This investigation examined faculty attitudes, beliefs, and practices with regard to students with learning disabilities (LD). An instrument was designed to measure attitudes and administered to all faculty in a large urban, private university. Responses from 192 faculty members were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis; results indicated that the instrument contained 12 reliable factors. Further, correlational analyses provided preliminary support for the instrument's construct validity by showing that major constructs were associated with each other in expected directions. Descriptive analyses indicated that faculty generally had positive perceptions about students with LD and were willing to spend time supporting students with LD. Consistent with prior research, faculty expressed greater willingness to provide minor, rather than major, accommodations. Group comparisons by faculty gender, academic unit, and rank are reported. The implications of these findings for future research and training efforts are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllsoppD. H.MinskoffE. H.BoltL. (2005). Individualized course-specific strategy instruction for college students with learning disabilities and ADHD: Lessons learned from a model demonstration project. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20, 103–118.
2.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, P.L. 101–336, 42 U.S.C. § 12101.
3.
BigajS. J.ShawS. F.McGuireJ. M. (1999). Community-technical college faculty willingness to use and self-reported use of accommodation strategies for students with learning disabilities. The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education, 21, 3–14.
4.
BourkeA. B.StrehornK. C.SilverP. (2000). Faculty members' provision of instructional accommodations to students with LD. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33, 26–32.
5.
FaroneM. C.HallE. W.CostelloJ. J. (1998). Postsecondary disability issues: An inclusive identification strategy. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 13, 35–45.
6.
FinnL. L. (1998). Students' perceptions of beneficial LD accommodations and services at the postsecondary level. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 13, 46–67.
7.
GorsuchR. L. (1983). Factor analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
8.
GreggN. (2007). Underserved and unprepared: Postsecondary learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22, 219–228.
9.
HalpernA. S.YovanoffP.DorenB.BenzM. (1995). Predicting participation in postsecondary education for school leavers with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 62, 151–164.
10.
HarrisonS. (2003). Creating a successful learning environment for postsecondary students with learning disabilities: Policy and practice. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 33, 131–145.
11.
Hartman-HallH. M.HaagaD. A. (2002). College students' willingness to seek help for their learning disability. Learning Disability Quarterly, 25, 263–274.
12.
HartzellH.ComptonC. (1984). Learning disability: A ten-year follow-up. Pediatrics, 74, 1058–1064.
13.
HenryD.KeysC.BalcazarF.JoppD. (1996). Attitudes of community-living staff members toward persons with mental retardation, mental illness, and dual diagnosis. Mental Retardation, 34, 367–379.
14.
HornL.NevillS. (2006). Profile of undergraduates in U.S. postsecondary education institutions: 2003–2004; With a special analysis of community college students (NCES2006-184). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
15.
HouckC. K.AsselinS. B.TroutmanG. C.ArringtonJ. M. (1992). Students with learning disabilities in the university environment: A study of faculty and student perceptions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 678–684.
16.
LitnerB.Mann-FederV.GuerardG. (2005). Narratives of success: Learning disabled students in university. Exceptional Education Canada, 15, 9–23.
17.
MadausJ. W.ShawS. F. (2004). Section 504: Differences in the regulations for secondary and postsecondary education. Intervention in School and Clinic, 40, 81–87.
18.
MatthewsP. R.AndersonD. W.SkolnickB. D. (1987). Faculty attitude toward accommodations for college students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Focus, 3, 46–52.
19.
MinnerS.PraterG. (1984). College teachers' expectations of LD students. Academic Therapy, 225–229.
20.
MullC.SitlingtonP. L.AlperS. (2001). Postsecondary education for students with learning disabilities: A synthesis of the literature. Exceptional Children, 97–118.
21.
MurrayC.WrenC. (2003). Cognitive, academic, and attitudinal predictors of the grade point averages of college students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36, 407–415.
22.
MurrayC.GoldsteinD. E.NourseS.EdgarE. (2000). The postsecondary school attendance and completion rates of high school graduates with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 15, 119–127.
23.
NelsonJ. R.DoddJ. M.SmithD. J. (1990). Faculty willingness to accommodate students with learning disabilities: A comparison of academic divisions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 185–189.
24.
PierceC. A.BlockR. A.AguinisH. (2004). Cautionary note on reporting eta-squared values from multifactor ANOVA designs. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 64, 916–924.
25.
ScottS. S.GreggN. (2000). Meeting the evolving education needs of faculty in providing access for college students with LD. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33, 158–167.
26.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, P. L. No. 93–112, 29 U.S.C. § 794, Section 504.
27.
TrammellJ. K. (2003). The impact of academic accommodations on final grades in a postsecondary setting. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 34(1), 76–89.
28.
United States Department of Education. (2003). Twenty-fifth annual report to congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.
29.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2003). Trends in the well-being of America's children and youth. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
30.
U.S. Department of Labor. (2007). College enrollment and work activity of 2006 high school graduates (USDL 07-0604). Retrieved March 12, 2008, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nr0.htm
31.
VogelS. A.LeyserY.WylandS.BrulleA. (1999). Students with learning disabilities in higher education: Faculty attitudes and practices. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 14, 173–186.
32.
WagnerM.NewmanL.CametoR.GarzaN.LevineP. (2005). After high school: A first look at the postschool experiences of youth with disabilities. A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
33.
WagnerM.NewmanL.CametoR. (2004). Changes over time in the secondary school experiences of students with disabilities. A report of findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS-2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
34.
WalkerM. (1980). The role of faculty in working with handicapped students. In SprandelH.SchmidtM. (Eds.), Serving handicapped students (pp. 53–62). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
