Curriculum competencies of bilingual special education teachers: A perception from field specialists
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual curriculum framework for bilingual special teacher education programs to include the required competencies in the preparation of bilingual special education teachers. It included the areas of language proficiency, assessment, culture, planning and delivery of instruction, and professionalism. The study asked field specialists (bilingual special education teachers, administrators/supervisors, clinicians, and professors/researchers) distinguishing required competencies of bilingual special education teachers necessary to meet the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students with special needs. The data used in this study were obtained from the Preparation of Bilingual Special Education Teachers at the College Level: A Response from the Field questionnaire formulated by the investigator. The questionnaire is an inventory of belief statements about the nature of training skills or competencies of bilingual special education teachers. The questionnaire consisted of 55 statements and divided into five major areas. The questionnaire was administered to 100 bilingual special educators representing teachers, administrators/supervisors, clinicians, and professors/researchers (25 participants in each category), asking them to identify the required competency areas of bilingual special education training necessary to effectively be able to teach bilingual special education classrooms. The study employed frequency distributions and chi-square techniques in order to analyze the data. The study suggested that the curriculum of Bilingual Special Education Teacher Programs at the college/university levels need to include distinctive competencies on the areas of bilingual proficiency as well as demonstration of bilingual proficiency, assessment, culture, planning and delivery of instruction, and professionalism. The results of the analysis of the data indicated the following findings: (1) All participants identified all of the five areas indicated in the questionnaire as important competency areas in the preparation of bilingual special education teacher. Language proficiency was perceived as the most required area. (2) Although all field specialists identified the areas of assessment as very important, professors/ researchers identified two competencies as least important, while the other field specialist groups identified them as necessary required competencies. (3) Culture was perceived as a very important component in the preparation of bilingual special education teachers because it plays a crucial role in the development of students' cultural identity and self-concept. (4) Bilingual special education field specialists perceived each of the 21 competencies in the area of planning and delivery of instruction as required components in the preparation of bilingual special education teachers at the college level. (5) The area of professionalism was perceived as the least required competency. The results of this study provide a conceptual curriculum framework for bilingual special education teacher preparation programs. A conceptual curriculum framework provides the background for an articulated, shared, coherent, consistent knowledge base, and educational mission. This conceptual framework is based on what field specialists in the study perceived as required skills in the areas of language proficiency, assessment, culture, planning and delivery of instruction, and professionalism.
Subject Area
Bilingual education|Multicultural education|Curricula|Teaching|Special education|Teacher education
Recommended Citation
Rodriquez, Diane, "Curriculum competencies of bilingual special education teachers: A perception from field specialists" (1997). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9809014.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9809014
