<p>Abstract</p><p> </p><p>This licentiate’s dissertation is about how school staff talk about pupils having difficulties in relating to teachers and other pupils. It’s specific focus is on pupils which are described as “disturbing”, “troublesome”,”unruly”, “unconcentrated” or characterised by similar concepts. The main aim is to elucidate and discuss how school staff explain pupils’ difficulties, what measures they state that they undertake and what measures they consider necessary.</p><p>The study is based on a social constructive approach. This means that the way we understand the world we live in is seen as shaped by social and cultural processes mediated through language. A consequence of this is that the way the staff talk about pupils in difficulties will influence how they relate to those children and how they work at solving the problems.</p><p>The empirical material consists of interviews with six principals, six Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators and six class teachers from six different schools. 15 of the people interviewed work with 11–13 year olds and three of them with 7–9 year olds. The material from the interviews is categorised into themes and further analysed in order to present a systematic overview of the ways in which the staff talk about children in difficulties.</p><p>The result shows that the problems are understood as complex and full of nuances. Explanations of the problems from medical/psychological perspectives have no distinguished status. It is more common that the problems are related to social conditions, family situation and school environment.</p><p>The study also shows that different professional groups usually place the responsibility for solving the problems with other professional groups. The way the concerned principal looks upon the problem seems be important for the way the problem is dealt with.</p><p>The way the staff studied talk about the school activities indicates that schools differ concerning issues like organisation, the role of the Special Needs Co-ordinator, co-operation between different professional groups etc. As a consequence pupils having difficulties in relating to other people will be subjected to different conditions depending on what school they attend. The school as an arena of identity creation and citizenship education will offer hence different opportunities to different children in difficulties.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>Keywords:</em><strong> </strong>special educational needs, social constructionism, children in need of support,</p><p>problem behavior in schools</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p>Hans Larsson, Department of Education,</p><p>Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden, hans.larsson@oru.se</p>

This thesis aims at describing and analysing the process and content in knowledge development within a research circle. The participants in this circle are seven teachers who work with multilingual children diagnosed within the autism spectrum, and me as a researcher. The study is conducted within the tradition of participatory-oriented research. The research issue concerns the questions these teachers ask themselves in their everyday work. The study, consisting of twelve meetings, was carried out during 2004-2005. In the final meeting material collected in the circle was analysed together by all participants. The knowledge-content analysis disclosed four main themes: mother-tongue issues, disabilities and diagnoses, the issue of frames and matters related to working with parents and other professionals. The results show that once a child is diagnosed within the autism spectrum the diagnosis “takes over” and mother-tongue instruction is seldom discussed. The participants in the circle found it difficult to collaborate with the various authorities involved in working with a child and its family. They also found it difficult to communicate with parents, due to language barriers, different cultural contexts, and the observation that interpreters did not translate properly. The participants noted an existing hierarchy in relation to doctors and psychologists, regarded as having the mandate to assess a child’s ability and suggest placement in class. A conclusion is that the work of the teachers entails a high degree of complexity, and that knowledge meetings and collaboration between parents, teachers, and the various authorities are needed. During the circle process emancipating collective knowledge was constructed transcending what any participant had from the start. Experiences discussed in continuing dialogues, and in an on-going process, seem to be essential for generation of knowledge. When experiences were challenged, potentials for different actions were revealed.

Abstract   The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers in regular classrooms include pupils with special educational needs. I also wanted to find out what support teachers get of special education teachers, and the teaching perspective the teachers have when they work whit pupils. The teachers that have been interviewed and observed in this study work in regular classes.   This report is a qualitative study based on interviews and observations whit four teachers. The results indicate that the teachers are conscious of how they teach and their teaching strategies. The teachers agree that all students should be included in regular education, because learning occurs in the interaction between individuals. No one should be excluded from their regular classroom. But for students with special needs to receive an equal education, there should be more resources in the classroom. Special educators should be more involved in the regular teaching, to create conditions to a school for all pupils.     Keywords: Inclusion, pupils whit special educational needs, regular classroom teaching, special education, teaching strategies, a school for all.

This dissertation is based on results from an intervention study targeting working memory training. A group of 46 boys and 11 girls (aged 10.7) that were attending special units in 16 regular schools participated in the study. The treatment group (n = 42) trained at school every day for 30-40 minutes with an interactive computer program (Cogmed training) for five weeks. The performances of the treatment group on reading related measures and basic number skills are compared to those of a group of students (n =15) that were attending similar special units and received only ordinary special educational instruction. Working memory measures and non-verbal problem solving were compared to students (n = 25) in a control group from a previous study. In Study I, it was found that reading comprehension and working memory measures correlated and improved at post-tests (T2, T3) for the treatment group to a larger extent than for the comparison group. In Study II, it was found that working memory measures and basic number skills were highly related. The performance of the boys in the treatment group improved more than that of the boys in the comparison group on basic number test at both post-tests. In Study III, basic skills assessed three years later (T4) are reported. The treatment group achieved higher scores in reading comprehension compared to pre-tests and compared to the control group. The treatment group seems to have gained from the cognitive training of working memory with the computer assisted program directly after training, after seven months and at the three year follow-up. The gains were observed on visuo-spatial working memory measure (T2, T3), reading comprehension and on basic number skills in boys (T2, T3, T4). The possible mechanisms that may be involved in and may explain the observed improvements of performances are discussed: executive function, attention, memory, motivation, emotions. The study has some methodological limitations and more research is needed to substantiate the efficacy of the program. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted.</p>

Η παρούσα έρευνα αποσκοπούσε στη διερεύνηση των επιμορφωτικών αναγκών των νεοδιόριστων εκπαιδευτικών που συμμετείχαν στην εισαγωγική επιμόρφωση του ΠΕΚ Πάτρας την περίοδο 2009-2010, ως αναφορά το βαθμό και το είδος της βοήθειας που πρόσφερε η εισαγωγική επιμόρφωση όταν ανέλαβαν τα καθήκοντά τους. Παράλληλα γίνεται προσπάθεια ανίχνευσης των προβλημάτων που αντιμετωπίζουν οι νεοδιόριστοι εκπαιδευτικοί στο εκπαιδευτικό τους έργο κατά την πρώτη φάση ανάληψης των καθηκόντων τους. Για τη μελέτη των παραπάνω θεμάτων χρησιμοποιήθηκε ως γενικό θεωρητικό πλαίσιο ο δομολειτουργισμός και ειδικότερα ο δομολειτουργισμός του Merton. Ως ερευνητικό εργαλείο χρησιμοποιήθηκε η ημιδομημένη συνέντευξη. Για την επεξεργασία των δεδομένων χρησιμοποιήθηκε η ποιοτική ανάλυση περιεχομένου. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας έδειξαν ότι οι νεοδιόριστοι εκπαιδευτικοί βοηθήθηκαν από το πρόγραμμα της εισαγωγικής επιμόρφωσης αν και τα προβλήματα και οι επιμορφωτικές τους ανάγκες κατά την φάση ανάληψης των καθηκόντων τους είναι πολλά και ποικίλα. / This study aims to investigate the training needs of newly appointed teachers who participated in the initial training of PEK Patras during the period 2009-2010, regarding the degree and the type of help the initial training offered them when they took over their duties .We are also making an effort to find the problems that newly appointed teachers are dealing with at their educational work during the first phase of undertaking their duties .In order to investigate the above-mentioned subjects ,as a general theoritical context we have used structural functionalism of Merton .As a research tool in our study we use the semi – structured interview. In order to analyze data qualitative content analysis has been used .The results of the study showed that they were helped by the initial training program while the problems and the needs during the phase of undertaking their needs are several and diverse.

Inclusive Education for students with special educational needs is a global phenomenon, a major event of momentous proportions affecting directly and indirectly a significant percentage of the world's population. In response to international and national mandates requiring its implementation, educators everywhere are engaged in the daily task of providing educational services within inclusive general education classroom settings. It is expected that inclusion in the United States will become more prevalent in American classrooms over the next ten years due to progressively more stringent federal and state mandates. In order for inclusion to result in adequate yearly progress for all student subgroups, it is imperative that it be properly implemented. Research has established that a critical component for proper implementation is an understanding of baseline attitudes in regard to inclusive education held by educators. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of pre-K-12 general and special education teachers, school site administrators, school psychologists, paraprofessionals, physical and occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, certified non-teaching, school office staff and special education office staff in a medium-sized school district in southern Arizona. This study examines attitudes held by educators, their foundations of knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and opinions that shape their attitudes; and potential recommendations for implementation strategies that are predicted to be successful by these educators.

In the Master's work the main attention is given to lifelong studies and motivation of families growing a disabled child. The work raises a hypothesis that unsatisfied educational needs and insufficient motivation of families that grow a disabled child makes their enablement in society more difficult. In order to verify the hypothesis and seeking to reveal educational needs and motivation of families that grow a disabled child, by employing a half-standardised questionnaire, 20 families living in Kaunas town and growing disabled children were questioned.

Specialiųjų poreikių vaikai – tai mūsų visuomenės dalis, todėl būtina gilintis į jų problemų sprendimą, padėti prisitaikyti prie juos supančios aplinkos, pritapti ir surasti savo vietą visuomenėje. Neįgaliųjų vaikų integracija – viena iš aktualiausių diskusijų, mokslinių konferencijų bei mokslinės literatūros temų. Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti mokinių, besimokančių pagal individualizuotas programas socialinį – edukacinį portretą. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Atlikus mokslinės literatūros analizę, atskleisti mokinių, turinčių specialiųjų poreikių integravimo galimybes. 2. Aptarti mokinių, turinčių specialiųjų poreikių, socialinį – edukacinį portretą instituciniu ( mokyklos ) lygmeniu. 3. Atskleisti mokinių, turinčių specialiųjų poreikių, socialini- edukacinį portretą mokymosi veiklos lygmeniu. 4. Aptarti mokinių, turinčių specialiųjų poreikių, socialinį – edukacinį portretą tarpasmeniniu lygmeniu. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė, Q tipo duomenų rinkimas ( anketinė apklausa), lyginamoji analizė, kokybinė ir statistinė duomenų analizė. Anketos parengtos trims respondentų grupėms: 5-9 klasių, specialiųjų poreikių turintiems mokiniams ( 39 mokiniai ), mokytojams ( 23 mokytojai ) ir tėvams ( 27 tėvai) Respondentų nuomone vaikų besimokančių pagal individualizuotas programas, padėtis bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje pasireiškia vienodais lūkesčiais, ugdymo tikslais ir metodais, tai viena iš svarbiausių teigiamos vaiko savijautos mokykloje prielaidų. Tyrimo metu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Special needs children - is our society, it is necessary to look into their problems, to adapt to their environment, to adapt and find their place in society. Integration of Disabled Children - one of the most pressing debates, conferences and literature themes. Purpose of the survey - to reveal students' learning under individualized programs of social - educational portrait. The tasks were: 1. After the literature analysis, detection of students with special needs into opportunities. 2. Discuss pupils with special needs, social - educational portrait of institutional (school) level. 3. Reveal students with special needs, socio-educational profile for learning at the operational level. 4. Discuss pupils with special needs, social - educational portrait interpersonal level. Research methods include literature review, Q-type data collection (questionnaire), a comparative analysis of qualitative and statistical data analysis. Profiles of respondents drawn three groups: 5-9 grade, special needs pupils (39 pupils), teachers (23 teachers) and parents (27 parents) Felt to be individualized according to children's learning programs on secondary school gets the same expectations, educational goals and methods, it is one of the most important positive well-being of the child's school history. The study showed that the individualization of educational programs for students released - a long-term, systematic, planned event. The analysis of pupils with social -... [to full text]

Šiame darbe bus siekiama atskleisti, kokius metodus ir būdus taiko mokytojai, mokydami rišlaus rašytinio teksto ir, kaip padeda mokiniams įveikti rišlaus teksto rašymo sunkumus. Tyrimo objektas – rašytinės rišliosios kalbos ugdymas. Išsikeltas tikslas – ištirti, kaip specialioje mokykloje ugdomi gebėjimai kurti rišlų rašytinį tekstą. Suformuluoti uždaviniai. / The present paper deals with methods and means applied by teachers when teaching pupils to create a coherent written text and assisting them to overcome difficulties experienced when creating a coherent text. Subject-matter of the research – education of written cohesive language. Objective of the research – to analyze the development of abilities to create a coherent written text in a special type school.

The Master’s work is formed of introduction, 2 chapters, conclusions and suggestions, a list of literature, summary and supplements. A social and scientific urgency of the research, problematical questions and the hypothesis of the research, goals and tasks are presented in the introduction. There is also described a methodology of the research and data edition, presented a sample of the research. Theoretic specific features of interests in History are discussed in the first chapter of the final work. It is acquainted with a process of integration students with special needs to general education system. It is discussed the role of interest in learning process and the factors which develop the interest in teaching. A data of research of J. V. Vaitkevičius and V. Pobrein analyzing a rating of subjects’ difficulties is presented. The analysis of this research shows that History is one of the hardest subjects. The first chapter is concluded with presentation of methods and ways stimulating special needs students to be interested in History. A practical part of Master’s work is presented in the second chapter: investigative, methods of the research, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of observed History lessons. At the research there were observed 70 History lessons at schools of Šilalė town and district, their course was recorded. A special attention was paid to special needs students’ occupation in the lessons. Another research was made using a questionnaire... [to full text]