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Study of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst faculty's knowledge of disabilities, experience with educating students with disabilities, and attitudes that faculty possess towards students with disabilities
Abstract
Discriminatory attitudes towards people with disabilities exist today (Cook, 1992). Studies have found a strong association between intolerance toward racial minorities and intolerance towards persons with disabilities. For example, hearing-impaired persons are especially subjected to the same type of stigmatizing experiences as are ethnic minorities and aliens (Cook & Laski, 1980). These attitudes could be linked to the integration of students with disabilities. In higher education, the success of a student with a disability, even more than that of a student without a specific disability, depends on a match between teacher and student (Marchant, 1990). It is thought that faculty attitudes influence the retention and long term behavioral change of their students (Peterson, 1988). The success of the student/teacher match includes consideration of the teacher's attitude towards students with disabilities which is determined, in part, by the teacher's knowledge of disabilities and experience with teaching students with disabilities. The purpose of this research was to assess the University of Massachusetts at Amherst faculty's knowledge of disabilities, experience with educating students with disabilities, and the attitudes they possess towards students with disabilities using a mailed survey and to determine if there is a relationship between the three factors. Guided interviews of eleven selected deans, department heads, and administrators were conducted in addition to the quantitative analysis of the mailed survey. Nearly one-third of the University's 1,316 faculty completed and returned the mailed survey. Following an initial review of the data obtained from the mailed survey identified the need for increasing faculty awareness of students with disabilities, a qualitative study was constructed to identify the most effective strategies for increasing faculty awareness students with disabilities. Participants were generally unfamiliar with disabilities, students with disabilities, University disability service providers, and disability law. University administrators had not identified the need to implement a disability awareness training program and very few interventions had been initiated to increase faculty awareness of students with disabilities. Based upon responses to the survey questions, participants of both studies could be seen as being supportive of students with disabilities.
Subject Area
Special education|Educational administration|Higher education
Recommended Citation
Baggett, David William, "Study of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst faculty's knowledge of disabilities, experience with educating students with disabilities, and attitudes that faculty possess towards students with disabilities" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329561.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329561