This multiple case study describes students who are highly emotionally competent yet have
learning disabilities. The study sheds light on how such students perceive their educational
experience and begins to answer inter-related questions, such as how emotional strengths assist
with learning disabilities. A multiple case study design was used. The participant group ranged
from 11 to 16 years of age and came from two separate schools which actively work with students diagnosed with learning disabilities. The study was divided into two phases. In the first phase, the Mayer—Salovey—Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-Youth Version (MSCEIT-YV) was given to students in the two participating classes. The two students from each class who achieved the highest scores on the MSCEIT-YV were then asked to participate in the second phase of the study. Here, the researcher conducted observations of the participants within the school environment. Additionally, the participants attended a semi-structured interview, with interview questions based on the MSCEIT-YV and school related scenarios. Themes that emerged were then analyzed and compared within and between cases as well as with emotional intelligence research. Case study descriptions emerged from this analysis and a brief follow up interview was conducted with one family member and the participating student as a means of sharing and
verifying findings. Participants revealed varying ability with emotional intelligence. However, all
students demonstrated strong abilities with the ‘Strategic Emotional Reasoning’ Skills associated
with Mayer, Salovey and Caruso’s (2004) theory of emotional intelligence. Moreover, all students
showed a strong ability to use their emotional intelligence to improve academic functioning, with
one student in particular displaying outstanding abilities and insights into emotional intelligence.
The study contributes to our understanding of the complexity of ability and disability that can exist within students diagnosed with learning disabilities; this understanding, in turn, may be reflected in how these students are perceived and understood by researchers and teachers alike.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU./4133 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | King, Clea Larissa |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | 6281190 bytes, application/pdf |
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