International Journal Special Education

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 26, No: 3, 2011LIFE SKILLS TRAINING THROUGH SITUATED LEARNING EXPERIENCES: ANALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MODELShelly MeyersRichard Stockton College of New JerseyThis article examines the value of situated learning as an alternative to the traditionalcollege course instructional approach for pre-service teachers. The situated learningmode of teaching immerses students in the actual setting, practicing the skills andconcepts emphasized in the curriculum. Through a partnership with a college,community agency and public school, graduate students in the special educationprogram developed and implemented a life skills curriculum for individuals withdevelopmental disabilities, while learning essential principles of delivering instruction.The school aged students who participated in the study were from an urban, raciallymixed public school district and they attended the program at the end of their regularschool day. Analysis of data from student surveys and focus groups revealed theeffectiveness of the situated learning model.BackgroundFederal legislation, No Child Left Behind (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act(2004) emphasize inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings, while alsomandating their participation in state assessments and attainment of proficiency in the areas of literacy,mathematics, and science. As a result, students with disabilities spend most of the school day preparingfor tests, rather than learning skills they need after leaving school. These fundamental life skills take aback seat to a total academic program, which discounts the need for skills in preparation for the transitionfrom school to the community.<strong>Special</strong> educators, school administrators, and parents recognized the lack of life skills instruction in ourpublic school programs as well as neglecting life skills methods courses in teacher preparation programs.This group of concerned stakeholders believed it was time to address this ongoing dilemma and initiateda discussion with special education faculty at a local college. The faculty shared the concerns thatreached even further into the ways in which colleges were preparing pre-service teachers to meet theneeds of the diverse populations in their classrooms. As a response, they developed a survey to determinethe extent of life skills programs for students with disabilities in the nearby school districts. The surveyasked the following questions:1. Which areas of life skills instruction does your district provide for students with I. E. P’s?2. Does the life skills instruction provided by the district prepare students with disabilities for post schoolcommunity inclusion?3. How would you rate the extent of life skills instruction provided by your district?4. Do classroom teachers have the knowledge and skills required to teach life skills as part of the schoolday?The survey was completed by graduate students pursuing degrees in special education. Results of thesurvey indicated that there were social skills and counseling programs available for students withdisabilities but life skills were not being addressed. They reported that even if there was time during theschool day to teach life skills, they were not prepared to do so. Teachers in self-contained settingsimplemented life skills on a limited basis, but all teachers indicated that they focused most of theiracademic teaching time on preparing for tests. Teachers in the county special education schools noted142
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 26, No: 3, 2011that life skills training began at the middle school level and continued until graduation with communitybased training incorporated in the program.The Life Skills Training Initiative grew from the survey results and input from public school teachers,parents, administrators and college faculty. The important issues that the initiative addressed were (a)how teacher preparation programs ensure that pre-service teachers have the knowledge, pedagogy andexperiences to teach life skills in the inclusive classroom, (b) how general education teachers, who havestudents with disabilities in their classrooms, make certain they acquired the necessary skills to transitioninto adulthood, and (c) how teachers can facilitate the mastery of life skills that fosters the students’independence and self-determination so that their opportunities for inclusion in the community aremaximized. At the end of each semester, graduate students completed a final survey, where they wereasked to evaluate the effectiveness of the situated learning experience.First StepsCollege special education faculty approached a local school administrator with a proposal whereby theywould provide teachers in the district with strategies to teach life skills. The response from theadministrator was positive but the question of time was an issue. Using time after school was suggestedbut there were no funds to pay teachers to extend their school day. The college faculty thought ofalternatives and considered teaching a special education graduate course at a site off campus held afterschool hours that included teaching life skills to students with disabilities as part of the course objectives.Next, the Arc, a non-profit organization for individuals with developmental disabilities, was contactedand agreed to allow the faculty to use the facility for the Life Skills Initiative. In addition, the Arcpersonnel enlisted their adult clients who have developmental disabilities to attend the program. Thepublic school administrator arranged transportation for the students to travel to and from the Arc and Arcclients used transportation provided by their case managers or the county access system. The plan wasready to start.Program DesignSituated learning is the model of instruction for the Life Skills Initiative and yet, it is not widely used forcollege teaching. Typically, higher education programs base instructional delivery on lectures, discussionand demonstration. More recently, however, adult education programs, especially in teacher preparation,designed courses where students engaged in collaboration with peers, reflection and had opportunities tolearn through authentic and student-centered activities. The graduate special education students learnedthe application of specific teaching strategies with school aged and adult students with disabilities as theydesigned and implemented life skills curricular units. Situated learning brings the students to theexperience and through activities; they participate in the teaching and learning process (Utley, 2006).The graduate students worked in small groups or teams as they created life skills units complete with unitgoals and standards of mastery, pre and post assessment tools, formative assessments that monitoredstudents’ progress, and activity based weekly lessons for the delivery of content. The members of eachgroup analyzed the young and adult students’ performance and together planned activities based on theirlevels of skill attainment as well as identified areas for instructional improvement (Gardiner, Corbitt &Adams, 2010). The adults came to the program with individual person centered plans that included goals.The graduate worked with the adults on their specific goals and designed appropriate lessons.Throughout the experience, graduate students took responsibility for their own learning as theyconnected to the entire teaching and learning process (Donham, Heinrich & Bostwick, 2010). Theyengaged in group and individual reflective activities after each class session to identify the strengths andweaknesses of past lessons as they worked together to improve future lessons.Literature ReviewIntroductionA review of literature substantiated the effectiveness of life skills training through a situated learningmodel of instruction. Life skills are necessary components of any educational program for all students;with or without disabilities. As teachers ready their students with 21 st century skills, life and careereducation is mandated in most states. As early as preschool, teachers are introducing skills in the socialand emotional domains as foundations for future life and career skills.Situated learning is on the job training with invaluable benefits for students in teacher preparationprograms. Students who have opportunities for hands-on practice before they become full time teachersallow them to develop their skills and integrate them into their own repertoire of knowledge. In addition,143
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