特殊教育安置對特殊兒童自我觀念的影響

Better or Worse? The effects of Education Placement on Students with Disabilities

美國在1975年通過障礙兒童教育法案（P.L. 94-142）以保障身心障礙者的權利。此法案的一個主要的影響性就是讓身心障礙學生貼上障礙標籤，並將他們從一般教室中隔離。雖然一般人認為特殊教育安置對學習障礙學生的自我觀念有直向的影響，但是研究文獻並沒有完全支持這樣的說法。在特殊班或資源教室的學習障礙學生之自我觀念並沒有顯著的差異性，更一致的發現是在一般教室而且沒有接受特殊教育協助的低成就學生之自我觀念比接受特殊教育安置的學習障礙學生更低。由於一般教室的低成就學生只有一個參照團體，此團體是由擁有比較優越的學業表現能力的同儕所組成;但是特殊教育安置創造了更同質性的參照團體供學習障礙學生建立較高的自我觀念。最後研究文獻也建議調整性的教育計畫對於學生的自我觀念可能比安置地點更重要。師生闊的良好氣氛和教室結構組織的調整都能改善學習障礙學生的自我觀念。

Numerous suicides are found to be associated with depression and low self-concept. It is generally agreed that students with learning disabilities have academic problems which is usually associated with low self-esteem. Although most educators agree that special education placements have a negative impact on the self-concept of students with learning disabilities, little evidence is provided. No systematic differences were found in the self-concept of learning disabled students who were either in self-contained classes or resource rooms. More consistent findings were that students identified as 'learning disabled' but remained in regular classes with no remedial programs had the lowest self-concept compared to learning disabled students in special education placements. Although social comparison theory has its values in understanding the influence of special education placement on children's self-concept, it is suggested that remedial programs may be more important in terms of students' self-concept than the placement.