Accommodation strategies for postsecondary students with learning disabilities: A survey of faculty attitudes and use

Students with learning disabilities (LD) are attending two-year postsecondary institutions (i.e., junior, community, and vocational/technical colleges) at an increasing rate. One of the critical challenges facing students with LD and their service providers is interacting with faculty (Brinckerhoff, Shaw, & McGuire, 1993; McGuire & Anderson, 1993; Rose, 1993). Accommodation strategies provided by faculty for these students are often key determinants of the students\u27 academic success. Despite this important role that faculty play in the education of students with LD, a paucity of research exists regarding two-year postsecondary faculty attitudes toward and their corresponding use of accommodation strategies for these students.^ This study utilized an instrument developed by the researcher to assess faculty attitudes toward and their self-reported use of accommodation strategies for students with LD. The sample for this study consisted of 471 full-time Connecticut Community-Technical College faculty, with a response rate of 64%. The relationship between faculty attitudes toward and self-reported use of accommodation strategies was examined. Results suggested that a moderate positive relationship existed between attitudes toward and self-reported use of accommodation strategies. Overall, faculty attitudes toward and self-reported use scores for most of the Instructor-Centered Accommodation Strategies were positive. Faculty attitudes toward and self-reported use of Evaluation Accommodation Strategies were less positive than those reported for Instructor-Centered Accommodation Strategies.^ Additionally, differences among four faculty discipline groups with respect to faculty attitudes toward and self-reported use of Instructor-Centered and Evaluation Accommodation Strategies for students with LD were analyzed. Technical Education faculty and faculty from the Math, Science, and Health/Paramedical groups possessed fewer positive attitudes and lower self-reported use scores than faculty from other disciplines.^ The manner and degree to which gender, years as a faculty member, and preservice/inservice training regarding learning disabilities relate to faculty attitudes toward and self-reported use of accommodation strategies were also explored. Results suggested that training had a positive effect on faculty attitudes and use of accommodation strategies. Gender was also a significant predictor of attitudes and use except for attitudes toward Evaluation Accommodation Strategies. Findings from this study as well as recommendations for future research are also discussed.