Defense Date

3-11-2013

Graduation Date

Spring 2013

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

School Psychology

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Miller

Committee Member

Tammy Hughes

Committee Member

Elizabeth McCallum

Keywords

Learning patterns, Learning styles, Let Me Learn, Self advocacy, Special education

Abstract

As educational professionals strive to help students become efficient and effective learners, they must assist in the development of student learning strategies and a greater understanding of the learning process. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the learning pattern preferences of middle and high school students in general education and special education settings. The results of this study were intended to help guide teachers and other education professionals to make informed decisions about differentiating instruction in a way to reach more, if not all, students in their classroom. The results could furthermore assist educators in fostering greater self-knowledge and self-advocacy in students, which then can assist them to become active participants of their own learning experiences. Archival data was examined using scores of middle and high school students on the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI), the survey associated with the Let Me Learn Process®. 251 students LCI scores were studied on the basis of grade level and special education classification.

Research questions utilized one-way MANOVA's in order to determine preference for particular individual patterns on the LCI. The first set of research questions compared students in special education and students in general education. The second set of questions compared students in special education broken down by classification, specifically, Other Health Impairment and Specific Learning Disability. Analyses revealed preference for certain LCI patterns between the groups examined. This study was intended to be a starting point for the analysis of the learning patterns of special education students. Once pattern preferences and the interactions between preferences are identified, and the utility of the Let Me Learn Process® is examined, a greater understanding of learning will occur in combination with the development of self-advocacy skills in the classroom. Overall, the Let Me Learn Process® has been shown to have promise in utilizing cognition, conation and affectation approaches in order to assist in developing effective learning strategies. As each of these elements is taken into consideration, this process can allow learners to become active participants in their own learning process.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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