are also reported and discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , 1996 , pp. 25 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © The Australian Association of Special Education 1996

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