A qualitative research on collaboration between teachers of preschool and elementary education in relation to transition of children with disabilities from kindergarten to primary school

Postgraduate Thesis uoadl:2895145 238 Read counter

Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ειδική Αγωγή
Library of the School of Education
Deposit date:
2020-01-19
Year:
2020
Author:
Alexopoulou Theodora
Supervisors info:
Παπαδοπούλου Καλλιρόη
Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια
Τμήμα Εκπαίδευσης και Αγωγής στην Προσχολική Ηλικία
Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών
Original Title:
Μια ποιοτική έρευνα για τη συνεργασία μεταξύ των εκπαιδευτικών της προσχολικής και δημοτικής εκπαίδευσης αναφορικά με την μετάβαση των νηπίων με αναπηρία από το νηπιαγωγείο στο δημοτικό σχολείο
Languages:
Greek
Translated title:
A qualitative research on collaboration between teachers of preschool and elementary education in relation to transition of children with disabilities from kindergarten to primary school
Summary:
The transition from kindergarten to primary school is a very critical period for the children development (Pianta, Rimm-Kauffman, Cox, 1999) meanwhile the experiences from this transition are crucial parameters for the children’s future progress and academic achievements (Fabian & Dunlop, 2007· Peters, 2010). For the purpose of this dissertation, the term transition refers to the children’s and families’ process of change from one education level to the other, where significant differences on the policies, curriculum, teaching methodology, environment, roles and expectations can be found (Klerfelt & Graneld, 1994). The transition from one education level to the other can be described as a period with intense, rapid and multiple developmental, social and institutional changes (Vogler, Crivello & Woodhead, 2008). Moreover, while this sift is anticipated and linked with the kids’ life, it can also be a very stressful period for them and their parents.
This dissertation deals with the transition of the handicapper children from preschool to elementary education. It targets to provide a general view on the relationships developed and practices adopted by teachers and kindergarteners. It aims to understand the parameters, ideologies and practices that form the relationships among the teachers and define the practices that they adopt though the process of the student’s transition with ultimate goal the understanding of the factors that act as inhibitors and hamper the educational transition of disable pupils from kindergarten to elementary school (Crump & Slee, 2015).
The research took place at the beginning of the new school year, in kindergartens and elementary schools in the prefecture of Attica. Semi-structured interview and thematic analysis of the content were selected for data collection and data analysis. The choice of the Bio-ecological model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) and the focus on the transition as a bio-ecological concept, appeals the concept that claims that this policy and practices move away from a deficit approach and to adopt approaches based on the individual’s forces (Saleebey, 2006). Additionally, the transition practices chosen by teachers in both contexts, the relationships developed among them and the impact that these had on the transition of handicapped students from kindergarten to elementary school were investigated. It was also examined whether the characteristic of disability affect the quality of the relationships and ultimately the practices selected.
The findings of the study show that the teachers and kindergarteners identify the transition crucial to the student’s educational path as they laid the fundamentals for their later schooling. They identify the change as a critical feature of this transitional period that frequently is a challenge for students and their parents. The parents of kids with disabilities are presented with high anxiety and stress levels not only because of the child’s transition to another educational level but also because of the child’s disability. It was common that teachers recognize the value of developing collaborative relationships with each other and the importance of this collaboration for smooth educational transitions. All the practices applied are referred to all the students, with no discrimination for students with disabilities. The exchange of information between the kindergarteners and the teachers regarding the student developments and the visits of the pupils to elementary schools in June were cited as the most common practices.The exchange of information and the communication was mainly by telephone, while meetings to work were focusing on transition issues, transition planning or exchange of proven methods and techniques for effective transitions.
Main subject category:
Education - Sport science
Keywords:
Handicapped students, transition, teacher collaboration
Index:
No
Number of index pages:
0
Contains images:
No
Number of references:
487
Number of pages:
332
ΑΛΕΞΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΑ ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ.pdf (2 MB) Open in new window