Comparing Student and Teacher Perceptions of the Importance of Social Skills in a Self-Contained Setting

Authors

Joseph John Morgan Ph.D., Nicole Dobbins, Ph.D., Yun-Ju Hsiao, Ph.D., Nancy Brown, M.Ed., Kyle Higgins, Ph.D.
  • Joseph John Morgan Ph.D. (Author) University of Nevada, Las Vegas image/svg+xml
    Joseph Morgan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and the Coordinator of Special Education programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research interests include the provision of access to the general education curriculum for culturally and linguistically diverse students with high incidence disabilities, the development of interventions to address the social-emotional learning of students with disabilities, and the analysis of community systems that impact the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students. He currently serves as the editor of the LD Forum, the official newsletter for the Council fo r Learning Disabilities.
  • Nicole Dobbins, Ph.D. (Author) University of North Carolina Greensboro image/svg+xml
    Dr. Nicole Dobbins is an Associate Clinical Professor of Special Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is the coordinator of the Special Education General Curriculum program in the Department of Specialized Education Services. Her scholarship has focused on providing teachers with effective academic, behavioral, social, and cultural strategies for diverse learners with an emphasis on Universal Design for Learning.
  • Yun-Ju Hsiao, Ph.D. (Author) Washington State University, Tri-Cities image/svg+xml
    Yun-Ju Hsiao, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Washington State University Tri-Cities. Her research interests include families of students with disabilities, evidence-based instructional strategies for students with autism spectrum disorders, and culturally responsive teaching preparation and practices in special education.
  • Nancy Brown, M.Ed. (Author) University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    Nancy Brown, M.Ed., is a faculty in residence for the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She works in preparing students to become special education teachers. Her areas of interest are behavior management and inclusion, as well as methods for preparing effective special education teachers. Ms. Brown is the field experience coordination for special education and early childhood education.
  • Kyle Higgins, Ph.D. (Author) University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    Kyle Higgins, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research interests include educational interventions for students from diverse populations, technology applications, the translation of research to practice, and the development of resiliency in children and youth.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.277
Implementation of social skills deemed appropriate for use in school is important for student success. Students with emotional and behavioral disorders often fail to use these social skills, requiring intervention to facilitate their use. Results related to social skills interventions have been mixed; one suggested reason for this is the lack of cultural relevance these social skills have to the lives of students. This study was designed to determine (a) the perceptions of students and teachers in a self-contained school setting of the importance of commonly taught social skills and (b) if there were any differences between age, ethnicity, gender, or role (teacher or student) related to perceptions of importance. Although some differences were found among the categories of skills, results of this study indicated that, overall, students and teachers in a self-contained school setting felt social skills were important. Implications for research and practice related to social skills interventions are discussed.

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Morgan, J. J., Dobbins, N., Hsiao, Y.-J., Brown, N., & Higgins, K. (2015). Comparing Student and Teacher Perceptions of the Importance of Social Skills in a Self-Contained Setting. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 10(2), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.277

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted May 2, 2015
  • Published June 15, 2015
  • Issue Spring/Summer 2015
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