¶ … education is that of special education, for students with physical or cognitive disabilities. Because every student is affected in a unique way, providing enough teachers to adequately support these students is a considerable challenge. However, according to the article from the journal Preventing School Failure, a crucial resource is often overlooked in special education: the children's family. The article by K. Patterson, K. Webb, and K. Krudwig examines the influence of a new program called "Family as Faculty" in which parents are deployed in partnership with teachers in designing student's Individualized Educational Programs (IEP) s.
The article created a simulation, in which case-based instruction was deployed in a simulated individualized education program meeting between real parents and student special education instructors. It was then evaluated for its usefulness in the context of a special education teacher's preparation. According to the researchers, the experience "influenced 16 beliefs of 89 special education teacher candidates about the value of partnering with parents. The parents, who all had children with disabilities, participated in meetings "embedded in a teacher-preparation course to bring authenticity to the experience" of student teachers of special education students (Patterson et al. 2009). The article suggested that better integrating family into the learning process created a bridge between the knowledge conveyed in the classroom and learning at home. The need to get the parents 'on board' during IEP meetings was reinforced through case-based learning. Showing student teachers how parents could be useful through case-based learning was deemed a vital part of any special education program for effective future instructors.
The research involved in the article did not take place in an actual school. Rather, it was deployed amongst a population of student teachers before they had left their university environments. This case-based simulation learning was "defined as a written, problem-based account of an authentic teaching dilemma…The role of the instructor using case-based instruction has been in various ways described as that of facilitator, moderator, catalyst, resource, and director" (Patterson et al. 2009). The parents used in the simulated model were 'real' parents of special education students, and were provided a small stipend for their efforts. The IEP partnership of parent and student teacher was based upon a real program in Florida between special education teachers and parents, and the simulated meetings were monitored by the future special education teachers' instructors.
Statement of research problem
What is the value of adding a case-based Family as Faculty activity to a special education teaching degree program?
Underlying theoretical models
The model of this case-based approach was a case study, by definition, or a simulation of an IEP meeting.
Summarize the conceptual basis of the research study
Simulated case meetings can better help teachers prepare themselves for teaching in the 'real world' in a way that acknowledges the important contribution of families in designing IEPs, and simulating these models and asking questions of both participants afterwards is a good measure of this pedagogical model's efficacy.
Description of research procedures
22 special education teachers, 16 general educators, 51 full-time undergraduate students pursuing special education teaching degrees were studied when making use of case-based IEP meetings as an instructional activity.
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