Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Paul Borthwick
Keywords
Study Skills, Learning Strategies, Instructional Strategies, integration, Organizational Skills, Collaborative Teaching, Middle School, Parent Involvement.
Abstract
This practicum was designed to integrate a Study Skills Program throughout special education classes in a middle school. The major objectives were to develop a variety of instructional strategies to meet the students’ needs in the area of study skills, to foster the teaching of study skills in each subject area by the special education teachers through direct instruction, and by providing specific segments of time for study skills awareness activities in each subject area of the students' core curriculum. The writer designed and administered a study skills self-assessment inventory to the classified students involved and a staff needs assessment prior to the implementation period; developed a list of questions to elicit information as a means of evaluating the success of the program; disseminated the information gathered and shared the focus of this practicum with district special education teachers and support personnel on a district professional day. The results of this practicum were analyzed and the data revealed an increase in the amount of time spent in direct instruction in each of the special education classrooms. Use of a unified assignment book resulted in a significant increase in the number of students completing long and short-term assignments both on time and as directed. 70% of the teachers and 60% of the students questioned deemed the study skills taught or utilized during the course of the marking period successful with regards to their overall academic progress. Special education teachers and their students were given the opportunity to discuss specific learning strategies and organizational skills, homework completion was monitored, and a transference of study skill applications from one subject to another was noted.