Short-Term Changes in Regular Education Teacher Candidate Perceptions of the Power of Student Talk and Efficacy for Special Education Students in General Education Classrooms

• In Event: 14.043 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.043-5 - Classroom Talk and Preparing Teachers for Work With Diverse Student Populations

Abstract

Special education laws are civil rights legislation. Consistent with the 2015 Meeting’s focus, special education is one way to ensure that learning “experiences of all people are shaped by principles and practices of justice.” Language in special education praxis can move the learning community toward or away from justice. This study looks at language through the lens of “talk” in the classroom as a core practice for teachers in all disciplines.
Problem, Theoretical-Basis, and Literature
Classroom talk has the power to support or inhibit learning for all students in the classroom. Teacher behavior affects learning outcomes (e.g., Brophy, 1979; Clark, 1988) yet despite evidence strongly supporting increased student-talk—particularly for special education students (Anderson, 1992)—classrooms remain dominated by teacher-talk (Printy, 2008; Weiss, et al., 2003).
Foundational teacher education courses can impact the dispositions of pre-service educators carrying into early praxis (Renzaglia, A., et al., 1997), especially with respect to views held by general education teachers of special education students’ potential in typical classrooms (Garriott, et al., 2003). This study explores ways foundational courses may activate changes in candidates’ early perceptions of the value of student-talk in the learning experiences of special education students.
Data Sources and Methods
Based in a synchronous, online graduate teacher preparation program, this study examines 219 candidates in 15 sections of a foundational course. The 15 semester-long sections cross six different faculty members and two semesters. The course introduces student development and special education from a common syllabus to candidates in a general education credential program. Sessions are recorded as standard course practice. Data includes transcription and coding of discussions from three weeks in the course and coding of two student papers.
The class discussions are spread across the term and each introduce or expand on student development, strengths-based mindsets, and effective strategies for supporting special education students.
Analysis/Findings
By comparing same-student discussion comments and language in papers, changes are identified in the perceptions of students over the course of the semester regarding the ability of special education students to participate in class discussion and the value of their “student-talk.” Changes in initial beliefs about the necessity for teacher-talk being greater when working with special education students are also considered. Data showed change in perceptions, summed up by one student’s comment: “I didn’t understand before.”
Significance
By building an understanding of the power and impact of increased student-talk on the learning experiences of special education students, teaching praxis can be changed. Pre-service educators should develop pro-student-talk stances early in the preparation program to develop habits of practice supporting learning for all students. It is our responsibility as teacher-educators is to ensure students with all different learning needs have access to and opportunities for the same high level learning experiences as their typical peers. Anything else would be, quite simply, unjust.

Author

• Eric Bernstein, University of Connecticut