Effective Training for Peer-Mentors in the Special Education Classroom

Running Head: TRAINING OF PEER-MENTORS IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION

Effective Training for Peer-Mentors in the Special Education Classroom

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Abstract

Learner analysis

This paper is contains two parts. In the first part it will endeavor to perform learner analysis to determine specific characteristics of the learner population. Besides, it will examine the learner analysis results in an effort to identify the unique characteristics to consider while designing instructional strategies. It will mark the end of the first part by presentation of a summary of Lerner analysis results.

Planning of instructions

In this second part the paper, it will focus on selection on a valid source of information about learner needs and interests. In addition, it will utilize computerized source of information to obtain specific data as well as discus the use of specific data-gathering instruments. Besides, it will select appropriate data-gathering instrument to acquire a specific type of data and gather needs assessment data using a variety of specific instruments. Further, it will analyze the needs assessment data and use the needs assessment data to determine priority areas of need for education. Lastly, it will attempt to present a summary of needs analysis results and write a goal statement that describes the outcome of instruction/training.

Introduction

Instructional design focuses on the personality learning. It has instant and long-range stages, it is methodical in nature, and it uses a system approach about understanding and human education. Instructional design is an iterative process of development of presentation objectives, selecting teaching methodologies, choosing the media as well as selecting of teaching and learning materials and evaluation (Robert, 2009).

Learner Analysis

Summary of instructional problem statement

This study focuses on a special needs education classroom with children who have specific learning disability in mathematics. The aim here is to employ the use of peer-mentoring to improve on the instruction that learner is exposed to. The peers-mentors will assist their peers in solving simple mathematical problems.

Contemporary study suggests that learning association is another variable that impacts on students’ education and fulfillment inside conventional environments. In this paper, learning involvement signifies the extent to which learners work together with other peers and are occupied with the education process. Obviously, learning involvement is a variable of concern to be looked at in examining learning results connected to a blended teaching.

The demographic information about the learner group

In order to assess student learning outcomes involving a blend teaching in a special education classroom, a group of students enrolled to learn in an inclusive setting program. In the course of their study, evaluation was done and result analyzed. In the course of the program, that is, in the inclusive education setting, some peers were requested to participate in this study. The subjects for the study included 25 students in key stage 2 with average age of 11 years (11 male and 14 female). Among the 25 students, 5 were student with special need in the area of specific learning disability in mathematics. Among this group, 2 students were girls and the rest are boys. Most student spoke fluently in English language which was used as a mode of instruction. This is the same group that will be taking part in the learning process.

The Requisite Entry-Level Knowledge and the Skills Related To the Topic

These are the skills that are important for the learning to take place. They for the building block that the consequent learning are based on; without which learning cannot take place CITATION Rob091 l 1033 (Robert, 2009). This case involves two categories of learners which are those with special needs in education, and those without special needs in education. Those children with special needs are required to have basic addition, subtraction and division, and their peers are required to have the thorough knowledge of multiplication, in addition to subtraction, multiplication, and division.

The target audience prior knowledge and skills.

The children who are going to act as peer mentors are well vast with the process of multiplication which they are going to help the mentees to master. While their peers; with special needs education have the basic addition and are required to master the multiplication aspect.

The Group’s Attitudes and Motivation towards the Topic

Within educational research study, educational motivation is one of the most frequently studied subjects. The idea of learning motivation has been defined as the controlled model of following objectives, attitude, and emotions. Motivation is a force that drivers the learner to make attempts to achieve that set out goals and objectives in the learning process.

In this case, learners with special needs in education are highly motivated to achieving the same results as their peers. Their peers also have the urge to helping the mentees. There is a satisfaction that they derive through the process of peer tutorials. This is a sense of achievement, which highly motivates them to be mentors. The mentees are as well motivated to learn new skills and therefore are willing to actively cooperate with their mentors and the instructor.

Unique Characteristics of the Learner Groups

The learner group consists of five students within specific learning difficulties in mathematical multiplication; this group forms the mentee while the mentors are a selected category of ten who are identified to be well knowledgeable in multiplication. In designing instructional strategies, there will be the application of peer-mentoring process so that the mentors will help the mentees to carry out mathematical multiplication.

Planning Of Instructions

Summary of Instructional Problem

The rationale of this paper is to inspect how student’s learning in a peer-tutoring in a special education classroom is affected by learner’s individual characteristics and learning styles, instructional design, motivation to learn and their individual as well as collective involvement through peer-mentoring . Underlying principles for incorporation of the three of each previous circumstances as indicators of apprentice learning in a cooperative education environment are now given much attention to determine the connection or their viability of the so that an education model can be designed through instructional design.

Instructional design is defined into four scopes namely: first the value of instructor, secondly, learning and teaching activities, thirdly, learning support given by the peer, parents, tutors and caregivers, and lastly subject workload.

Learning stimulus and involvement encompassed another collection of antecedent constructs of various lessons as reflected with research findings. Studies supported the characteristic nature of these variables in impacting mentees’ learning and learning relevance. The main problem here is that some student are having a having specific learning disability in mathematical multiplication.

The difference between the current condition and the desired condition related to the problem is that presently; the learners are able to carry out addition of numbers; including addition with carrying. However, they are not able to perform multiplication. The desired condition is that they are required to be able to carry out multiplications.

Description of data collection instruments

Data are collected that reflect the learner achievement, attitude, teacher’s procedure and attitude as well as resources for instance, time, space and learning and teaching resources. The data can be collected from the following sources:

Student observation; is a source of information bearing in mind that these are children with specific learning difficulties, it might prove challenging to engage them in tests that involve writing. The reason is that some are hyperactive and therefore are likely not to concentrate on a given test. The observation can be carried out by both the peer mentors and the instructor so that they can complement on each other’s observations and thus lead to more accurate data.

Participant interviews; the, aim reason of employing this source of data is because the teaching approach here involves peer-mentoring. The mentors can be a valuable source of data regarding what they see their peers to have achieved. They become more paramount in this situation because they are always with their peers, and thus can take cognizance of any demonstration of achievement.

Test scores; can also be utilized as a source of data. However, it can be a challenging source of information because at times it can be challenging to put the learner with specific learning difficulties to take the tests. It should be noted that testing should involve all the learners. This includes those with and without specific learning difficulties. The reason for this is to avoid skewed performance. In other words, children with specific learning difficulties may not perform better if the test is administered to them alone.

The description of the data techniques used, it is necessary to undertake data analysis. In this case, the data analysis technique involves both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis.

Quantitative analysis

This involves the application the basic descriptive statistics to analysis the test scores of the learners before the learning took place for control purposes and after the study to see if there is a significant improvement in the performance. Descriptive statistics is the use of tables, histogram, charts, and graphs to represent data. The data is clustered across learners. This is then displayed graphically so that the instructor can have a pictorial representation of the student’s performances. The data is then summarized in a format that can predict the areas where instructions was not effective.

Besides descriptive statistics, the application of ANOVA will be handy to evaluate the differences in apparent education and the utilization of the learning. The performance in groups based on learner differences will also be reflected using ANOVA analysis. For example, the moving averages may tell if the performance of t he group is increasing with time or decreasing. When the performance is increasing, it it signifies that the program of peer-mentoring is effective. This will signify the reapplication of ANOVA to evaluate and see whether there is increased learning especially on learners with specific learning disability. The ANOVA analysis will be repeatedly applied over time for example monthly to see if there is improved learning.

Regression analysis will also be conducted to see if there is a positive correlation between peer-mentoring and increased performance of the learner with specific learning disability. This will mean that prior regression analysis will be done and then compared with the consequent regression analysis.

Qualitative Analysis

In this analysis, the response of the mentors will be evaluated to find out if there is actually a perceived increase in learning of children with specific learning difficulties. This is a qualitative aspect of the analysis, characterized by administration of open-ended questions to the mentors. In the analysis of their response will focus on determining a pattern that is formed with the application of the peer-mentoring technique. This will help in determining the reasons that promote of hinder the process learning in the classroom. When there is a hindrance, then it can be addressed.

Subsequent to content analysis, cumulative frequencies as well as percentages for like types and characteristics recognized in the performance of the learners with specific learning disabilities categories can be calculated to establish how frequently similar types of perceived learning were brought out.

Summary of the Data Analysis

ANOVA

  Jan Feb March Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Median 38 36 37 35 39 36 48 51 49 38 38 38

Mean 31.4 32 30.67 31.7 35.1 33.5 43. 46.3 46.3 37.9 38 38.1

Variance 175.4 109.14 155.5 112.5 73.07 49.55 138 148.6 107.5 13.07 4.57 9.267

n 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

df 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

  Levene’s Test 2.842 p 0.002   Reject Null Hypothesis because p < 0.05 (Variances are Different)

a 0.05 Descriptive Statistic

Regression Analysis

Discussion of the Statistical Analysis

The analysis of the above of the above analysis, the following data for a period of one year was used to calculate the above result.

The tools that were used to collect the data are interview, testing the learners, and observation.

Test results

Month S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 SLD6 SLD7 SLD8 SLD 9 SLD 10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15

Jan 43 38 39 40 45 10 11 15 16 17 44 37 35 39 42

Feb 35 44 41 41 39 18 14 18 19 23 38 36 40 33 41

March 37 39 40 42 33 10 11 13 17 21 39 38 42 44 34

Apr 44 41 37 39 34 12 21 12 20 28 39 35 34 39 41

May 43 41 42 44 38 29 24 21 18 29 37 39 40 41 40

Jun 40 39 36 37 35 20 31 28 19 28 35 39 36 37 43

July 45 49 48 50 55 24 29 26 31 30 54 47 49 55 57

Aug 48 50 55 51 56 26 35 32 29 30 54 55 58 62 53

Sep 45 49 55 56 57 32 32 36 30 36 48 49 56 54 59

Oct 44 41 39 37 40 36 35 38 33 30 42 38 39 36 41

Nov 41 40 38 39 37 39 38 36 34 35 37 40 36 39 41

Dec 39 37 36 38 33 40 41 42 36 39 34 44 40 35 38

KEY:

S means Student

SLD means Student with specific Learning Disability

A sample performance of fifteen students was recorded over a period of one year. The data reflect the performance of the students before the launch of the program of peer-mentoring. The program was started in May and the performance was continuously registered for the sample group of the students. It is also important to note that the mentors and in the mentee were paired in the ration of 2:1. That is two mentors were responsible for the learning of a mentee with specific learning difficulty.

Anova

From the table of ANOVA above, it can be observed that in Analysis of Variance; it can be clearly seen that the general performance of the students increased as indicated by the increase in both Mean and Median and a decrease in the Variance.

Descriptive Statistics

The histogram above indicates an increase in the performance trend of the sample group of learners. This implies the program of peer mentoring actually increased the performance of the inclusive class in general. Lastly, the confidence interval of 95% is high that affirms all of the above prediction.

Regression Analysis

The analysis of the above graph indicates that there is a high correlation between the performance of the learners with specific learning difficulties and peer-mentoring. The value of r=0.9 and r2= 0.954 indicates that there is a higher correlation.

The finding of the needs analysis above indicates that there is need to implement such a program since it shows a positive result. There is need to train more peer-mentors to assists learners with special needs in education to achieve more in academic performance. That is there is a correlation of potential successful performance of children with special needs education when they are supported with their peers in classroom situation or in any other learning environment.

Instructional Statement

The learner will be able to perform mathematical multiplication.

The learner will be able to multiply numbers with and without carrying on up to two by two digits.

In conclusion, inclusive education is a practice where children learn together regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Thus, in such a situation where instructor faces various challenges which may include developing Individualized Education Program (I.E.P), which further poses further challenge to teachers. The use of peer mentoring therefore becomes very handy in helping the instructor to cope and still make sure the set out goals and objectives of education are still achieved. Besides, children in such a setting are not only getting educated but they also learn socially, develop an understanding of their peers with special needs in education so that negative stereotypes are not reflected among them.

References

Robert, M. B. (2009). Instructional Design: The ADDIE Approach. New York: Springer.