The Regular Classroom Interactions of Learning Disabled Adolescents and Their Teachers

Abstract

Research on the process of teaching indicates that students who are low achievers, hyperactive, defiant, and dependent receive less approval and support and more criticism and disapproval from their teachers. Further, students discriminate teacher approval and disapproval and form corresponding attitudes toward the teacher and learning which influences performance and adjustment. Since the implications are quite serious for learning disabled students in regular classrooms, this study tested these findings through direct observation of learning disabled adolescents in regular classrooms. Results indicated that teachers were equitable in their interactions with learning disabled and non-learning disabled students and did not perceive learning disabled students as more hyperactive, defiant, or dependent than non-learning disabled students. Even though learning disabled students were treated like non-learning disabled students, they perceived less approval and more disapproval from their teachers and were happy in their regular classrooms significantly less often than non-learning disabled students.