Middle school teachers' expectations of organizational behaviors of students with learning disabilities

Journal of Instructional Psychology, June, 2007 by Rebecca C. McMullen, Margaret E. Shippen, Harry L. Dangel

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the specific classroom organizational behaviors that middle school inclusive teachers report as expectations for students with learning disabilities. Practicing middle school science and social studies teachers (n = 12) responded to a survey about organization behaviors of students with learning disabilities. Findings indicate that teacher expectations of classroom organizational behaviors may be dependent on both the compliance and competence of students with learning disabilities. Implications for teacher practice include the need for students with learning disabilities to be given explicit instruction in classroom behavioral expectations in order to be compliant and competent.

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One of the greatest frustrations that teachers in inclusive general education classrooms experience is having students who fail to meet their expectations. Salend (1998) suggested that these expectations become more stringent for middle school students who have learning disabilities than for those who do not. This stringency often results in increased academic and behavioral deficits for students with learning disabilities in middle school (Knowlton, 1983; Lenz & Mellard, 1990). For example, middle school students with learning disabilities are reported to have difficulty remembering (a) important assignments, (b) materials for class, or (c)class routines (Ellett, 1993). Failure to meet teacher expectations often contributes to teacher frustration (Hughes, Ruhl, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2002).

Two major reasons are proposed for why students with learning disabilities fail to meet teacher expectations in inclusive general education classrooms. First, these students have deficits that limit the development of organizational behaviors (Levine & Swartz, 1995; Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001). Some students with learning disabilities exhibit temporal-sequential disorganization which may cause difficulty in allocating time, following schedules, meeting deadlines, and solving problems within the classroom. These challenges may be attributed to deficits in preplanning for tasks (Hughes, Ruhl, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2002). Also, students with learning disabilities may have material-spatial disorganization which causes them to have trouble keeping track of possessions, maintaining notebooks, and arranging desks; all may be attributed to deficits in competency. Overall, deficits in organization may contribute to students' failure to meet teacher expectations.

Second, some students with learning disabilities fail to meet teacher expectations because they have not received explicit instruction on how to perform classroom organizational behaviors necessary for success in inclusive general education classrooms (Racino & Taylor, 1989: add new references). Racino and Taylor argue that students with learning disabilities may not be prepared to meet organizational expectations in inclusive settings. Consequently, inclusive educators are now responsible for teaching an influx of students with learning disabilities who may have both academic and organizational deficits. Educators must understand that the lack of student preparation for inclusive general education classrooms contributes to their failure to meet teacher expectations.

Researchers have investigated classroom organizational behaviors and found that certain behaviors must be mastered for students to be successful in inclusive general education classrooms. Clees (1994-1995) identified behaviors such as bringing materials to class or turning in class work. Ellett (1993) identified behaviors such as following routines or remembering important assignments as critical for success in general education classes. Ellett surveyed inclusive general education teachers to determine which behaviors they expected. Results indicated that coming to class prepared, completing homework, and turning in homework ranked highest.

Although Clees (1994-1995) referred to these behaviors as teacher expectations, Ellett (1993) labeled the same behaviors organizational behaviors. Classroom organizational behaviors refer to discreet teacher expectations that can be discriminated as occurred or not occurred (Clees). The need for students to be independent in their performance of organizational behaviors increases in secondary schools (Ellett).

Middle School Challenges for Students with Learning Disabilities

In middle schools, the content-driven environment requires students with learning disabilities to meet expectancies for standard course requirements in content areas (Bigg, 1988). For the first time, many students with learning disabilities must learn how to (a) plan ahead, (b) gather appropriate materials for school tasks, (c) prioritize steps to complete assignments, and (d) keep track of their work. Collaborating about the demands placed on students after transitioning to middle school may help inclusive general education teachers become more aware of the need for explicit instruction when teaching classroom expectations (Racino & Taylor, 1989).