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University of Wyoming

Martin Agran recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children

A journal article written by College of Education professor Martin Agran and three colleagues from the University of Kanasa  has been recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest professional organization serving special education faculty and researchers.

“Promoting Access to the General Curriculum by Teaching Self-Determination Skills,” which appeared in the summer 2004 issue of CEC’s journal, Exceptional Children, received the 2006 Division on Developmental Disabilities Research Award. It recognizes significant research contributions to the area of  developmental disabilities.

The article describes research that investigated the efficacy of an instructional model that promotes  self-determination for students with mental retardation and other severe disabilities. The model, which Agran developed with several peers, provide a self-directed approach to instruction and classroom management in inclusive classrooms that allow students to gain ownership of their own learning.

Federal special education legislature has emphasized that all students—even those with significant disabilities—should be provided access to the general curriculum. However, there has been relatively little research conducted on the effects of instructional strategies to achieve these outcomes. The study that Agran and colleagues conducted supports the efficacy of a student-directed approach to accessing the general curriculum for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Beyond the challenges of making content accessible to all students, regardless of ability, has been a traditionally directive approach to working with students with disabilities.

“Historically, in special education programs teachers tell students what they should learn, how they should learn it, when they should learn it, as well as what happens when they respond correctly or incorrectly,” Agran says. “In effect, the teachers have all the control and made all of the decisions. However, if you want someone to be independent, you should be allowing that person to be involved in educational decision making.”

Research described in the award-winning article considered the effects of strategies that engage students as active partners in their learning.

“We examined ways to teach students to use problem-solving strategies to set goals and plan their learning accordingly,” Agran says of the study. Typically, expectations are low for students with disabilities – a scenario that he says significantly underestimates individuals’ capabilities.

The group’s study offered evidence that capacity is greater than what we expect of students.  Researchers examined learning outcomes and found statistically significant differences for students who had received the support. Agran says results supported the thesis that “when you give students with disabilities more investment in their learning, they will subsequently do better.”

The model’s underlying premise, self-determination, has been Agran’s scholarly focus since his doctoral program at the University of Illinois.  Prior to joining the UW faculty in 2005 as Special Education Department Head,  Agran served on the faculties at the University of Northern Iowa and Utah State University.