Presentation of Visual Impairments in Introduction to Special Education Textbooks

Amy R. McKenzie, Ed.D. & Sandra Lewis, Ed.D.Florida State University ~ AER International Conference 2010

Thank You!

The presenters would like to thank FSU graduate students Ms. Lauren Barr and Ms. Amber James for their assistance with data collection and analysis throughout this study.

Presentation Outline

Background Methods Results Implications

Future Research Practice

Discussion/Questions

Background

Interested in what students preparing to be general or special educators, who may serve students with visual impairments in varying exceptionalities or interrelated classes, were learning about the needs of these students.

Concerned that the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) was not being addressed.

Concerned about too much emphasis on “wonders of technology” in some books.

Previous Research

Campbell, C., & Collins, V. L. (2007). Identifying essential topics in general and special education introductory assessment textbooks. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 26(1), 9-18.

Dinnebeil, L. A. (2003). Choosing a textbook for an introductory early intervention course: Comparing content and features. Teacher Education and Special Education, 26(1), 83-86.

Foster, H. L., & Iannaccone, C. J. (1994). Muliticultural content in special education introductory textbooks. The Journal of Special Education, 28(1), 77-92.

Hobbs, T., Westling, D., & Hatoum, R. (1996). Treatment of positive behavioral support concepts in currently used textbooks. Teacher Education and Special Education, 19(1), 71-80.

Prater, M. A., Sileo, T. W., & Sileo, N.M. (1997). Introduction to the field of exceptionalities: Do textbooks reflect cultural diversity? Teacher Education and Special Education, 20(1), 11-21.

Invited Participants

4 Practicing TVIs 4 University Personnel 4 State Consultants 4 Residential School Administrators

9 of the 16 (56%) people invited to respond returned either the print or the online survey.

Methods: Textbook Topics

A Topical Survey Tool was created by the authors based on 19 topics regarding the education and unique characteristics of students with visual impairments

The 19 topics were selected and described based on the content found in The Foundations of Education, Second Edition, Volume I (Holbrook & Koenig, 2000) and Volume II (Koenig & Holbrook, 2000).

Textbook Topics

Historical Perspectives This area includes the significant historical figures

responsible for building the foundation for services to students with visual impairment; emergence of educational facilities; history of federal/state legislation leading to services for students with visual impairments; and education options for students with visual impairments.

Educational Laws and Policies This area includes information on the educational

programming process; components of the IFSP/IEP; placement options for students with visual impairments; and federal special education legislation.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Growth and Development This area includes theories of child development

that support the practice of early childhood education; theoretical models of development of children in middle childhood and adolescence; and the impact of visual impairments and other disabilities on the development and learning of children.

The Visual System This area includes the individual parts and

function of the eye; structural problems that affect visual functioning; common causes of visual impairment; diagnosis of specific visual conditions; and interpretation of eye reports.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Professional Practice This area includes information about the code

of ethics for disciplines in the field of visual impairments; describes the positions of vision professionals in the field and the preparation needed to become a vision professional; and professional organizations and publications.

Educational Teaming This area includes information about the role

of the TVI on the educational team; role of other team members; and various models of teaming.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Assessment This area includes information regarding the assessment

process; purpose of assessment of students with visual impairment; IDEA guidelines and implications for student assessment; process and sequence of assessment of students; types of specialized assessments; and strategies for modifying formal assessments.

Techniques for Modifying Instruction This area includes information regarding the need to

modify instruction for students with visual impairments; strategies for modifying instruction; adaptation of educational materials using visual, tactile, and auditory methods; and teacher-student communication and expectations.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Visual Efficiency This area includes information about the importance

of visual efficiency skills for learners with low vision; terminology related to low vision/blindness; description of near and distance vision devices; and instructional strategies that are used when learning non-optical approaches and use of low vision optical devices.

Assistive Technology This area includes information about the importance

of receiving instruction in the use of assistive technology; the types of devices that are available, approaches students use to access computers, written materials, and the internet.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Orientation and Mobility This area includes information about the role of

certified Orientation and Mobility specialists; O&M concepts and skills; instructional strategies; and modifications that promote travel in schools and the community.

Recreation and Leisure Skills This area includes information about the importance

of developing recreation and leisure skills; methods recreation and leisure skills might be taught; descriptions of noncompetitive and competitive activities; and modifications for students with visual impairment.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Literacy This area includes information about the literacy

development of children with visual impairments; types of assessments used to determine the stage of literacy development; activities and strategies to foster development of literacy; braille, large print, and strategies used to include students in the literacy instruction being provided in the general education classroom.

Social Skills This area includes information about the importance of

developing appropriate social skills; definitions for terminology related to social skills; explanation of why these skills might be at risk in this population; and social skills instructional strategies.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Self-Determination This area includes information about the importance

of developing self-determination skills; definition of self-determination; explanation of why these skills might be at risk in this population; and activities to be addressed through self-determination instruction.

Independent Living Skills This area includes information about the importance of

receiving instruction in independent living skills, explanation of why these skills might be at risk in this population; activities to be addressed through independent living skills instruction; and the strategies TVIs might use to incorporate instruction in students’ programs.

Textbook Topics (continued)

Career Education This area includes information about importance of

receiving specific career education; explanation of why these skills might be at risk in this population; and career education instructional strategies for all age levels.

Multiple Disabilities This area includes information about students with visual

impairments and additional disabilities; characteristics associated with each disability; impact of the disabilities on development; role of the TVI on the team for students with multiple disabilities; adaptation of instruction; strategies for enhancing communication, movement, and transition into adult life.

Methods: Textbook Topics Survey Instructions to Survey Participants Using 50 points, please distribute these

points across the areas by giving more points to areas which you feel are the most important and fewer points to the areas which you feel are least important.

Textbook Topic Surveys were completed either online or in hardcopy.

Results: Textbook Topics Survey

Modifying Instruction (8.4%)

Literacy (8.2%) MIVI (7.8%) Assessment (6.8%) Visual Efficiency (5.9%) Social Skills (5.9%) Daily Living Skills (5.4%) Career Education (5.4%) Growth/Development

(5.2%) O&M (5.1%)

Assistive Technology (4.8%)

Ed. Law & Policy (4.7%) Educational Teaming

(4.7%) Visual System (4.4%) Self-Determination (4.2) Professional Practice

(4.1%) Recreation & Leisure

(3.9%) History (3.4%) Multicultural (3.2%)

Results: Textbook Topics Survey

Modifying Instruction (8.4%)

Literacy (8.2%) MIVI (7.8%) Assessment (6.8%) Visual Efficiency (5.9%) Social Skills (5.9%) Daily Living Skills

(5.4%) Career Education (5.4%) Growth/Development

(5.2%) O&M (5.1%)

Assistive Technology (4.8%)

Ed. Law & Policy (4.7%) Educational Teaming

(4.7%) Visual System (4.4%) Self-Determination (4.2) Professional Practice

(4.1%) Recreation & Leisure

(3.9%) History (3.4%) Multicultural (3.2%)

Methods: Textbook Selection The textbooks used in Introduction to

Special Education courses at each of the US News and World Report’s Top 50 Colleges of Education were documented Nine universities did not offer a introduction

to special education course Textbook information for four universities

could not be found

Results: Textbook Selection

1. Exceptional Children (Heward)

2. Exceptional Learning: An Introduction to Special Education (Hallahan & Kauffman)

3. Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s School (Turnbull et al.)

4. Introduction to Special Education: Making a Difference (Deutsch Smith)

5. Special Education (Friend)

6. Human Exceptionality (Hardman et al.)

7. Exceptional Individuals in Focus (Blackbourn et al.)

8. Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Classrooms (Bryant et al.)

9. Special Education for Today's Teachers: An Introduction (Rosenberg, et al.)

10. Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings (Smith et al.)

11. Exceptional Students: Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century (Taylor, et al.)

Methods: Chapter Content

Last, the content of the visual impairment or sensory impairment chapters from the 11 textbooks were coded according to the 19 topics rated by the study’s experts.

Following extensive training and multiple interrater reliability exercises, 2 research assistants separately coded chapter content using the 19 topics.

Both entered topical totals were entered into Excel spreadsheets; responses were considered in agreement if less than ¼ of a page difference existed; averages were calculated.

Results: The Textbooks

Pages in Book Chapter X of Y

Pages in

Chapter

Pages on VI

% Chapter on VI

% of Book

White Space

Blackbourn et al. 318 9 of 15 17 17 100 5.4 6.6Bryant et al. 630 3 of 13 48 5.5 11 1.0 1.5Deutsch-Smith 624 11 of 14 36 36 100 5.8 6.3Friend 601 11 of 15 33 33 100 5.5 9.9Hallahan & Kauffman 610 11 of 15 38 38 100 6.2 10.4Hardman et al. 519 13 of 15 44 23 52.5 8.5 2.9Heward 637 10 of 15 40 40 100 6.3 9.2Rosenberg et al. 518 13 of 16 27 17.8 66 5.2 7.4Smith et al. 614 10 of 16 46 15.6 34 7.5 4.9Taylor et al. 545 9 of 15 36 36 100 6.6 9.0Turnbull et al. 487 15 of 16 32 32 100 6.6 6.3

Results: Chapter Content - ECC Areas

Author Literacy Visual Efficiency

Social Skills

Independent Living Skills

Career Skills O&M Assistive

TechnologySelf-

DeterminationRecreation and Leisure

Experts 8.2 5.9 5.9 5.4 5.4 5.1 4.8 4.2 3.9

Blackbourn et al. 0.0 4.4 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 2.9 0.0 0.0

Bryant et al. 0.1 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 .8 0.0 0.0 0.0

Deutsch Smith 10.4 7.0 3.5 1.0 1.7 4.7 7.3 0.0 0.0

Friend 5.8 4.0 3.8 0.0 4.7 0.0 6.1 0.0 0.0Hallahan & Kauffman 3.9 3.5 4.1 5.2 1.3 10.1 6.7 0.0 0.0

Hardman, et al. 4.3 2.3 1.0 0.6 0.0 3.1 3.7 0.0 0.0

Heward 5.6 4.7 2.7 2.8 0.0 2.6 10.4 0.9 0.0

Rosenberg et al. 1.4 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0

Smith et al. 0.0 0.8 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 0.0 0.8

Taylor et al. 3.2 5.2 3.2 0.4 4.3 3.8 3.2 0.0 0.8

Turnbull et al. 9.0 1.7 0.7 1.7 0.4 2.7 2.7 1.2 0.0

Results: Chapter Content - Other Topics

Author White Space

Modifying Instruction MIVI Assessment Growth &

DevelopmentLaw & Policy Teaming Visual

SystemProfessional

Practice HistoryMulticultural

Issues

Experts 8.4 7.8 6.8 5.2 4.7 4.7 4.4 4.1 3.4 3.2

Blackbourn et al. 6.6 7.4 2.2 0.0 0.0 16.3 0.0 12.5 0.0 0.0 0.0

Bryant et al. 1.5 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

Deutsch-Smith 6.3 9.4 0.0 2.3 2.0 0.9 3.8 8.0 0.7 4.6 0.0

Friend 9.9 7.4 0.0 1.4 3.0 7.0 1.0 7.3 3.5 5.3 0.0

Hallahan & Kauffman

10.4 7.7 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.8 1.7 9.7 1.6 2.0 0.0

Hardman, et al. 2.9 3.8 5.4 0.6 0.5 2.0 0.0 10.8 0.0 0.0 0.0

Heward 9.2 16.2 0.3 0.0 2.8 9.4 0.9 11.0 5.5 2.8 0.0

Rosenberg et al. 7.4 11.7 13.3 0.5 2.8 2.6 0.0 6.0 5.8 0.5 0.0

Smith et al. 4.9 9.8 1.4 1.6 0.5 1.5 0.8 2.7 0.0 0.0 0.0

Taylor et al. 9.0 19.7 0.0 9.5 1.0 3.9 0.0 5.9 5.5 4.6 0.0

Turnbull et al. 6.3 19.6 0.0 14.7 6.6 4.2 3.9 7.0 8.5 0.0 0.5

Results: Chapter Content

The following textbooks had distributions of content that most closely matched the targeted % of the experts:

Turnbull et al. Literacy, Growth and Development, Law and Policy, and

Teaming Taylor, et al.

Assessment, Visual Efficiency, Visual System Hallahan et al.

Modifying Instruction, Social Skills, Independent Living Skills

Hardman et al. MIVI, Assistive Technology

Friend Career Education, Professional Practice

Results: Chapter Content

The following textbook chapters most extensively covered the ECC:

Turnbull et al. – Address 8 of the 9 ECC areas

Taylor et al. – Address 8 of the 9 ECC areas

Heward – Addresses 7 of the 9 ECC areas Hallahan & Kaufman – Address 7 of the 9

ECC areas Deutsch Smith – Addresses 7 of the 9

ECC areas

Implications for Future Research Expand the current study’s analysis of the

quality of content; is the content factually correct and presented without bias?

Conduct surveys of general and special education students regarding knowledge and skills for working with students who are visually impaired prior to graduation

Investigate the comfort levels of general and special education student teachers working with students with visual impairments

Implications for Future Research Investigate if general educators and

special educators can provide minimal levels of services to students with visual impairments in their classrooms.

Replicate the current study using rehabilitation counseling textbooks.

Implications for Practice

Based on the results of the study, we can conclude:

Special and general educators will not know a lot about visual impairments and blindness

It is unknown if the chapters/visual impairments are even covered in the Introduction to Special Education courses The majority (n = 6) of chapters were located

in the last 2/5th of the textbook Three of the chapters were located in the last

1/5th of the textbook

Implications for Practice

TVIs cannot assume knowledge of visual impairments in the general and special educators with whom they work Introduction to Special Education course

includes the only content received on visual impairments during a program of study

The course is typically offered early in sequence of instruction, before learning the majority of their special education knowledge and long application of knowledge and skills in the classroom

Questions? Comments?