DOTTIE
Elementary Education Graduate |
DOTTIE
Elementary Education Graduate |
Four Days Until Departure Only four days to go. Time is going by so fast. Shopping is done, I think. I spent the weekend with my family and am getting ready to pack. Starting to get a little nervous, mostly about all the things I still need to do. I think I am more excited than nervous, so far. My research was approved by the IRB board so now I have to make sure I print enough copies of the consent forms. I think I have everything organized and together. I am sure I will check it all many more times before I leave. Below is my Research Proposal Education of Children with Special Needs in Zambia by Dottie Ost.
The main purpose of Education of Children with special needs in Zambia is to gain knowledge about how children with special needs in Zambia are identified. The study will also determine what specific programs are provided and to what degree those programs are perceived to be successful in meeting the needs of the special children. This study will compare specific topics related to the education of children with special needs in the United States and Zambia. To obtain data in the United States, I will use information from prior research, articles, and government websites. As a result the study could suggest how to improve the education system concerning children with special needs in both countries. This will benefit both countries by bringing a wealth of information for both countries. Future researchers will be able to use this information as a base for research on similar topics. This study may be used to gain insight into problems, possible improvements and necessary changes in both systems. It is the researcher’s hope that this research will be a valued source of information for future researchers to use in attempts to improve the educational system for children with and without special needs. Methods This study will be qualitative. The researcher plans to interview two to three University of Zambia faculty in Special Education, three classroom teachers from inclusion classrooms, two teachers from the University Teaching Hospital School, Lusaka, for the Severely Disabled. She will observe children in two inclusion classrooms. The students will be under 18 years of age. Observing children will show how special needs cildren interact with their peers and teachers. Participants The participants in this study will consist of two university professors with knowledge in the education of children with special needs in Zambia, two teachers at the University Teaching Hospital School, Lusaka, for the Severely Disabled, and two teachers at either Libala, Lusaka Girls, St. Mary’s, or Roma Girls’ school. The participants will be contacted by a coordinating professor from Zambia, and interviews will be scheduled. Secondary participants will be children attending either an inclusive school system or a school system for students with severe disabilities. Instruments An interview protocol will be used to collect data about the education of children with special needs in Zambia. The questions will focus on the following topics; definitions, laws, policies, services, funding, referral, placement, assessment, and instruction. Observations of the children in both types of place settings will occur. The children will be observed during their regular daily activities. Data collection Procedure The researcher will travel to Zambia between June 4, 2016 and June 20, 2016, to conduct the interviews. The interviews will be conducted in a place and time most convenient to the participant. While in Zambia the researcher will also observe several schools. At least one school will be a separate school for children with severe disabilities and at least one school will be an inclusive school, mixing both children with special needs and children without special needs. Data Analysis All data will be organized into the topics listed in instrumentation. This data will be compared to information about how children with special needs are educated in the United States, focusing on the same topics. Risk Potential risks are minimal as the researcher will be speaking only to professional adults. There will be no interaction with the children and observations will only take place with parental consent. If the researcher receives parental consent to video and photograph the children, the data obtained will be viewed only by persons directly related to the study unless written parental consent is given for data to be used if research is published or presented. No information will be withheld from participants. Participants will be informed that the researcher’s intentions are only to collect information and gain a better understanding of Zambia’s education system especially pertaining to children with special needs. I will send a thank you letter to the subjects for participating. When the paper is finished, participants will receive a copy if they wish to. Benefits By participating in this research study, the participant may further develop their profession. This research will organize information pertinent to the education of children with special needs and will allow them to see how the field they work in compares to that in another country. They can then use this information to make changes and improvements in their own career. They would also benefit from any changes and improvements that may result from future research based off this study, as it would affect their professional domain. Confidential Names will only be recorded with the participants’ written consent. No participants will be identified in any form of the research without written consent. All data will be stored on a password protected computer and retained for at least three years in compliance with federal regulations. The researcher will be observing special needs children in their daily school activities and these children cannot give assent. If the researcher receives permission from the parents to videotape and photograph their children and the children don’t want to be videotaped or photographed, the researcher will conform to the students’ wishes. For example, the teacher may have to adjust the seating arrangement in the classroom.
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