Secondary Teachers' Attitudes Toward and Willingness to Provide Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The setting of this research study was the Wichita Public Schools, an urban school district of approximately 50,000 students located in Wichita, Kansas. The sample for this research study included over 500 secondary school teachers that were employed by the school district during the 2011-2012 school year. The purpose of this research study was fivefold. The first purpose was to determine the extent of secondary teachers’ willingness to provide accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities. The second purpose was to determine the extent that a secondary teachers’ willingness to provide accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities was affected by the gender of the teacher (male or female), school level taught (middle school or high school), teaching assignment (general education or special education), personal disability (yes or no), and family member with a disability (yes or no). The third purpose was to determine secondary teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities. The fourth purpose was to determine the extent that secondary teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities were affected by the gender of the teacher (male or female), school level taught (middle school or high school), teaching assignment (general education or special education), personal disability (yes or no), and family member with a disability (yes or no). The last purpose was to determine the extent of the relationship between secondary teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities and secondary teachers’ willingness to provide accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities.

This research study was conducted using survey research and data was collected electronically through Survey Monkey, an online survey tool. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive survey and a correlation research design were chosen for use in this research study. The findings of the research study were varied. Secondary teachers were willing to provide accommodations, but were unwilling to provide some modifications. The findings regarding the extent of secondary teachers’ willingness to provide accommodations and modifications affected by the independent variables studied were mixed. The willingness of secondary teachers to provide some accommodations and modifications was affected by the variables of the gender of the teacher (male or female), school level taught (middle school or high school), teaching assignment (general education or special education), and personal disability (yes or no). The attitudes of secondary teachers toward persons with disabilities were determined to be positive. Secondary teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities were not affected by the gender of the teacher (male or female), school level taught (middle school or high school), teaching assignment (general education or special education), personal disability (yes or no), or family member with a disability (yes or no). The findings regarding the relationship between secondary teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities and secondary teachers’ willingness to provide accommodations and modifications were mixed.

School district leaders should consider the results of the research study when professional development is provided. The results provide data that may aid in the decision making process of determining what groups of teachers need additional professional development related to increasing willingness to provide accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities.