ERIC Number: EJ1261019
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2325-7466
Available Date: N/A
Inclusive Book Club: Perspectives of Undergraduate Participants
Shawnna Helf; Debra Leach
Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, p77-83 Spr-Sum 2020
We examined undergraduate students' perceptions of peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) before and after participating in an inclusive book club on the college campus. Over a six-week period, undergraduate students and students with I/DD enrolled in the post-secondary education program at the university engaged in an inclusive book club that involved coming together once a week for an hour to discuss a piece of literature. Results indicate that the perceptions of the undergraduate students changed as a result of their participation in the book club. Although, prior to the onset of the study, the undergraduates predicted that the students with I/DD would have difficulty with comprehension and participation, at the end of the study they reported that the students with I/DD did not have the difficulties they predicted and were able to successfully participate and contribute to discussions during each book club meeting. Implications of the findings for K-12 learning environments and post-secondary inclusive programs are provided.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Students with Disabilities, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disabilities, Clubs, Books, Attitude Change, Program Effectiveness, Training
American Academy of Special Education Professionals. 3642 East Sunnydale Drive, Chandler Heights, AZ 85142. Tel: 800-754-4421; Fax: 800-424-0371; e-mail: editor@aasep.org; Web site: http://www.aasep.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A