Children with learning difficulties. Their self-concept, well-being, and perception of school

Abstract

Background Previous research has shown that learning difficulties usually negatively impact the well-being and self-concept of children in primary school. This is the first Icelandic long-term study to examine the well-being of children with learning difficulties and the development of their self-concept and school perception as they progress from primary to middle school.

Aim The main objective of this long-term study was to gain deeper understanding of school-related well-being of children with learning difficulties in Iceland, and the development of their self-concept and school perception during the shift from primary to middle school. The school-related well-being of children with and without learning difficulties was assessed through parental reports. The self-concept of students was assessed repeatedly with questionnaires over a period of four years, from Grade 4 to Grade 8. Over the same period, a comparable group of five children with learning difficulties were interviewed about their schooling, challenges, and coping strategies to get a deeper insight and understanding of their school perception and learning experiences from Grade 4 to Grade 6.

Three academic articles have been written and some published focusing on answering research questions relating to: a) parents' assessment of the well-being of Icelandic primary school students with and without learning difficulties, b) a comparison of the development of self-concept of Icelandic primary school students with and without learning difficulties, and c) an examination of the perception of school of five Icelandic primary school students with learning difficulties, what they considered to affect their learning and well-being. The participants’ responses were also examined in terms of whether their attitudes changed during the research period.

Method Research collaboration was established with four schools in the capital area of Iceland. Data were collected from autumn 2014 to spring 2017 using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were divided into three main groups: a) parents (N = 327) of children in Grade 4 to Grade 7 three schools, b) primary school students in grades 4–8 (N = 264) from four schools in the capital area of Iceland, c) primary school students with learning difficulties in Grade 4 at the beginning of the study (N = 5) from one school. Parents responded to an electronic questionnaire about their children's well-being using the parent versions of KIDSKREEN-52 and KINDLR questionnaires. Students answered six times questionnaires on general self-concept, academic self-concept, and self-concept in reading and mathematics from autumn 2014 to spring 2017. Questions from The Self-Perception Profile for Learning. Disabled Students were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students on four occasions from autumn 2014 to spring 2017.

Results The school-related well-being of children with learning difficulties turned out to be moderately to much worse (d = 0.45 – 0.88) than that of students without learning difficulties, according to parental assessment. The well-being of children with special needs, who regularly took special education classes, was better (d = 0.7) in terms of communicating with family than children with learning difficulties who did not receive special education, according to parental assessment. Children who received only special education in a separate classroom were much more (d = 1.16) comfortable interacting with their family. The study on self-concept revealed that the average annual development of general self-concept in children with learning difficulties was positive during the research period (Δz = 0.2). However, throughout the study period, academic self-concept was much lower on average among students with learning difficulties (Δz = -0.7) compared to students without learning difficulties. Especially, self-concept in reading was very much lower on average for children with learning difficulties (Δz = -1.3) compared to their peers. Self-concept in mathematics was also much lower on average (Δz = -0.8) for children with learning difficulties during the study period. The interviews conducted with the same students with learning difficulties over a four-year period revealed that they generally felt comfortable at school, and that their well-being seemed most dependent on social interactions and friendships with other students. Solid connections with teachers were also considered important and that teachers were kind, fair, and caring. Participants reported struggling with understanding instructions in general education classes and valued the special education classes, as they provided better instruction and quieter conditions to focus and learn. Attitudes towards homework worsened with the increasing age of the participants. Findings of the present study support and extend results from prior studies, showing that Icelandic students with learning difficulties face similar barriers as students in other western countries. The results underline the importance of finding effective ways to improve the academic progress of students with learning difficulties, as well as well-being and self-concept with the support of school staff and administrators.

Bakgrunnur Fyrri rannsóknir á högum barna hafa sýnt að námserfiðleikar hafa neikvæð áhrif á líðan og sjálfsmynd barna á grunnskólaaldri. Þetta er fyrsta íslenska langtímarannsóknin þar sem líðan og reynsla barna með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu sinni er könnuð. Markmið Meginmarkmið þessarar langtímarannsóknar var að varpa ljósi á reynslu barna með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu sinni, sjálfsmynd þeirra og skólatengda líðan. Í þeim tilgangi voru foreldrar barna með og án námserfiðleika beðnir um að meta skólatengda líðan barna sinna. Börnin sjálf mátu sjálfsmynd sína endurtekið yfir fjögurra ára tímabil. Á sama tíma var rætt við börn með námserfiðleika um skólagöngu sína, áskoranir og bjargráð, til að fá dýpri innsýn og skilning á þeirra aðstæðum í skólanum frá 4. bekk upp í 7. bekk. Þrjár fræðigreinar hafa verið ritaðar sem beindust að því að svara rannsóknarspurningum sem snúa að a) mati foreldra á líðan grunnskólanemenda með og án námserfiðleika, b) samanburði á þróun sjálfsmyndar hjá grunnskólanemendum með og án námserfiðleika, og c) athugun á reynslu fimm grunnskólanemenda með námserfiðleika, hvað þau telja hafa áhrif á nám þeirra og líðan, og hvort viðhorf þeirra breytast á rannsóknartímanum. Aðferðir Þátttakendur skiptust í þrjá meginhópa: a) foreldrar (N = 327) barna í þremur skólum, b) grunnskólanemendur í 4. – 8. bekk (N = 264) frá fjórum skólum á höfuðborgarsvæðinu, c) grunnskólanemendur (N = 5) frá einum skóla. Gögnum var safnað frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017 með megindlegum og eigindlegum aðferðum. Foreldrar svöruðu rafrænum spurningalista að hausti 2014 um líðan barna sinna þar sem stuðst var við foreldraútgáfur KIDSKREEN-52 og KINDLR spurningalistana. Nemendur svöruðu spurningalistum um almenna sjálfsmynd, námslega sjálfsmynd, sjálfsmynd í lestri og stærðfræði, í sex skipti frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017. Stuðst var við spurningar úr The Self-Perception Profile for Learning. Disabled Students spurningalistanum. Hálfstöðluð viðtöl voru tekin við fimm nemendur í fjögur skipti frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017. Niðurstöður Mat foreldra á líðan barna sinna reyndist töluvert til mikið verra (d = 0,45 – 0,88) hjá börnum með sérþarfir en hjá jafnöldrum án sérþarfa. Samkvæmt mati foreldra var líðan barna með sérþarfir sem fóru reglulega í sérkennslutíma þó mikið betri (d = 0,7) hvað snerti samskipti við fjölskyldu en barna með sérþarfir sem fengu ekki sérkennslu. Börn sem fengu sérkennslu í sérrými áttu í mun jákvæðari (d = 1,16) samskiptum við fjölskyldu sína. Þróun almennrar sjálfsmyndar hjá börnum með námserfiðleika reyndist jákvæð frá einu ári til annars (Δz = 0,2). Á rannsóknartímanum reyndist námsleg sjálfsmynd hjá nemendum með námserfiðleika að meðaltali mikið lægri (Δz = -0,7) en hjá nemendum án námserfiðleika. Sjálfsmynd í lestri var að meðaltali mun lægri á rannsóknartímanum (Δz = -1,3) hjá nemendum með námserfiðleika samanborið við jafnaldra án námserfiðleika. Sjálfsmynd í stærðfræði var einnig að meðaltali mikið lægri hjá sama hópi (Δz = -0,8) samanborið við jafnaldra án námserfiðleika á umræddu tímabili. Viðtölin sem tekin voru við sömu nemendur með námserfiðleika yfir fjögurra ára tímabil leiddu í ljós að þeim leið almennt vel í skólanum, en líðan þeirra var mest háð félagstengslum og vináttuböndum við aðra nemendur. Þau töldu mikilvægt að ná góðum tengslum við kennara í sérkennslu. Viðmælendur mátu sérkennslutímana mikils, því þar væri hægt að fá meiri frið til að læra og meira næði væri til að einbeita sér og meðtaka námsefnið. Viðhorf gagnvart heimanámi versnaði með hækkandi aldri þátttakenda. Niðurstöður eru í samræmi við fyrri rannsóknir og sýna að íslenskir nemendur með námserfiðleika búa við áþekkar hindranir og nemendur erlendis. Mikilvægt er að styðja vel við námsframvindu barna með námserfiðleika og finna leiðir til að styrkja sjálfsmynd þeirra og líðan í skóla með stuðningi frá starfsmönnum skóla og skólayfirvalda.