Attitudes of physical education majors in Turkey towards disability are changed by adaptive physical education training

This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of university students who are prospective physical education teachers toward individuals with physical disabilities. 47 college students majoring in physical education (Study group) and 34 students from other sports-related departments, i.e., sports management and training (Control group), participated in the study. The study group took a 14-week course on Adapted Physical Education (APE), whereas the control group did not. The Attitude Toward Disabled Persons scale, Form O was used to compare the attitudes of the groups. Analyses showed no significant difference between the groups in terms of attitude towards individuals with physical disabilities at the beginning of the semester but a significant difference at semester end. Results indicated that the APE course positively influenced attitude of the prospective physical education teachers towards individuals with physical disabilities.     

Effects of contact with individuals with disabilities: positive attitudes and majoring in education

Attitudes toward and contact with individuals with disabilities have been topics of research for years. The major purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of contact with individuals with disabilities on attitudes and choosing to major in education. Participants were 211 undergraduate students who completed a survey of attitudes and contact with individuals with physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities. Results demonstrated that lower misconceptions about disabilities mediated the relation between increased contact with individuals with behavioral disabilities and being an education major. The results of this study (a) can be used to determine how future teachers should be trained and (b) highlight the need for future teachers to engage in certain field experiences.     

Attitudes of pre‐service physical educators at a faith‐based university toward individuals with disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an undergraduate adapted physical education course on the attitudes of pre‐service physical educators toward individuals with disabilities using the Physical Educators Attitude toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities, third edition. The participants for this study were 108 students enrolled in undergraduate adapted physical education courses at a faith‐based university.

Statistically significant differences were found between the participants’ pre‐ and post‐intervention attitudinal scores on all measured areas. There were no statistically significant differences in the attitudinal scores based on the respondents either enrolling in both the lecture course and the laboratory, or alone enrolling in the lecture course. Surveys indicated other findings as well.     

Concurrent evidence of physical educators' attitude toward teaching individuals with disabilities

This study assesses the criterion-related relevance or concurrent validity of Physical Educators' Attitude Toward Individuals with Disabilities III survey, developed in 1993 by Rizzo. The criterion measure was the Learning Handicapped Inventory, developed in 1982 by Jansma and Shultz, because it, like the former, has validity and reliability in assessing attitudes of physical educators toward teaching students with disabilities. Participants were 179 physical education majors attending a major midwestern university, 94 (53%) women and 85 (47%) men whose average age was 20.7 yr. (SD = 2.5 yr.). Both surveys were administered in one sitting, and the correlation of .88 indicates strong concurrent validity.     

Socio-ecological influences of attitudes toward disability among Kenyan undergraduate students

This study examined personal and contextual variables as predictors of attitudes toward disability at a Kenyan higher education setting. Participants were a convenience sample of 309 undergraduate students at a Kenyan university enrolled in Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Political Science, and Public Administration majors. Data on attitudes were collected using the Attitudes Towards Disabled Persons scale (ATDP: Antonac & Livneh, 1988). A cross-sectional survey design was employed for data collection, and a multiple regression analysis was used for data analysis. Results revealed that the model was significant: F (9, 250)?=?2.784, p?=?0.004. However, only age (β?=?0.173, p?=?0.044) significantly predicted attitudes towards disability, indicating older students held more positive attitudes than their younger counterparts. Older students had a more favourable attitude towards people with disabilities than younger students. Seniority, by age, is highly valued in Africa than perhaps anywhere in the world. Kenyan older adults may be key to enhancing favourable attitudes toward individuals with disabilities in Kenya as well as interventions aimed at changing negative attitudes towards people with disabilities.     

Attitudes toward physical education classes of primary school students in Turkey

The purposes of this study were to report an investigation of attitudes toward physical education in a sample of primary school students and examine the predictive influence of students' sex, grades in physical education classes, and parents' education and socioeconomic status on students' attitudes. Participants, 963 (474 girls and 489 boys) primary school students from Grades 6 (12.7%), 7 (10.3%) and 8 (77%), completed the Wear Attitude Inventory. Analysis indicated students had positive scores on General Attitudes rather than on Social, Emotional, and Physical Attitudes. In addition, girls (M = 32.6, SD = 3.9) had more positive General Attitudes than boys (M = 32.0, SD = 4.6). Also, students' grades in physical education classes were statistically significantly related to their Attitudes toward physical education (Wilks lambda, F1,1110 = 2.88, p < .05). However, parents' education and socioeconomic status were not. One may infer that ways of encouraging more favorable attitudes might be planned.     

Physical educators' beliefs about teaching children with disabilities

The primary purpose was to extend Rizzo's research and identify the variables which contribute significantly to physical educators' positive beliefs about teaching children with disabilities. The second purpose was to structure physical educators' beliefs by conditions of disability. Participants were a stratified random sample of 168 physical educators, 79 men and 89 women from eastern USA. Responses to Rizzo's Physical Educators' Attitudes Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III indicated that teachers' beliefs were generally positive but varied by type of disability. Beliefs were more positive about teaching children with specific learning disabilities and less positive about teaching children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Significant predictors of positive beliefs were perceived competence, positive teaching experience with children with disabilities, and course work in adapted physical education. The study has important implications for programs of preparing students to teach.     

Ethnicity and the stigma of disabilities

Abstract

Recent studies reveal significant differences in the attitudes held by people of various ethnic groups toward people with disabilities. We surveyed university students and community members on a scale of desired social distance from people with disabilities. Study 1 revealed that Asian-American participants were more likely to stigmatize and less likely to differentiate between individuals with physical and mental illness than were their African-American, Latin-American or European-American counterparts. Study 2 compared U.S. born with Asian born Asian-Americans and found that nativity was a useful predictor of attitudes toward people with disabilities. Asian born participants were more likely to stigmatize disabilities overall (except mental illness and old age) than U.S. born participants presumably because of the level of assimilation. These cultural differences may have health care and psychosocial implications for those who are disabled and for health care providers.     

Attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities: A meta-cognitive approach to persuasion

Attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities are becoming critical for promoting diversity and egalitarianism within organizations. The few interventions designed to promote positive attitudes toward people with disabilities have relied on changing either the direction and/or the amount of thoughts people generate with regard to this discriminated, understudied group. In the present research, we examine the impact of a different psychological process of attitude change based on meta-cognition, or thinking about thinking. We used a meta-cognitive approach to changing prejudiced attitudes because thoughtful processes are often overlooked or denied with regard to this particular group. Specifically, we explored the impact of thought confidence on attitude change across two studies designed to change attitudes toward the incorporation of people with disabilities in companies. In each study, participants first generated either positive or negative thoughts about the proposal (thought valence manipulation). Then, the confidence in those thoughts was measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). In concert with the self-validation hypothesis, results showed that when thought confidence was relatively high (vs. low), thought valence had a greater impact on attitudes. Thus, thought valence was more predictive of attitudes when participants were confident in their thoughts. Specifically, confidence in thoughts enhanced persuasion for positive thoughts but reduced persuasion for negative thoughts. These findings provide insights into assessing effects of interventions aiming at improving attitudes toward the inclusion of minority groups in organizations.     

ATTITUDES TOWARD READING EXPRESSED BY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Attitude toward reading affects student's achievement. While conventional wisdom and comparisons with low-skilled, non-disabled students suggest that students with learning disabilities have negative attitudes toward reading, few studies exist to support these inferences. The present study uses the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna & Kear, 1990) to describe elementary students' diagnosed with learning disabilities attitudes toward academic and recreational reading and to compare their attitudes with those expressed by their non-disabled peers. The findings show that students with learning disabilities who received reading instruction in special-education, resource rooms expressed reading attitudes that equaled or exceeded those expressed by low and average non-disabled students in a nationwide study conducted by McKenna and Kear (1990). The findings also indicated that the students' diagnosed with learning disabilities attitudes remained more stable across grades 1 through 5 than those expressed by their non-disabled students in the McKenna and Kear (1990) study.     

Holistic attitudes of high school students toward themselves and their school experiences.

This study was based on an analysis of essays written by 47 teacher education students in response to the question, "If you could live your high school days over again, what, if anything, would you change?" The responses were organized into 20 different categories and tabulated according to students' age and sex. In retrospect, 38% of these students would have improved their attitude toward high school. Thirty-six percent indicated that high school was a positive experience, though this attitude was often unrelated to academic achievement. The responses strongly suggest that for many high school students, general attitude toward school affects achievement more than do attitudes toward specific school characteristics.     

The effectiveness of infant simulators

This study investigated the effect of using infant simulators with a structured, competency-based curriculum by examining the infant care behavior of adolescents and their attitudes toward parenting and sexual behavior. The sample of 236 students included 112 males and 124 females ranging in age from 14 to 18 years. This sample was randomly assigned to an experimental group of 174 and a control group of 62. The experimental group completed the New York State parenting curriculum, which focused on reflection-based parenting skills with specific childcare competencies. The findings indicate that the infant simulator is an effective tool for teaching childcare skills. When combined with a well-designed curriculum, it enhances the likelihood that student attitudes toward sexuality/parenting issues can be significantly modified.     

Predicting dispositions toward inclusion of students with disabilities: the role of conservative ideology and discomfort with disability

Within the published empirical record, a limited number of investigations exist that study the association between socio-political ideologies of preservice teachers and their attitudes toward disability-related matters within schools. To the extent that individual socio-political ideology and discomfort with disability remain mostly unexplored, this state of affairs may unwittingly compromise the capacity of future educators to assist students with special needs. The purpose of our study was to test relationships between preservice teachers’ conservative ideologies and discomfort with disability on the one hand and perceived negative attitudes toward students with disabilities and opposition to inclusion on the other. Our correlational findings indicate that preservice educators who report being higher in social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, economic and cultural conservatism, and discomfort with disabilities are more likely to oppose inclusion and to hold negative attitudes toward students with disabilities. Regression analyses revealed that social dominance orientation and discomfort with disability were stronger predictors of negative attitudes toward students with disabilities and opposition to inclusion than cultural conservatism/right-wing authoritarianism. These findings lend support to teacher preparation programs assisting preservice teachers in understanding (a) their attitudes toward inclusion and students with disabilities and (b) the impact their dispositions may have on their future effectiveness in supporting these students in their efforts to become productive and independent members of society.

Instructor touch enhanced college students’ evaluations

Touch between people is associated with several outcomes, including reduced stress, more positive mood, enhanced feelings of closeness, and positive behavioral change. However, the potential utility of touch rarely has been examined in a college sample, with teachers touching their students. In the present study, we used instrumental touch operationalized as teaching students to take their pulse on the wrist; a control group was not touched. We assessed motivation, attitudes toward the instructor and the lecture, and quiz grades based on the lecture. Results indicated that touch increased motivation and attitudes toward the teacher and lecture. We suggest that instructors can use touch as a way to develop rapport, increase student motivation, and improve attitudes toward the instructor and course. Future research should evaluate appropriate forms of touch, possible moderation by student or instructor gender, and potential long-term benefits of using touch in the classroom.     

HIGH SCHOOL DRIVER EDUCATION USING PEER TUTORS,DIRECT INSTRUCTION,AND PRECISION TEACHING

The authors investigated the combined effects of direct instruction and precision teaching by peer tutors in a high school driver education curriculum. Learners (N = 4) included students with intellectual and learning disabilities and students without disabilities. Peer tutoring was associated with immediate increases in correct responding and a simultaneous and rapid deceleration of errors. Three learners passed the written tests in the driver education classroom, obtained driver's licenses, and produced similar or better driving records than students who did not require assistance. This program is being continued and expanded by school personnel without assistance from the authors.     

Psychological Resources and Attitudes Toward People With Physical Disabilities

In a representative sample of the population (N = 950), this study investigated the influence of psychological resources on attitudes toward people with physical disabilities. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that 2 psychological resources (liking people, belief in a just world) had a significant influence on attitude toward people with disabilities, controlling for the demographic variables of age, education, and sex. Contact, social desirability, and the Big Five dimensions of Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness also proved to be significant. The psychological resources of self‐esteem, life satisfaction, and hope were not significant. Practical implications are discussed.     

Medical Ethics Education: A Survey of Opinion of Medical Students in a Nigerian University

In Nigeria, medical education remains focused on the traditional clinical and basic medical science components, leaving students to develop moral attitudes passively through observation and intuition. In order to ascertain the adequacy of this method of moral formations, we studied the opinions of medical students in a Nigerian university towards medical ethics training. Self administered semi-structured questionnaires were completed by final year medical students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. There were 82 (64.1%) male and 44 (34.4%) female respondents. The median age was 26 years. Most students (80.5%) responded that they did not receive enough training in medical ethics. The ethics instructions they received did not sufficiently prepare them for the ethical challenges they came across as medical students. Though inadequate, the few hours of lecture and discussion on human values and professional etiquette which they received positively influenced their moral reasoning. They identified end-of-life issues, dealing with financial issues and handling socio-cultural beliefs of patients and relations as some challenges that medical doctors are ill-prepared for by their current training. Most, 85.9% believed that formal medical ethics education would be worthwhile as it would enhance the making of complete and better doctors. They recommended incorporating bioethics as a course in the medical school curriculum. Nigerian medical students encounter ethical challenges for which they have not been adequately trained to resolve. They recommended formal medical ethics training in their curriculum and a uniform bioethics programme in the country.     

Attitudes of undergraduate majors in elementary education toward mathematics through a hands-on manipulative approach

Using a manipulative approach in a mathematics course, this study was designed to assess attitudes toward mathematics of undergraduates in elementary education. A 20-item attitude rating administered as pre- and posttest to 95 students (7 men and 88 women) was used to assess the effect of the hands-on approach. A dependent t test indicated a statistically significant but very small change in their ratings.     

Between an Example and a Precept,Which Has Greater Importance? A Comparison of the Channels of Socialization in Military Ethics

In this study, I examined what channels of socialization influence the moral behavior of cadets. We conducted a regression analysis of the effects of parents' attitudes to moral education, the standard and potential curriculum of schools, peer groups, and communication media on individual ethics and discipline using 399 sample participants. The participants were recruited through a questionnaire survey on cadets from academy of military, naval, and air force, and four-year based students from R.O.C. National Defense University. The analysis results showed that the cultivation of morality among cadets was directly influenced by the school's potential curriculum (i.e., intern cadres and officers in company) and their parents' attitudes to moral education during early childhood. The results also indicated that the influence of teaching by example was more significant than that of teaching by precept.     

The silent curriculum in counselor education

Counselor educators, while conscientiously preparing students to be sensitive to others through traditional courses and examinations, also communicate an important set of informal, covert attitudes—the silent curriculum. Rapid changes in our social system and in student attitudes are altering one source of this silent curriculum, the teaching-learning relationship. This article suggests possible changes in the counselor education process to encourage individualized instruction, experimentation, and student involvement in departmental decisions, field work, and teaching.