Pre-service teachers dealing with autism - Research Paper Example

?PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS DEALING WITH AUTISM Social science research has been defined to be a methodical process that searches, investigates and theorizes the life of humans. It is being made with the purpose of prolonging, improving, and validating understandings of social life and personal behavior. These types of researches are made to further understand and explain different phenomena that happen in a person’s daily life (Globusz.Com, 2001). The research paper that was written by Park, Chitiyo and Choi (2010) aimed to establish pre-service educators’ attitude towards students who has a developmental disorder such as autism. There are discussions on how these soon to be educators would be handling such type of students. These students with autism served as the specimen group on how lessons would be presented in special education schools in future. There has been a very brief discussion however as to what autism is and how students with autism would act or respond. Teaching can be considered as an art form. Educators need to make learning an enjoyable experience for their students without sacrificing the quality of education that they as teachers would deliver. There have been scholarly revisions that have been made through the years as researches and further studies are conducted to cope up with changes in views about certain subjects and theories. Research papers are being published from time to time to further explain and elaborate on certain issues that people are facing in their everyday lives. Teaching can be compared to researches as both needs to up-to-date, reliable and well-explained. Firstly, the targeted group should be recognized and not just be included in figures. Therefore, was autism properly defined in the paper or how would a person with autism react? The definition of autism was given as a developmental disorder that has not been very well expounded to the public since the early days of its detection. What is being referred to as the “autistic syndrome” is considered as a biological condition that needs the medical involvement. There have been studies about it however the public is not well-aware of why and how it transpires. The general public still has questions on how they would treat people who has the disorder (Goldberg, 1997; Park, et al, 2010). Even educators have questions on what teaching style or approach would be effective for students with autism. As further reading was made on the paper, a question arises as to why a little attention was given to what supposed to be the sample group for the teachings which is being designed. There has been very little effort that has been made through the years to further educate the public about autism. For a teaching method to be considered as well-planned and deliberated, the targeted group should be verified and known. The research paper only focused on the educators and how and what lessons would be given to the group of students who are mentally challenged. However, it was not identified on how these students would behave and react in certain situations especially with the approach that the pre-service teachers will be using. The design or structure that was used in the paper can be said to be straight to the point. However, it was only done in a way that only one end of the project would benefit. As it has been stated previously, it was only the educators’ side that was given the attention. Consideration should also be given to the students with autism as they would also be an end benefactor of the research. The success or failure of the theories and methodologies is dependent on the way students would react on how pre-service educators would deliver the lessons to them. Therefore, students are also an important factor in this research and not just teachers. It was not the only concern that can be addressed towards the authors. Another aspect of the paper which can be a cause of uncertainty is that a couple of references that were used were quite outdated. There are more than 2 decades that separates the research paper and the reference books that were used with regards to the public’s attitude towards people with autism. With the technology available to the writers, references can easily be searched using online libraries or copies of journals that can be requested from scholastic organizations (Park, et al, 2010). There have been a number of updates with regards to the disorder which could have been helpful for further deliberation and explanation. It has been a known fact that when people are treated or seen negatively, there would be a negative connotation onto them and would create either a feeling of discrimination or inferiority. Friendly interactions are being considered as a significant action for people with autism. It would also give a feeling of achievement to these people when society would accept them regardless of their stature (Anderson, 2009). Other approaches have also been presented by recent studies on how social acceptance would be promoted for people with autism. Such approaches should also be considered in teaching. One of the methodologies is social networking which a teacher can start within the school premise (Anderson, 2009). Resource materials are the initial concern of analyzing this research paper. However, it is not just what can be critiqued about it. The way of disseminating reading materials needed by the subjects can also be questioned as it can influence the result of the whole process. Methodology One factor that is considered when getting sources is the date of its publication. The more recent the source, the better and more reliable the source is (Booth, et al, 1995). The Autism Attitude Scale for Teachers (AAST) has been distributed to the pre-service teachers who would be part of the research. However, it was not stated if AAST was properly addressed or discussed to the extent that there would be no hesitations on how it would be done. Though this can be self-explanatory, there is still a need to explain such materials to achieve the desired results. If these pre-service educators would be asking their co-teachers, there is a possibility that there understanding and answers would be influenced by the other’s opinion on the subject matter instead of just generalizing their own. The attitude scale that was used for the research was published way back 1981 (Olley, et al). Even if there were researches that have been made to further understand the disorder, the scale that educators are using is pretty out-of-date. AAST aimed to assess the attitude of classroom instructors toward students with autism. It also assesses the probable consequence of in-service teaching on their outlooks concerning these students (Horne, 1985). A new questionnaire can just be formulated based on the original AAST with additions or revisions which would make the scale more applicable or advisable to be used by present day pre-service and/or in-service teachers. Since the researchers have already incorporated more recent online and regular surveys, the results can be integrated to formulate new questionnaires that would benefit future special education teachers (Park, et al, 2010). Pointing out the questionnaire being published during the 1980s, is it still applicable to what is being considered by medical field as the new meaning for the autism disorder? As what was considered as the “classic autism,” one of the very evident indication is the absent of speech. This kind of autism also includes monotonous, unfamiliar, aggressive, and self-injurious activities. However in the past decades, there have been breakthroughs and other discoveries about autism. Another type of autism has resurfaced; this is now being referred to as the “Autistic Syndrome.” Children exhibit normal traits from birth until they are on their 15th-18th month. Until they have been diagnosed to have the disorder, these children are demonstrative and illustrate to have above the usual intelligence for children of their age (Goldberg, 2007). With such breakthroughs, the AAST may not include cases that would deal with the matter. This should have been considered by the researchers instead of just using the scale that was developed before medical innovations have been published. Either the researchers tried to generate a new scale or the scale was modified to deal with such innovations. The results of the research were based on the scale. It can be said that the scale only deals with a portion of autism and does not deal with the disorder as a whole. The scale does not take into consideration the medical innovations which were discovered in recent years. There were no efforts that were made to modify the scale in order to accommodate the discoveries that were made. Data Collection and Analysis In order to justify the thesis of the research, there should be data and sources that to back it up. There are 3 types of sources that can be used in researches. Primary sources are what are considered as raw data or for this case, the manuscripts that the researchers are studying. Secondary sources are reports that use primary data in order to explain challenges in researches either written for scholarly or professional. The tertiary sources are the books and journals that will integrate the primary and secondary sources (Booth, et al, 1995). In this research paper, there are loopholes in the sources that were chosen by the group headed by Park. Also, the samples that were gathered are not a sufficient number of correspondences on how pre-service educators will deal with students who have a developmental disorder. Another characteristic of a reliable source that should always be considered is whether the sources are pure and unbiased. If there are insufficient written sources available to be used, a researcher can always conduct that an interview with experts on the field of study that they are investigating. Structures, methods, and questionnaires that have been previously used for a different set of subjects should not be used with a different set as there would be factors or parts of the survey that will not be appropriate for different groups of subjects. Every source and data that is being considered to be part of the research paper should be perused with regards to relevance and reliability. The procedures done in the research involving in-service teachers may not be appropriate to those of the pre-service educators. In-service educators have experiences already in handling students whether the students have autism or not. Pre-service educators handle the same condition by what they have read in the books. These pre-service educators also have been given a scale or a pattern on how to handle cases involving special children almost prior to the time the research was done (Park, et al, 2010). When finalizing the final draft of the paper, the tertiary sources play a major part. Sources that were used to justify attitudes towards people with autism are outdated. There are a number of sources that were published in more recent years which can be used for the paper. Results and Findings Just like the methodology, the data was compared and assessed using the outdated scale. The research’s consistency was based on the AAST that was published 3 decades ago. The question still remains on whether the AAST is still applicable to the modern ways of teachings and thinking of students even those with autism. Another factor that may have had influenced the result of the research is that the pre-service teachers know that they would be part of a study and be observed. This could have been the turning point of the whole process. Most of the times, when people do not know that they are being observed, the more natural they would act. What is left to be unknown would not be of any influence to a person, an event or in this case a study. If these actions would be the basis of a research, the results that have been gathered would be considered as biased and manipulated. The results stated that pre-service teachers have seen to have high positive attitudes towards the students. Could this be an effect of knowing the teachers are part of a research? That is a possibility which cannot be proven whether true or false. It was also noted that the highest scores gathered were related to the educator’s influence inclined to students with autism. This is not to question the credibility of the pre-service teachers, however just by sending out the AAST gives these future educators clues on what and who to focus on. There is a doubt that shadows the credibility of the conducted research. There could have been steps taken to have a more credible result. One could have been just incorporating the AAST in a course where pre-service teachers are enrolled. This could have lessened the idea that these education students would be part of a study. Another would be revising the AAST on a more neutral ground than just focusing on students with autism so that it is not that obvious on which student to focus more or give more attention and patience. It would be a very tricky step however, it would bring out a more credible and accurate result (Park, et al, 2010). With these factors on hand, the research cannot be considered as a good one. According to Cottrell and McKenzie (2010), for a research to be considered as a good research, it should be unbiased, apolitical and unprejudiced. The study that has been conducted cannot be totally regarded as unbiased since there is a hint towards the subjects as to what they need to do since they are being observed. The whole research can be considered as manipulated at the very start when AASTs were distributed. A thought that can be attributed as to why the scales were distributed instead of just incorporating in the curriculum would be a fear from the research would not have much correspondence. A way to get the numbers which is needed would be coordinating with universities in getting their students as respondents to a study that would be made and be kept confidential. This would get not just the number of respondents needed and getting unbiased reactions when conducting the data (Cottrell & McKenzie, 2010). It was also noted in the paper that pre-service teachers who are specializing on special education demonstrates a more positive attitude towards students with autism. This is quite an obvious characteristic since it is the field that these pre-service teachers would want to focus on. These future educators have been studying on how to handle this type of students. Most probably, a briefing has been made to this group of educators when they have decided the field of their specialization (Park, et al, 2010). Pre-service teachers who majors in special education should not be included in the research. The reason for disqualification is that these future educators would deal with special students. They are more aware of how to handle this type of students in comparison to pre-service teachers who are majoring in other fields. There is also the need to disqualify in-service special education teachers as they are practicing it already in their everyday career. The research should have gathered more respondents who are practicing general education so that the result would be more credible and unbiased (British Sociological Association, 2002). Principles of Ethical Social Science Research Every research work holds ethical responsibility not just to the field of study but also to the people either directly involved or would be a benefactor to it. There have been quite a number of ethical principles that were violated in the research. One violation would be holding the integrity of the discipline itself. The way the research was conducted is not what caused the credibility of the whole procedure (British Sociological Association, 2002). The pre-service teachers, the subject of the study, knew that they would be observed on how they would be reacting towards a specific group of students. That alone lost the credibility of the whole procedure. Reactions of the future educators would be manipulated as they know they know the whole purpose of the research. The action that was observed during the research is just like acting out what is written on a script. The researches in a way manipulated the results of the study to have a positive result in favor of the subjects. What were acted out during the study may not be the true actions that will be given to students in real life. This would not benefit the students who have autism since they were also cheated with the attitude acted towards them. The results that have been published favored the educators’ sector but not the students’. With such actions, the right to be accepted by the students with autism was dishonored. A person who suffers from autism needs acceptance from the society. Acceptance should be given so that these people will have the confidence needed for them to go out and mingle with other people. Their family’s acceptance is not enough to aid them to socialize with other people. Just like what has been stated earlier, acceptance is a networking act. The label on people with autism continues even in modern days. The word autism still conveys a negative connotation and brings out a negative idea to others who encounters people inflicted with the disorder. The change in views and opinions should start not later, but now (Goldberg, 1997). Acceptance should be continuous especially to these people who did not make any violations to be differentiated. The only thing that makes them different is that they were born with the development disorder. It is not their fault to be born with it therefore they should be accepted and be given equal treatment. Another ethical statement which was violated is that the physical, social, and psychological welfare of the participants is not adversely influenced by the study. A person with autism also deserves to be treated like a normal person. The more society will accept them regardless of their deficiency, the more they would open up to their surroundings to communicate how they feel and what they are thinking. The study that was conducted can be concluded as biased towards the educators. It only used the students with autism to get better reputation in the society. This may not be case however, the actions that were done towards them are cannot be verified whether it was sincere or just an act in favor of what the study is trying to prove (British Sociological Association, 2002). It is very sensitive to tackle researches involving people with disorders. The research that was made can be considered as a big leap in the field of education. Children with autism have been noted to develop mentally however without any prior notice or cyphers, the development of these children would cease. Usually, this is because of them withdrawing from the society. What was considered decades ago as a sporadic condition, are now occurring more than what have been observed (Goldberg, 1997). The British Sociological Association (2002) stated that “In some cases, where the public interest dictates otherwise and particularly where power is being abused, obligations of trust and protection may weigh less heavily. Nevertheless, these obligations should not be discarded lightly.” Does this ethical statement been followed by the researchers? The group headed by Park appeared to fail in following this ethical principle. The public would want to see a positive conclusion in researches that involves people with either physical or mental disorders. This could be pointed out as one of the reasons why the subjects have been in a way given a hint on what would happen so that they would get a positive outcome. Therefore, the researchers failed to do their ethical obligation not just to the science world but also to the public. It was indicated by the group of Park that there were research participants who specialized in special education. These pre-service teachers should have politely declined the offer of being part of the research. This would have been an ethical act. These student educators are being taught on how to deal with people with disorders like autism. The fact that the research involves people with autism works in their favor therefore working biased in their favor. The same thing should be done by in-service special education teachers. Being surrounded by students with autism in their everyday lives, these educators would know what to do and how to handle this type of students. As research participants, these educators are very much aware of their moral and ethical responsibilities not just to the research itself but the public who would be using their professional services in the future (British Sociological Association, 2002). Countless hours have been dedicated for the research and the final paper to be published. Yet there are quite a number of loopholes that can still be found when the published material is analyzed. A handful of insights can be given to the researchers in gathering materials in conducting a research that can be considered as reliable and reputable. Researchers have moral and ethical contracts to its audience. Once a research paper is released, what has been published cannot be retracted from the public. It may either help build or destroy either reputations or beliefs. If the research would go the opposite way of its thesis, researchers have the obligation to still publish the material. The public has the right to know on what truly happened. There is also the need for honesty with the results of the research. If there would be obstacles that would hinder the success of the research, data, facts and subjects should not be manipulated in favor of the positive outcome of the study. This would violate the moral and ethical principle of social researchers. There is no success in researches that have maneuvered components as it would not clearly state the true facts needed to be proven by the thesis of the study. Literature review The article’s introduction explains the study in clear terms, and the literature review refers to 46 sources. The authors trace changes to community and professional attitudes to autism, citing many recent attitudinal and pedagogic surveys by researchers in the US and Britain. While the article makes only brief mention of some important previous studies, overall the reader is provided with good background information. The review also highlights the significance of teacher-training, pointing out that some training programs lack curricula that may help pre-service special education teachers to understand issues about autism. The review also refers to works which provide a sound theoretical and conceptual foundation for the enquiry, explaining the development of attitudes and citing both medical and educational research into the effects of various interventions that are used for autism. The theoretical and background material comprises sections on ‘Concepts of attitudes and attitude formation’, ‘Attitudes towards people with autism’ and finally ‘Teachers’ attitude towards autism’. In general the literature review makes use of a well-balanced distribution of literary sources, and even for readers unfamiliar with the subject it provides multi-sided and valuable information. Contribution to Field It would have been a more credible research if considerations were made with the references and instruments that were used. In the education field, this is an eye-opener as to how students should be treated especially if they do have certain medical complications that affects not just their comprehension but also their attention span. Educators should be given enough trainings and symposiums as to how to handle such students. It does not just take special skills in dealing with these students. Understanding and patience should be given to be able to fulfill the purpose of educating people with such disorders. Educators should not just show such affection and attention to these students during research or pre-service trainings. Such actions should be done every time that they would be dealing with students. It would not be an easy task if these students would be mixed with regular students as they would not be able to comprehend to the lessons as fast as normal students do. This research also shows the need for more special education teachers and also schools as the number of children with autism rises from 1-2 in 10,000 births to 20 per the same number of births (Goldberg, 2007). This project was important and made a valuable contribution by documenting the attitudes of teachers at different stages in their careers, and it demonstrated that positive attitudes of pre-school teachers to children with autism may be influenced by their learning, working experiences and social environment. References Anderson, K. S. (May 2009) Social Skills Training for Children with Autism Utilizing Peers as Behavioral Models. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest LLC. Bell, P., Staines, P. and Mitchell, J. (2001) Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales Press Ltd. Blaikie, N. (2007) Approaches to Social Enquiry: Advancing Knowledge. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Booth, M., Colomb, G. G. and Williams, J. M. (1995) The Craft of Research. 3rd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. British Sociological Association. (March 2002) Statement of Ethical Practice for the British Sociological Association. Belmont, Durham. Cottrell, R. R. and McKenzie, J. F. (2011) Health Promotion & Education Research Methods: Using the Five-Chapter Thesis/Dissertation Model. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Goldberg, M. (1997) A New Definition of Autism. Available from [accessed date 4 January 2012]. Globusz Publishing. (2001) Social Science Research. [4 January 2012]. Horne, M. D. (1985) Attitudes Toward Handicapped Students: Professional, Peer, and Parent Reactions. Routledge. Olley, J. G., DeVellis, R. F., DeVellis, B. M., Wall, A. J. and Long, C. E. (1981) The Autism Attitude Scale for Teachers. Exceptional Children. 47, pp. 371–2. Park, M., Chitiyo, M. and Choi. Y. S. (2010) Examining Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Children with Autism in the USA. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs . Vol. 10. No. 2. pp. 107-114. Praisner, C. L. (2003) Attitudes of Elementary School Principals Toward the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities. Exceptional Children. Vol. 69. Read More