This basic interpretive qualitative study investigated the benefits and challenges of inclusive choir singing for youth with exceptionalities. Fourteen participants were recruited for this study including youth choir members with exceptionalities, parents, family members (e.g., siblings), choir directors, and a choir manager. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. The study findings included four main overarching themes: health benefits, positive aspects, challenges, and inclusive choir singing as different than other activities. The current study’s findings have contributed to furthering research in the area of singing and health, and have several implications for both practice and future research in the area.

Abstract Two purposes guided this study. First, the researcher explored in-service teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and barriers physical activity had on students with exceptionalities in school-based activities. Second, the researcher explored in-service teachers’ perceptions of physical activity and how their attitudes affected student’s learning. One hundred and fifty eight in-service, postgraduate (teachers taking courses in Education) and graduate teachers (teachers taking graduate level courses) volunteered to participate in this study. In-service teachers teaching in Kindergarten to grade 12 classrooms were either employed with a rural school division in Central Saskatchewan or a rural school division in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. Data was collected using adapted versions the Physical Educators’ Attitude Toward Teaching Individual with Disabilities-III (PEATID-III) (Rizzo, 1993) and the Physical Educators’ Judgement about Inclusion (PEJI) (Hodge, Murata, & Kozub, 2002) in this study. Volunteered participants completed the amalgamated adapted survey titled, Physical Educators’ Judgments and Attitude Towards Teaching Individuals with Exceptionalities. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between teacher characteristics (e.g., gender, age, whether participants had taught physical education, participants ratings of fitness) and the six survey subscales (e.g., outcomes of teaching students with exceptionalities, effects on student learning, need for more academic preparation, judgement about inclusion, judgement about acceptance of students with exceptionalities, and judgement about perceived training needs) to investigate if there were any statistically significant relationships. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used to examine potential differences between teachers’ attitudes toward instructing students with exceptionalities and the teacher characteristics (number of special education courses taken, years of teaching experience with exceptionalities, and number of adapted PE courses taken). All six subscales were examined compared with teacher characteristics to find potential differences between teachers’ attitudes toward instructing students with exceptionalities and varying levels of experience and pre-service training. Results showed years of teaching experience and academic preparation influenced teachers’ attitudes towards instructing students with exceptionalities. Physical education teachers who had more additional training had higher self-reported ratings of their ability to teach physical education to all students than physical education teachers with less additional training. Results also indicated the older teachers were, the more negative attitudes they had toward wanting students with exceptionalities in their classrooms. These results support the body of evidence that shows there is a need to promote positive attitudes in the schools toward teaching individuals with exceptionalities physical activity.

The purpose of this study was to compare pre-service and in-service teachers and coaches attitudes toward instructing children and adolescents with exceptionalities as part of the regular physical education and athletic programs. Surveys were distributed to approximately 100 in-service teachers (i.e., classroom teachers, special educators, and physical educators from kindergarten through to grade eight) from an urban school division in Saskatchewan and 100 pre-service teachers enrolled in a college of education at a Western Canadian university to explore their attitudes toward instructing students with exceptionalities as part of the regular physical education/athletic program. Seventy-seven pre-service teachers and 92 in-service teachers completed an adapted version of the Physical Educators Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III (PEATID-III) (Rizzo, 1993).<p> Descriptive, inferential (analysis of variance), and correlational analyses were used to compare and explore relationships between survey factors and participants individual characteristics (e.g., independent variables of gender, age, years of experience, number of physical education classes taken). Significant differences were found between teachers and coaches years of experience teaching/coaching students with exceptionalities (no experience to less than six months, 6 months to 2 years experience, and 2 or more years experience) and teachers attitudes toward the outcomes of teaching students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and mild to moderate cognitive delay (COGN). No statistically significant differences were found between years of experience teaching/coaching students with exceptionalities and the outcomes of teaching students with emotional behavioural disorders (EBD). Correlational analyses were used to determine relationships between independent variables (e.g., pre-service and in-service teachers/coaches years of teaching/coaching) and the outcomes of instructing students with exceptionalities in regular physical education/athletic programs (Factor 1). Both pre-service and in-service teachers rated the overall quality of their teaching/coaching experience with students with exceptionalities as satisfactory to very good. Yet, the majority of participants reported a competence rating of not at all competent to somewhat competent (e.g., 58.6% of participants had a competence rating of somewhat competent). Inconsistent teacher/coach responses may have been affected by participants answering the questions in a manner which they considered to be in agreement with socially acceptable perceptions of inclusion. Furthermore, educators believed that more training, experience, and education would improve competency levels in effective instruction. Practical implications for practice and direction for future research are discussed.

Parental involvement in education, such as parent-teacher communication, is important for promoting students' success (e.g., Jeynes, 2007). Parental involvement is especially important for students with exceptionalities who face greater challenges to their learning than their peers (Keen, 2007; Taylor, 2000). However, there is very little research on the subject. This study investigated the present state of parent-teacher communication regarding students with exceptionalities and compared it to communication regarding students without exceptionalities. It also examined the barriers to satisfactory parent-teacher communication and solutions for improvement. Family systems theory provided the framework for the research questions (Friend & Cook, 2013) and data analysis. Parents or primary caregivers of a student with an exceptionality (n = 199) or without an exceptionality (n = 423) completed the Parent-Teacher Communication Survey (PTCS). Results found parents and teachers of students with exceptionalities chose to communicate by text or email when communication was infrequent. However, the few parents that were in contact more than once a week tended to use written or face-to-face interactions. Parents of children with and without exceptionalities did not differ significantly in how often they communicated. However, parents of students with exceptionalities were more likely to discuss a variety of topics related to their child's performance in school (e.g., homework completion, peer relationships, classroom behaviour) and be less satisfied with their communication experiences. While some parents reported satisfactory parent-teacher communication experiences, many parents of children with and without exceptionalities struggled to obtain high quality, high frequency, two-way communication with teachers. This research provides an initial understanding of parents' perspectives on the current practices of parent-teacher communication (e.g., modes of communication, topics, frequency, barriers to satisfactory communication) that can inform educators, and other professionals who work with students with exceptionalities and their families, and enable all parties to evaluate and improve their own communication practices. Future research is needed to further our understanding of parents' and teachers' experiences communicating about students with exceptionalities, particularly explorations into teachers' perspectives and the effect of student age on parent-teacher communication.

Low motivation levels experienced by students with exceptionalities in the area of mathematics are often cited as a major factor negatively affecting their potential for success (Baird & Scott, 2009; Reichrath, de Witte, & Winkens, 2010). In the wake of many ongoing experiments using new mobile technology and tablet devices in schools, this study examines the use of iPads from Apple in a secondary mathematics classroom and its potential effect on the motivation of students with exceptionalities. In addition, the study also takes an exploratory approach to documenting the factors impacting the planning, implementation and student use of mobile devices in the classroom. A total of 16 students, 1 teacher and 1 educational assistant participated in this study. A mixed methodology approach was taken which included collecting evidence from surveys and scales as well as from descriptive journals, interviews and observational field notes. In order to assess the students’ level of motivation, the four attributes from Keller’s 2006 ARCS Model were used as the basic analysis framework. These were: attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction (Keller, ARCS Model, 2006). Preliminary analysis of the attributes indicates relative consistency over the course of the study, with some minor oddities explained further in the conclusions. An extensive list of exploratory findings regarding planning, implementation and student use of mobile devices in the mathematics classroom with students with exceptionalities indicated both positive and negative aspects regarding the integration of the devices. Some positive aspects include the ability to meet the needs of different levels, and types, of learners with a number of applications, as well as a noticed increase in the collaboration and healthy competition among students. Contrary to this, some negative aspects include the lack of availability of topic-specific applications and the level of frustration experienced by some student in the initial stages of learning a new application. / UOIT

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between parents of children with exceptionalities and educational professionals. The guiding question of this study was: How do parents of children with exceptionalities describe their relationships with educational professionals? Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory and Crockett's (2002) star model for Special Education Planning provided the framework for this qualitative inquiry. Methods included a content analysis of four decades of journal abstracts depicting the past voices of parents of exceptional children. This historical review spanned articles about the following topics: a child's exceptionality being the result of physical or social heredity; educators as experts who train parents; the involvement of parents sought in certain instances; and, finally, professionals seeking out parental impressions and perspectives of educational practices. Current voices of 14 parents of children with exceptionalities were captured by individual and group interviews, as well as observations at an open parent meeting led by state officials. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the qualitative data. The study found current parental dissatisfaction, mainly concerning their relationships with general education professionals. The study's findings were grouped into four thematic categories: Communication, Caring, Competence, and Continuity. A model of parent-professional relationships depicting these categories was developed to inform both special and regular educators of parents' concerns, and, to assist in the establishment and maintenance of ongoing positive relationships. / Ph. D.

This study focuses on developing teaching strategies for teachers who teach in classes for students identified as Gifted and Talented with Special Learning Disabilities situated in Israeli secondary schools. The focus is on the challenges teachers meet while teaching Humanities Subjects (HS) to these students and the strategies they need in addressing their dual exceptionalities. The main purpose of this study is to examine how specific strategies may contribute towards both to quality of teaching and to a better learning environment. Research has shown that gifted students who are diagnosed with learning disabilities in writing skills (2ELs) have difficulties especially in HS and achieve less academically than may suggest their high abilities. The combination of giftedness with learning disabilities and underachievement creates special challenges for their teachers to counter, and for which they need specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. In my study, I developed a model of teaching strategies which combines three strategies from the field of teaching gifted students and from the field of special education which are helpful in the humanities disciplines. I created a manual for teachers' CPD that includes this model and I conducted a seminar using this manual for the participant teachers in my research. This was followed by an implementation of the manual by these teachers in their classrooms that includes 2ELs. My qualitative research was based on the case studies of two teachers teaching HS in two high school classrooms, totalling sixty 2ELs. The information was collected through observations, interviews, and open questionnaires. I then analysed the information using an inductive approach as pattern recognition and inclusion into categories. The research findings of this study describe the difficulties that teachers may face with 2ELs and my claim to knowledge is the AAA Model of Strategies and the manual for teachers and their contribution to teachers of 2Els and their students. The recent research fills this particular gap in the literature, in the Israeli context, and the findings of this study bear policy implications and indicate the need for the tailoring of relevant teachers’ CPD' programmes to include strategies to better address the needs of 2ELs for optimal success in fulfilling their potential and overcoming their difficulties. Future research may achieve a deeper understanding of how to prepare teachers to use adjusted strategies that meet 2Els teachers in various disciplines in order to improve learning environment.

This paper was written using various research based sources to determine the effects of self-esteem on learning and behaviors and whether or not the use of magic tricks can play a role in raising self-esteem and in motivating learning for children with exceptionalities. There have been multiple studies that show self-esteem has a significant effect on a child's ability to learn as well as studies that show self-esteem plays a role in a child's behavior. There are opposing studies showing that self-esteem has no effect on learning and behavior in children with and without exceptionalities. There was no information found that state high self-esteem has a negative effect on learning or motivation in children with exceptionalities or without exceptionalities. Regardless of whether or not one agrees that self-esteem affects learning and behavior in children with exceptionalities, it is important that educators find ways to help all children with exceptionalities, as well as without exceptionalities, improve their self-esteem thereby possibly helping improve learning, behavior, and motivation. One possible way to help raise self-esteem in children with exceptionalities is the use of magic tricks inside and outside the classroom. Incorporating the use of magic tricks in lessons seems to motivate learning. The information on the use of using magic tricks to raise self-esteem is limited to few articles and only one study. While the information on using magic to improve self-esteem in children with exceptionalities is limited, the information collected to date all state positive results using magic tricks to not only raise self-esteem but to also to motivate learning in children with exceptionalities.

While sorting through my experiences as a student teacher, my research question has shifted from “How can teacher education be improved?” to “How is teacher education represented?” I am interested in the juxtaposition of these two inquiries, and use them not to suggest pedagogical rules, but to draw attention to the kinds of spaces such a juxtaposition opens up. The shift in my research question is influenced by the discursive turn—the movement from social justice theories to poststructuralist theories, from theories based on experience to theories based on discourse. Questions of representation are the focus not only of poststructuralist theories but also of psychoanalytic theories, or theories of the unconscious, and both theories acknowledge that representations of reality are excessive: they contain more and less than that which they represent (Orner et al., 2005). The concept of excess enables me to make sense of moments in my teacher education program that could not be contained by dominant educational discourses of knowledge, reflection, and inclusion. The excessiveness of a teaching strategy called the Six Thinking Hats troubles the theory/practice binary in discourses of knowledge. The excessiveness of an assignment about philosophies of teaching, and a class discussion in response to the film Submission trouble the enlightenment/ignorance binary in discourses of reflection. And, the excessiveness of my attempt to question curricular content troubles the normal/exceptional binary in discourses of inclusion. I use excessive moments from my teacher education program to question existing discourses, and to suggest that we need to change the stories we tell ourselves about education (King, 2003). Our current educational discourses perpetuate histories of violence that we have inherited, and I suggest that social justice, poststructuralist, and psychoanalytic theories will enable us to more effectively heal from these inherited histories. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2007-12-04 16:19:40.676 / This work was funded in part by a Canadian Graduate Scholarship granted by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (766-2006-0775).