Abstracts - Earli

The aim of the present study was to explore the relations between parental beliefs of theirpreschool-aged children’s general and math-specific competence and children’s self-reportedachievement strategies and task-value. The relations between these constructs and children’scognitive and math-related skills were also investigated. The participants were 98 five- to sixyears-oldchildren from 13 preschool classes, their mothers and fathers. Both, mothers and fatherswere asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding their child’s general preschool-related as well asmath-specific competence. Children were individually interviewed regarding their achievementstrategies and math-specific task-value. In addition, children’s cognitive and math-related skillswere measured. Structural equation modelling with latent variables was used to explore therelations between parental beliefs, children’s achievement strategies and math-specific task valueand to what extent these constructs predict children’s cognitive and math-related skills. The resultsindicate that parents’ math-specific rather than general beliefs predict children’s cognitive andmath-related skills whereas parents’ general rather than math-specific beliefs are related topreschool-aged children’s self-reported achievement strategies and math-related task-value.Fathers’ beliefs seem to be related to children’s adaptive achievement strategies whereas mothers’beliefs seem to have stronger relations with children’s less adaptive achievement strategies likecompeting and avoidant strategies. These findings might have important practical implications forteachers and other professionals communicating with parents concerning their child’sdevelopmental and educational outcomes. Preschool-aged children’s self-reported achievementstrategies seem to predict children’s general cognitive skills rather than more achievement relatedmath skills. However, already preschool-aged children’s math-specific task-value strongly predictstheir math-related skills, indicating that math related beliefs and attitudes may start to form longbefore children start formal school education.B 928 August 2007 17:30 - 18:50Room: KonferenciaPaper SessionSpecial educationChair:Éva Molnár, University of Szeged, HungaryTeachers’ attitudes toward inclusion according to the disability’s category and graveness, andtheir perception of skills needed for coping with students with disabilities in the inclusiveclassroomEytan Cohen, "Ohalo" College, IsraelYona Leyser, Northern Illinois University, USAThe study examined attitudes of teachers toward the inclusion of students with different types ofdisabilities; perceptions of their competencies for teaching these students and general inclusionskills. Also examined were factors influencing perceptions, and teacher training needs. Participantswere 270 teachers in two school districts, who responded to a modified scale adapted previouslyfrom English by Lifshitz and Naor (2001). Findings revealed a hierarchy of preference forplacement in inclusive classrooms; Acceptance of students with mild disabilities, and rejection ofstudents who are blind, deaf, and those with moderate and severe mental retardation and emotionaland behavioral disorders. Perceptions of teaching skills were correlated with these attitudes toward– 87 –