Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-25-2016

Publication Title

Teacher Education and Special Education

Volume

41

Issue

1

First Page

7

Last Page

23

Abstract

The use of visual representations (VRs) in mathematics is a strongly recommended practice in special education. Although recommended, little is known about special educators’ knowledge of and instructional emphasis about VRs. Therefore, in this study, the authors examined special educators’ own knowledge of and their instructional emphasis with VRs in mathematics for students with disabilities (SWDs) in Grades K-12. A total of 146 teachers (pre- and in-service) responded to an online survey. A mixed methods triangulation research design was utilized. Findings include the following: (a) teachers hold conceptions about VRs and the roles they serve in problem solving; their ideas, however, lack depth and are narrow in perspective; (b) what teachers emphasize about VRs to SWDs tends to match their own conceptions, but the explanations they provide for SWDs need expanding and refinement; and (c) given their narrow conceptions, VRs may be limited to a peripheral role in special educators’ instruction.

Comments

— This is a research publication that I contributed to as a doctoral student where I collaborated with the second author on the qualitative data analysis. (Poch, A.L.)

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage in Teacher Education and Special Education on [August 25, 2016], available online: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406416665448

Reuse restricted to noncommercial and no derivative uses.


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