Faculty Preparedness to Teach Students with Learning Disabilities: Developing an Instrument to Assess Faculty Perceptions.

Abstract

Despite increasing rates of entry, students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to face barriers to completing post-secondary education. Faculty attitudes and knowledge are important factors in supporting students with LD, yet little is known about faculty preparation. No valid, reliable, easy-to-administer inventory exists to assess the perceptions of faculty about their preparedness for the task of teaching students with LD. The Faculty Preparedness Questionnaire (FPQ) was developed to measure faculty perceptions of preparedness for teaching students with LD based on two factors: knowledge and attitude. For this study, 101 community college instructors completed the original questionnaire consisting of 22 items. After factor analysis, the 17-item FPQ was determined to be a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of instructor attitudes and knowledge as components of their perceptions of preparedness. This research contributes to the current dialogue regarding best practice for inclusive post-secondary education. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 99115 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei Part of the Disability and Equity in Education Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Hansen, K. D., Dawson, D. L., & Specht, J. A. (2017) Faculty Preparedness to Teach Students with Learning Disabilities: Developing an Instrument to Assess Faculty Perceptions. Exceptionality Education International, 27, 99-115. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/vol27/iss1/6 This Article Open Access after 1 year is brought to you by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exceptionality Education International by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact jspecht@uwo.ca. Exceptionality Education International 2017, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 99–115 ISSN 1918-5227 99 Faculty Preparedness to Teach Students with Learning Disabilities: Developing an Instrument to Assess Faculty Perceptions Kathryn D. Hansen, Debra L. Dawson, Jacqueline A. Specht University of Western Ontario Abstract Despite increasing rates of entry, students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to face barriers to completing post-secondary education. Faculty attitudes and knowledge are important factors in supporting students with LD, yet little is known about faculty preparation. No valid, reliable, easyto-administer inventory exists to assess the perceptions of faculty about their preparedness for the task of teaching students with LD. The Faculty Preparedness Questionnaire (FPQ) was developed to measure faculty perceptions of preparedness for teaching students with LD based on two factors: knowledge and attitude. For this study, 101 community college instructors completed the original questionnaire consisting of 22 items. After factor analysis, the 17-item FPQ was determined to be a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of instructor attitudes and knowledge as components of their perceptions of preparedness. This research contributes to the current dialogue regarding best practice for inclusive post-secondary education.Despite increasing rates of entry, students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to face barriers to completing post-secondary education. Faculty attitudes and knowledge are important factors in supporting students with LD, yet little is known about faculty preparation. No valid, reliable, easyto-administer inventory exists to assess the perceptions of faculty about their preparedness for the task of teaching students with LD. The Faculty Preparedness Questionnaire (FPQ) was developed to measure faculty perceptions of preparedness for teaching students with LD based on two factors: knowledge and attitude. For this study, 101 community college instructors completed the original questionnaire consisting of 22 items. After factor analysis, the 17-item FPQ was determined to be a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of instructor attitudes and knowledge as components of their perceptions of preparedness. This research contributes to the current dialogue regarding best practice for inclusive post-secondary education. The number of students with diagnosed learning disabilities (LD) attending postsecondary education institutions across North America has been steadily increasing over the past decade (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014; Raue & Lewis, 2011; Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology [SSCSAST], 2011). Statistics indicate that despite increasing rates of entry, students with LD continue to face barriers to completing their post-secondary programs (Finnie, Childs, & Qui, 2012; Nichols, Harrison, McCloskey, & Weintraub, 2002; Raue & Lewis, 2011; SSCSAST, 2011). However, identifying and addressing barriers and providing adequate support to post-secondary students with LD have been associated with increased retention and Hansen, Dawson, & Specht 100 Exceptionality Education International, 2017, Vol. 27, No. 1 success (Burgstahler & Doe, 2004; Denhart, 2008). Students with disabilities have noted that faculty understanding of their learning needs is a key component to their success (Denhart, 2008; Getzel, 2008; Rao, 2004). Specifically, students with LD have described that faculty awareness about LD and faculty attitudes toward students with LD have affected their decisions to seek assistance, use accommodations, and persist with their post-secondary education (Denhart, 2008; Nichols et al., 2002; Tsargris & Muirhead, 2012). The incidence of LD in the general population is considered to be 5–10% (Learning Disability Association of Ontario, 2015; Kozey & Siegel, 2008). Although the number of individuals diagnosed with LD enrolled in post-secondary programs has been increasing at all institutions, students with LD are more likely to attend two-year or community college programs due to the applied nature of learning in these institutions (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014; McCloy & DeClou, 2013; Rath & Royer, 2002; SSCSAST, 2001). Statistics in Ontario have indicated that approximately 13% of the overall student population at community colleges was registered with disability services and that nearly 40% of these students indicated that they had a LD (Government of Ontario, MTCU, 2011). Furthermore, some researchers have suggested that there are more students with LD than documented, due to the considerable number of students who choose not to disclose their LD or seek accommodations (Denhart, 2008; Gregg, 2007; Tsargris & Muirhead, 2012). In post-secondary education, students with LD must self-disclose their disability diagnosis and assessment information in order to gain access to accommodations. Classroom and assessment accommodations are arranged individually through the campus disability services office (DSO). Appropriate accommodations provide students with LD the opportunity to meet their learning potential and achieve academic results reflective of their intellectual abilities (Tsargris & Muirhead, 2012). The definition of LD most often used by DSO counselors is referred to as the “discrepancy definition,” which states that a student with a LD demonstrates academic achievement below that expected for his or her IQ. This underachievement is the result of a number of disorders, which may affect the acquisition, organization, or use of information and is not explained by other factors such as motivation, language learning, sensory impairments, or low cognitive function (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Learning Disability Association of Ontario, 2011; Logan, 2009). Confounding the statistics and definition of LD is the comorbidity of other disorders, such as attentiondeficit disorder and/or mental illnesses. These comorbidities occur frequently with LD; however, the numbers are unclear due to inconsistent methods of data collection and analysis (Learning Disability Association of Ontario, 2015). Our study focuses on faculty preparedness to teach students who have LD as their main diagnosis. Previous researchers have discussed the importance of faculty understanding the definition, the characteristics, and the needs of students with LD, as well as the negative impact that faculty misunderstandings have on student success (Denhart, 2008; Getzel, 2008). Denhart (2008) found the main reason that students hesitated to disclose their LD was fear of being misunderstood or misjudged by faculty. Given the increasing number of students with LD attending post-secondary institutions and the impact of faculty knowledge and attitudes on student retention and success, it is important to Assessing Preparedness to Teach Students with LD Exceptionality Education International, 2017, Vol. 27, No. 1 101 understand faculty perceptions of their preparedness to teach post-secondary students with LD. Preparation for Inclusion—Defining Knowledge and Attitude The importance of instructor preparation for teaching students with various types of disabilities in post-secondary education has been investigated in previous research (Burgstahler & Doe, 2004; Cook, Rumrill, & Tankersley, 2009; Getzel, 2008; Scott & Gregg, 2000). Numerous studies have explored the attitudes, perceptions, and practices of university and college faculty toward students with disabilities (Jensen, McCrary, Krampe, & Cooper, 2004; Lombardi & Murray, 2011; Murray, Wren, & Keys, 2008; Rao, 2004; Zhang et al., 2010), but these have not explicitly investigated faculty perceptions of their preparedness for inclusive classrooms in the post-secondary education sector (Hindes & Mather, 2007). However, there are several studies exploring the determinants of teacher preparation for inclusion of students with disabilities in kindergarten–Grade12 education (Hay, Smit, & Paulsen, 2001; Holdheide & Reschly, 2008; Jordan, Schwartz, & McGhie-Richmond, 2009; Sharma Forlin, Loreman, & Earle, 2006; Sze, 2009). In the current study, we have adopted the definition of prep