What Is Individual in Individualized Instruction? Five Perspectives on Meeting Individual Needs at School

• In Event: 66.080 - Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: 66.080-16 - Collaborative Practices and Preservice Education in Special Education

Abstract

Individually tailored instruction has been traditionally considered as a fundamental characteristic of effective special education. The purpose of this study is to how seventh-grade students with mild learning disabilities, their parents, their special education teacher and the researchers narrate individualised instruction. The main data were the interviews of the participants. Individualized instruction was narrated through five storylines: Individual needs as difficulties and limitations, Expectations and aims of individualization, Individualisation as bureaucratic procedure, Room for emotions and Little change in content and methods. The study revealed that students were mostly satisfied with the received instruction whilst the mothers had more contradictory views of individualization. Interestingly, the teacher emphasized the role of modified books in his instruction.

Authors

• Anna Maria Rytivaara, University of Tampere

• Tanja Vehkakoski, University of Jyväskylä