Teachers' perceptions of reading assessment for students with emotional and/or behavioural disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ levels of training, perceptions of competence, and past and present practices regarding reading assessment for student with emotional and/or behavioural disorders (EBD). For the purpose of the study, EBD was defined as, “a disability characterized by behavioural or emotional responses in school programs so different from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that they adversely affect educational performance, including academic, social, vocational or personal skills” (Forness & Knitzer, 1992, p. 13). An adapted version of the survey entitled, A National Survey of the Training and Practice of School Psychologists in Reading Assessment and Intervention (Machek & Nelson, 2007) was distributed to approximately 200 teachers employed by a large urban school division in Western Canada. One hundred and seventy-five educators responded to a 24-question survey designed to explore teachers’ perceptions of reading instruction, intervention, and assessment for typically achieving students and students with EBD.

Descriptive analyses and analyses of variance (ANOVA’s) were used to examine the mean responses of teachers’ levels or training, perceptions of competence, and past and present reading assessment practices. Teachers with varied levels of teaching experience and specialized training were found to have received little training (university and professional development) in the area of reading instruction and reading assessment for students with EBD. Furthermore, educators believed they have a low level of expertise and confidence in the area of reading assessment and instruction, and believed they would benefit from additional training.