Thesis (M.A. )--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-37).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-46).

Oι εκπαιδευτικοί Ειδικής Αγωγής, η διερεύνηση των αναγκών τους και οι προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζουν αποτελούν ίσως ένα από τα πιο πολύπλευρα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα. Είναι γεγονός πως στην Ελλάδα δεν έχουν αναπτυχθεί ακόμη οι κατάλληλες δομές και συνήθως οι ειδικοί παιδαγωγοί βρίσκονται αντιμέτωποι με σημαντικά ζητήματα που καλούνται μόνοι τους να επιλύσουν χωρίς συνεχή συστηματική καθοδήγηση και υποστήριξη. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας, η οποία αποτελεί μία εμπειρική προσπάθεια, είναι να διερευνηθούν τα προβλήματα που αντιμετωπίζουν οι Ειδικοί παιδαγωγοί, απαντώντας σε μία σειρά ερωτήσεων αναπτυγμένων σε θεματικούς άξονες που σχετίζονται με την ψυχολογική και ηθική τους υποστήριξη από τους αρμόδιους φορείς και την κοινωνία. Συγκεκριμένα, ιδιαίτερη έμφαση θα δοθεί στα προβλήματα που αντιμετωπίζουν στις τάξεις τους από την έλλειψη υλικοτεχνικής υποδομής, αναλυτικών προγραμμάτων και εποπτικών μέσων, στις απόψεις τους σχετικά με την ένταξη, στο επίπεδο συνεργασίας με τους συναδέλφους και τους γονείς των μαθητών τους, στην ανάγκη τους για επιμόρφωση και περαιτέρω εξειδίκευση, στο βαθμό της ικανοποίησής τους από την άσκηση του επαγγέλματός τους και στα συναισθήματα που βιώνουν κατά τη διάρκεια του εκπαιδευτικού τους έργου. Στην παρούσα εργασία αναδεικνύεται ο πολλαπλός ρόλος που καλείται να διαδραματίσει ο εκπαιδευτικός Ειδικής Αγωγής, καθώς επιφορτίζεται με όλο και αυξανόμενα καθήκοντα και υποχρεώσεις, αρμοδιότητες και ευθύνες λόγω των ιδιαίτερων αναγκών των μαθητών. Υπάρχει η κατάλληλη ευαισθητοποίηση και μέριμνα για την προάσπιση των δικαιωμάτων των μαθητών με Ειδικές Εκπαιδευτικές ανάγκες, αλλά και των Εκπαιδευτικών τους, οι οποίοι είναι οι αρωγοί της γνωστικής, συναισθηματικής ανάπτυξης και κοινωνικής αλληλεπίδρασής τους από το μέρος της Πολιτείας με τη δημιουργία του κατάλληλου μαθησιακού περιβάλλοντος; Στις περισσότερες έρευνες ο εκπαιδευτικός εξετάζεται βάσει των πρακτικών που αναπτύσσει μέσα στην τάξη του, θεωρώντας όμως πως πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζεται ως μία αυτοτελής προσωπικότητα θα ήταν θεμιτό αν μπορούσαν να εξεταστούν όλοι οι παράγοντες, ψυχολογικοί ή κοινωνικοί που επηρεάζουν το έργο του και επιδρούν στην αποκρυστάλλωση των απόψεών του ιδωμένοι μέσα από την πορεία και εξέλιξη της Ειδικής Αγωγής στην Ελλάδα. Αναφορικά με το ερευνητικό κομμάτι, εξετάστηκαν οι απόψεις 12 Ειδικών Παιδαγωγών εργαζόμενων σε σχολεία Ειδικής Αγωγής ή σε τμήματα ένταξης επάνω σε οκτώ θεματικούς άξονες μέσω ημι-δομημένων συνεντεύξεων. Ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον δόθηκε στα συναισθήματα που βιώνουν ως εκπαιδευτικοί ατόμων με Ειδικές Εκπαιδευτικές Ανάγκες, τα οποία επιδρούν στη διδασκαλία τους. Επιπλέον, ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δόθηκε στο επίπεδο κατάρτισης και εξειδίκευσής τους, στις απόψεις τους για την ένταξη στα κοινά σχολεία και τους ανασταλτικούς παράγοντες που αποτελούν τροχοπέδη στην άσκηση του διδακτικού τους έργου, στα επίπεδα συνεργασίας τους με τους συναδέλφους, τη διεπιστημονική ομάδα και τους γονείς των μαθητών τους και στις προτάσεις τους για την εξυγίανση του χώρου της Ειδικής Αγωγής. Από τα αποτελέσματα που προέκυψαν μετά από το στάδιο της ανάλυσης του περιεχομένου φαίνεται ότι τα σχολεία δε διαθέτουν την κατάλληλη οργανωτική υποδομή για να εκπαιδεύσουν τα παιδιά με Ειδικές Εκπαιδευτικές Ανάγκες. Επιπλέον, αρκετοί από αυτούς, δεν έχουν καταρτιστεί επαρκώς σε ζητήματα Ειδικής Αγωγής, ενώ οι απόψεις τους για τη σπουδαιότητα της ανάπτυξης συνεργατικών δομών στο σχολείο, εμφανίζουν ασυνέπεια ως προς τις πρακτικές που ακολουθούν και αυτό που πραγματικά ισχύει στην καθημερινότητά τους. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί αντιμετωπίζοντας τις δύσκολες εργασιακές καταστάσεις, τα δύσκαμπτα αναλυτικά προγράμματα, την ανυπαρξία υποστήριξης από τους αρμόδιους φορείς, τη μη κατοχύρωση των εργασιακών τους δικαιωμάτων και την έλλειψη ευαισθητοποίησης από την κοινωνία ως προς το εκπαιδευτικό τους έργο, αγωνίζονται και προσπαθούν με τα λιγοστά μέσα που διαθέτουν να αντισταθούν στους χαλεπούς καιρούς και να εκπαιδεύσουν τους μαθητές με Ειδικές Εκπαιδευτικές Ανάγκες. Το ελπιδοφόρο πάντως είναι ότι η νέα γενιά εκπαιδευτικών οραματίζεται, επινοεί, καινοτομεί, αγαπά το επάγγελμά του και με διαρκή προσπάθεια μάχεται ενάντια σε κάθε δυσμενή κατάσταση. / Special Education Teachers, the investigation of their needs and the challenges they face, are probably one of the most versatile research questions. In Greece appropriate structures have even developed and special educators are often faced with insurmountable issues and they are not provided with any systematic guidance and support. This present study is a pilot effort to explore the problems faced by special educators in response to a series of questions developed in thematic areas related to the psychological and moral support from stakeholders, society, as well as the problems faced in their classrooms due to the lack of logistical, curricula and teaching aids. Furthermore the teachers’ views on integration, the level of cooperation with colleagues and parents, their need for further training and specialization, the degree of satisfaction with the exercise of their profession are also analyzed in this study. In this paper the multiple role to play as special education teacher is highlighted as they are charged with growing responsibilities and duties, due to the specialised needs of students. It will also determine the degree of development and the steps that have taken place in Special Education on behalf of the State. It will also be examined if proper awareness and care has been developed to protect the rights not only of the students with special educational needs, but also of their teachers, who are helpers of cognitive, emotional development and social interaction. In most studies the teacher is examined on the basis of the practices developed in the classroom, considering that should be seen as a totality, a self-existent entity. Though, it would be legitimate if they could consider all factors, psychological or social work that affect and influence the crystallization of views seen through the course and development of special education in Greece.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie is die opvoedingspraktyke van verskillende samelewings met betrekking tot verstandelik erg gestremde kinders histories-analities ondersoek. Die tendense wat telkens onderliggend aan veranderinge was, is geidentifiseer en aan die hand van pedagogiese kriteria geevalueer. In die antieke Griekse en Romeinse beskawings is 'n praktyk van uitwissing gevplg. Die Christelike godsdiens bet 'n meer verdraagsame houding meegebring, maar in die Middeleeue bet onkunde en bygeloof nog steeds hoogty gevier. Eers vanaf die agtiende en negentiende eeu bet groter kennis en 'n nuwe kindbeeld tot 'n meer rasionele benadering tot die verskynsel van verstandelike gestremdheid gelei. Pioniers, veral medici, bet na vore getree en die weg gebaan vir 'n beter bedeling vir hierdie kinders. Dit was egter eers in die tweede helfte van die twintigste eeu dat onderwys aan verstandelik erg gestremdes 'n werklikheid geword bet. Die beginsel van normalisasie is toenemend op dienste wat aan hierdie kinders verskaf is, toegepas en het tot gevolg gehad dat wetgewing met betrekking tot die onderwys aan verstandelik erg gestremde kinders tans in die toonaangewende lande en in SuidAfrika op 'n handves vir menseregte geskoei is. Hierdie bevindings bet segwaarde vir die huidige situasie ten opsigte van die beplanning van onderwysvoorsieninge vir verstandelik erg gestremde kinders in die Republiek van Suid- Afrika. / In this study the education practices with regard to severely mentally handicapped children of various societies have been investigated from a historic-analytical perspective. The trends related to a certain anthropologic view and a specific child image, which have been the cause of certain changes have also been identified and were evaluated according to pedagogic criteria. In the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations a trend of infanticide influenced the education of severely mentally handicapped children. The Christian religion brought a more tolerant attitude, but during the Middle Ages superstition and ignorance were still at the order of the day. It was only from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that more knowledge and a new child image brought about a more rational approach to this problem. Pioneers, mostly medical surgeons, came to the fore and paved the way for a better dispensation for these children. In the latter part of the twentieth century education for the severely mentally handicapped had for the first time become a reality. The normalization principle was increasingly applied to all services rendered to these children and this resulted in legislation regarding the education of severely mentally handicapped children in all leading countries and in South Africa being based on a declaration of human rights. These findings have an important meaning for the present situation with reference to the planning of education services for severely mentally handicapped children in South-Africa. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

Um dos maiores problemas gerados pelas perdas auditivas observa-se nos efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento lingüístico tanto oral quanto escrito em língua portuguesa. Sabe-se que em Pernambuco, durante a década de 80 e parte da década de 90, crianças surdas, filhas de pais ouvintes que cursaram a Educação Infantil e o Ensino Médio, tiveram como língua de instrução a portuguesa. Portanto, era de se esperar que a habilidade escrita nessa língua, quando os alunos chegassem ao ensino superior, pudesse apresentar condições de registro de idéias e pensamentos de forma que os leitores apreendessem corretamente o seu sentido. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar como os professores de ensino superior analisam a competência lingüística geral de seus alunos surdos na Língua Portuguesa e, em especial, na modalidade escrita, considerando a forma culta dessa língua. Dezessete professores participaram deste estudo, no qual utilizamos uma metodologia qualitativa e quantitativa. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de um questionário e uma entrevista semi-estruturada aplicada aos sujeitos. Os dados foram categorizados trazendo as idéias apresentadas em narrativas dos professores e descritos de forma literal. Os resultados foram analisados e discutidos à luz do referencial teórico proposto por Minayo (1999) que serviu como referência de aspectos analíticos, além de Quadros (1997, 2006), Lacerda (2000), Karnopp (2002) e Rabelo (2001). A análise dos dados permitiu sugerir que os professores observaram na escrita do surdo universitário de Recife e Olinda dificuldades já identificadas por outros pesquisadores em outras cidades brasileiras, evidenciando que se estenderam durante toda sua vida acadêmica, o que demandou a observância de estratégias dirigidas para aquisição de 2 língua. / One of the greatest problems caused by the auditory losses are the effects in the oral and written linguistic development. In the 80s and part of the 90s, deaf children, who were born of parents who could listen, attended elementary education and High School and they had Portuguese as their instruction language. Therefore, it was expected that their written skills in this language, when they got to university, presented satisfactory conditions of register of ideas and thoughts in a way that readers could understand their meaning. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this work was to verify how the university professors analyze the general linguistic competence of their deaf pupils in the Portuguese Language, and mainly their written abilities. More specifically for this research, we tried to verify how professors judge the performance of the deaf people: in their written skills, considering the classic form of Portuguese Language. Seventeen university professors who teach deaf people had taken part in this study. For this study, we use a qualitative and quantitative methodology. The data collection was carried out by a questionnaire and by a half-structured interview, among the university professors of deaf people. The data had been categorized structuring the presented ideas in narratives by the professors and were written in their literal form. The results had been analyzed and discussed according to the theories of Minayo (1999). The data analysis helped us to conclude that the professors had identified that the writing ability of the university deaf student in Recife and Olinda showed difficulties which had already been identified by other researchers in other Brazilian cities. This has made us realize that the deaf people bring a description of written language skills marked by gaps, that remain throughout their academic phase, and this demands, among some other possibilities, the use of new strategies to learn the Portuguese language

M. Ed. (Education Management) / Schools for Specialisted Education cater for pupils who suffer from a wide range of disabilities. At these schools the staff component is diverse in order to cater for all the needs of the pupils. Because of the diversity of staff members, which include teaching staff, therapists, nursing staff, hostel staff, administrative staff etcetera, special care must be taken to address the staff development needs of all staff members. The purpose of this study therefore had two main objectives, namely : (1) To do a survey and establish exactly what is being done in practice regarding staff development at schools for Cerebral Palsied and Learning Disabled. (2) To draw up guidelines to assist principals when planning their annual staff development and in-service training programme. It was found that very few schools for Specialised Education plan specifically for the needs of a diverse staff, but rather include topics that will interest most staff members as a group. Staff members also expressed the need to be included in the planning stages to ensure that their needs are addressed and that they are empowered to perform their tasks to the best of their ability. After a general overview of the essence of any staff development programme, more specific guidelines are given to assist principals of schools for Specialised Education and schools for Cerebral Palsied and Learning Disabled in particular.

D.Ed. / Education for the Deaf in South Africa appears to be insufficiently researched, contributing to a less than ideal educational situation. Teachers are not trained to address the special needs of Deaf learners, there is limited cohesive instructional theory and the educational policy focussing on the needs of Deaf learners is limited in both range and depth. Due to the ineffectiveness of Deaf education in South Africa, the majority of Deaf school leavers leave school linguistically impoverished, 'disabled' by the lack of effective educational opportunities, thus carrying the main barrier to learning' with them into life. In an effort to ascertain why the educational system is deemed ineffectual, I identified the lack of training programmes for teachers of the Deaf in South Africa as a main cause of inadequate Deaf education in South Africa. In order to assess this working hypothesis, I initiated an investigation into the perceptions of the crucial role players in Deaf education, namely the teachers of the Deaf and Deaf adults (former learners). The purpose of the study was thus to find out why the Deaf education system is ineffectual. An inquiry was therefor conducted into the emic views of teachers of the Deaf and also Deaf adults who had experienced the education system in South Africa first-hand. I aimed to study rigorously and methodically these perceptions and experiences with the view of contributing to the discourse about the improvement of Deaf education in South Africa. These personal views were obtained in a 'bottom-up' research mode and could be essential in contributing to the sparse body of knowledge on Deaf education in South Africa from the Deaf adult's perspective. The study should also contribute to the Deaf community's move toward empowerment and equality. The findings that emerged from the study support the hypothesis that the present situation in Deaf education is unacceptable to both educators and learners alike and that specialised training for teachers of the Deaf, including knowledge of Sign Language, is essential. The investigation concludes with a consolidation of the findings into a framework for a proposed teacher training programme for teachers of the Deaf, which is presented within the outcomes based paradigm.

An overview of recent literature and research indicates that stress in teaching is now a wellrecognised phenomenon. More specifically, research has found special education to be more demanding than mainstream education. However, in comparison with the literature on mainstream education, both South African and international research relating to special education do not occupy prominent status in the literature. This study thus aims to explore and describe the coping orientation and resources of teachers educating learners with intellectual disabilities. The sample consisted of 59 special education teachers (49 females and 10 males) in the Nelson Mandela Metropole who educate learners with intellectual disabilities. The special education teachers who agreed to participate in the study were requested to complete a biographical questionnaire, Antonovsky’s Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29) and Hammer and Marting’s Coping Resources Inventory (CRI). An exploratory, descriptive design was utilised in this study. The data for this study was analysed by using descriptive and correlation statistics. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was utilized in order to explore and describe the relationship between the sense of coherence and the coping resources of the sample. Key findings include the following: Results from the SOC-29 revealed fairly high mean scores for the current sample. Results from the CRI indicated average mean scores on both the total coping resources scale and all five subscales. Significant positive relationships were found to exist between the SOC-29 and the CRI for the current sample. Significant positive relationships were also found between the SOC-29 score and some of the subscale scores of the CRI for the current sample. In general, the findings of the present study reveal a need for further research on special education teachers. The focus should not only be limited to the pathogenic orientation, but should include more salutogenic approaches to better assist special education teachers to more effectively cope with their challenging work environment.