ABSTRACT
A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment for learners with learning disabilities (LD) is a significant event for parents, psycho-educational assessors, teachers and leaners. This research study aimed to analyse the determinants of psycho-educational assessment for learners with learning disabilities (LD) in Brno City in the Czech Republic. Psycho-educational assessment for learners with LD remains a challenge in Czech Republic, hence, there is an extensive debate as to how to best improve psycho- educational assessment outcomes. There were several determinants of psycho- educational assessment psycho-educational assessment outcomes for instance psycho- educational assessment plans and legislation. The challenges facing psycho-educational assessment process were also examined. The views of psycho-educational assessment on the overall assessment and the psycho-educational assessor‟s recommendations had a great impact on the decisions that were made for learners with LD. The choice of educational trajectory was contesting and transparent hence not only professionals, but parents had the opportunity to take part in the study. In-depth Interviews were used to investigate issues and to discover how the psycho-educational assessors and teachers thought and felt about the whole process. Interview data from parents of school-age children with LD who had psycho-educational assessments done within the past one year were crucial for the proposed study to find out their experiences with assessment process. Teachers from elementary and primary schools and psycho-educational assessors were interviewed to find out their view about the psycho-educational assessment process for leaners with LD and why they held certain opinions. This study used descriptive research design. Mixed method was used in which both qualitative and quantitative data was collected from primary and secondary sources. In this study critical disability theory (CDT) was used within the paradigm of transformative perspective. The theory recognises disability as a complex socially constructed interrelationship between impairment, response to impairment and the environment. ATLAS.ti computer software was used for conceptualization, coding and categorizing of the qualitative data. The analysis process was enhanced by IBM-SPSS and Microsoft Excel for quantitative data especially for experimenting with different codes, testing relationships and facilitating diagrams of emerging theories. The emphasis of this study was on the determinants of psycho-educational assessments of LD with a focus on the plans, legislative influence, placement options and the challenges facing psycho-educational assessment process of learners with LD. Findings showed that the main challenges in psycho-educational assessment were linked to lack of proper stakeholder collaboration and interests, inadequate funding and resources, time taken in assessment and community backgrounds of the learners. Finding also showed that more boys were diagnosed with LD compared to girls even though they all ended up in similar placements mainly group and individual integration. Most parents did not want their children with LD placed in group integration (dysclasses) due to the stigma association. This study recommends that the government through the Ministry of Education and Sports should address the critical challenge of funding to ensure enough resources including personnel. The education regulations need to be explicit to all stakeholders to ensure maximum degree of inclusion and access to psycho-educational services by learners with LD without discrimination.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
This chapter presents background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose, objectives, research questions, significance, limitations, delimitations, theoretical and conceptual frameworks and operational definition of terms.
Background to the Study
Globally, most psycho-education assessment studies have been based on examinations and grading, not on learning, even though the assessors claim that the focus of their assessments are to inform learning as outlined by White & McCloskey, Framework for the 2003 (National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2013). The focus on funding, examination and grading, compromise the overall process of Psycho-educational assessment for learners with LD.
The prevalence of LD globally ranges from 0.3% to 2.5% in the under 20 years of age. Moreover around 60% of children with LD are in primary schools while 40% in secondary schools and 60% of all students diagnosed with LD are boys according to the (Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2013). World education systems are ever- changing in line with psycho-educational assessments of learners with LD, and hence posing the need for more professionals who meet the requirements of carrying out psycho-educational assessment for appropriate interventions to be accorded to the learners with LD who are currently facing challenges (The Gordon Commission, 2013).
In the United States of America (USA) where learners with LD at every level have the probability of performing some educational tasks, most studies still point at gaps in the psycho-educational assessment process (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007)
Most countries have continued to source psycho-educational assessment tools from other international countries, however they have inappropriately continued to use them within their local contexts (James B., 2006). Some most commonly used assessment tools in CZ include Stanford Binet, used in settings for instance „Základníškolaspeciální a Praktickáškola‟practical special school, „Mateřskáškolaspeciální‟special schools and Pedagogical-Psychological Counselling Centre PPCC. Educators have conventionally applied tests in assessment programming to determine students‟ attainment of the learning processes (APPLICA, CESEP and European Centre, 2009).
The persistent challenge in reforming assessment is the prevalent lack of attention to appropriate assessment plans, placement options, appropriate legislation and or considerations of the challenges that hinder success in psychoeducational assessment (Wiggins & McTighe, 2006). In some of the European countries for instance Austria, there are no specific laws that apply to LD; however, Czech Republic has LD and SLD legislations. These laws are, characteristically, related to both compulsory and higher education.
When reviewing student achievement, tests form part of the assessment plan and are generally driven by policies, systems and goals. Efforts from psycho-educational
assessment institutions and programs have led to the mass use of commercial psycho- educational assessment tools (The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic , 2012 ).
It is important that the internationally developed tests acquired from assessment organizations be revised, adapted and modified by to make them suitable for use at the local levels.
When a learner has been suspected of having LD, a psycho-educational assessment can help to identify whether the disability is due to their cognitive development which may be delayed (McMillan, 2009). Learners with LD sometimes have an uneven development of skills – for example, they may have well developed spatial skills used to solve a puzzle but less developed verbal skills for giving the meaning of words (Naor & Zeidner, 2012). Lack of proper psycho-educational assessment makes learning a big challenge for learners with LD. Being aware of a learner’s strengths and areas of needs means parents and teachers can give learners information and materials appropriate for their level, and they are more likely to maximise their potential ( Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004 ).
The Czech Republic (1984) Education Act No. 29 (amendment No. 561- 2004) provides for integration of children with LD in mainstream schools whenever possible. In (1992, 1994, and 1998) Governmental Educational Ordinances unveiled Centres for Special Needs Education, Individual Education Program IEP, adapted technologies to be implemented by the Ministry of Education. The practice for inclusion varies from one
institution to another, following school specific policies and management recommendations on school placement options (Riddel, Harris, Smith, & Weedon, 2010).
In Kenya, Psycho-educational Assessments are carried out at the Educational Assessment Resource Service Centres (EARC) by EARC assessors, special needs teachers and specialist specific disability areas. The centres play major role including identification and assessment of disabilities, guidance and counselling of parents of children with special needs, running courses for parents of children with Special Needs, establishment of special needs units (special class) in regular schools and making referrals of children with special needs to special schools, units, integrated programs or for medical examination and treatment. They also run seminars for teachers handling children with special needs, field officers, local administrators, health and social workers, provide materials for instance hearing aids and collect information which forms the basis for central planning and special needs education survey research. Parents also have the option of using outside Registered Psychologists or privately run institutions to provide a psychoeducational assessment. These institutions are often very expensive hence, most parents or families do not access them.
The National Survey on Children with Disabilities and Special Needs in Education, conducted between (2016 and 2017) shows that of all learners in Kenya 11% are those with a disability.
While a significant number of the learners have placements in schools, the rate of school dropout remains high due to lack of support services in most learning and assessment
institutions. There is a glaring inadequacies in teachers and assessors trained to handle special needs education in the assessment centres and schools in Kenya. According to the report, the country lacks a policy framework and guidelines in the implementation of inclusive education. Capitation for Learners with SNE is not disaggregated according to type and severity of disabilities. The curriculum used in schools does not meet needs of learners with LD in education.
