Science instruction at the secondary level: implications for students with learning disabilities.
Designing appropriate content area instruction for secondary students with learning disabilities is a challenging endeavor. Even if these students are mainstreamed into algebra, history, or science classes, special educators are likely to expect only a minimal grasp of the material. To go beyond this, to teach higher order thinking through these subjects, would be regarded by most practitioners as too labor-intensive. The authors of this article argue that, through a comprehensive revision of traditional materials, secondary students with learning disabilities can learn content area subjects--earth science and introductory chemistry, particularly--in an integrated manner. These students can achieve a firm understanding of the subject, as well as learn how to solve complex, domain-specific problems. For this kind of integrated instruction to be feasible, the curriculum must be designed and field-tested by professional curriculum developers.
Woodward
J
J
University of Oregon, Eugene.
Noell
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D003210:Concept Formation; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends; D004519:Education, Special / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000628:therapy*; D011340:Problem Solving; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D013850:Thinking