Elementary music educators' adaptive teaching strategies for integrated students with disabilities

This study was undertaken as a means of identifying adaptive teaching strategies for students with disabilities that are currently employed by elementary music educators. The purpose of the study was to determine: specific strategies that are employed with all students and those strategies that are adapted for students with disabilities; teachers' descriptions of the strategies they use (i.e., existing, adapted, or new strategies); aspects of the teaching-learning process that participants consider when adapting strategies; the extent to which adaptations vary for students with differing disabilities; the ways in which students with disabilities are influenced when adaptations relating to socialization, classroom management, physical environment, activities, musical understandings, or required cognitive skills are implemented; and the extent that training, teaching experience, number of students with disabilities integrated into a single music class, number of integrated music classes, primary classifications of integrated students, and amount of support from an aide influence the implementation of adaptive teaching strategies.A descriptive research design that included the distribution of a questionnaire to a large sample and observations and interviews of four selected teachers was employed in this study. The sample for this investigation included elementary general music teachers from 18 school districts in the Midwest. Questionnaires were sent to 366 prospective respondents. A total of 171 (46.7%) questionnaires were returned. Of the 171 questionnaires, 166 had usable data. After the results of the questionnaire were analyzed, four teachers were selected for observations and interviews.Several of the teaching strategies most frequently used, whether used in the same way with all students or adapted for use with students with disabilities, fell into two categories: teaching behaviors strategies and pupil reinforcement strategies. Over 90% of the respondents reported implementing existing and adapted teaching strategies occasionally or frequently. However, less than 75% stated that they occasionally or frequently devise new strategies. All aspects of the teaching-learning process listed in the questionnaire were considered at least occasionally by all the respondents when adapting teaching strategies.Specific strategies and adaptations were reported for six disabilities: behavior disordered, communication disordered, hearing impaired, learning disabled, mildly mentally retarded, and attention deficit disordered. When strategies dealing with socialization, classroom management, physical environment, materials, activities, musical understandings, and cognitive skills were adapted for students with disabilities, the majority of integrated students appeared to participate more readily, respond in a manner similar to the rest of the class, and enjoy interacting with peers. Significant differences were found between the groups of teachers' use of teaching strategies as related to years of teaching experience in integrated music classes and number of disabilities represented in a teacher's class load.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio