Better understanding of the diverse reading abilities of people with dyslexia is necessary for the design of more effective learning situations, which are vital both to students with dyslexia and to their teachers. Seven individuals with dyslexia currently or formerly in higher education were interviewed about their reading experiences to learn…

The current literature review explores the factors that contribute to academic persistence for adult learners. The aim of the study is to identify current research-based strategies aimed at supporting learner persistence, particularly for low-skilled adults. Elements of three theoretical frameworks, namely, expectancy-value theory (EVT), goal…

Previously, the Sherborne Developmental Movement (SDM) has been found to contribute to the development of emotional competencies in higher education. This study presents and evaluates a teaching model based on SDM for the development of emotional competencies in teacher education. The study examined the contributions of this model to the increase…

Education for people with a disability has changed over the years, moving from a philosophy of integration to inclusion. This philosophy requires a whole school approach spanning issues such as access, opportunities for learning, social experiences and developing a culture of acceptance. While this poses many challenges for individuals, schools…

This article reports research using case studies of 22 university students receiving study skills development funded by the Disabled Student's Allowance at an independent dyslexia consultancy. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. The students identify the primary benefits of the tuition as: developing an understanding of dyslexia…

Emerging teachers undergoing initial teacher education programmes and given the opportunity to engage in a teaching placement in special provisions settings consistently report that they find the experience "transformative." Over eight years, informal and often unprompted data emerged which "insisted" upon reporting and suggested that the special…

Students with dyslexia often experience low self-esteem and, linked with this, low academic achievement. Our research, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy, was carried out by academics in two universities, one in the south-west of England and one in the north-west, over 2009-2010. It set out to address "transitions and questions of…

This article discusses the relationship between autism and teaching a foreign language (TFL) and explores how specific teaching styles may strengthen learners' motivation. Autism is simply considered to be a social disorder of development. Autistic people are often seen as having difficulty in learning a language other than their first language.…

This article explores the different ways in which inclusion is interpreted in the context of students who have personal care and physical needs. This varies according to professional and role orientations. The author gathers the views of practitioners in schools and colleges, as well as those working in local authority settings. The findings…

This article is based on a research study undertaken with a small group of student teachers in an English university. They took part in a specialised school placement with pupils identified as having special educational needs, one of a range of current government initiatives designed to increase their capacity to work inclusively in schools. The…

The purpose of this article is to present early childhood educators, college pedagogical instructors and kindergarten teachers with the idea of using movement education activities as a means of teaching basic concepts in different disciplines. The programme consists of college courses that included the new approach (RRA--Role Reversal Approach) in…

In this short piece Stephanie Klein, a final-year teacher trainee at a college in the USA, talks about dyslexia as seen through the context of her family experience. She provides a highly personal and uplifting account, which accentuates that there is a range of straightforward strategies which students can invoke to address their learning…

Some recent attention has been directed towards the role that post-16 colleges can play in providing young people at risk of exclusion from school with opportunities to experience "alternative" curricula and ways of learning. In this article the case of "Darren" is considered, a boy for whom education in a mainstream secondary school setting…

This paper reports on teaching assistants' perceptions of the Phase 1 Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) training programme and the match to their changing role in classroom support, and suggests resulting issues for the design and delivery of HLTA training programmes. It explores what impact undertaking the training and gaining HLTA…

This paper develops from previous research (Orsini-Jones et al., 2005) and reports on the experience of three students, two visually impaired and one blind, reading languages at Coventry University, on the adjustments made to meet their needs and on the challenges encountered on their learning journey both from their point of view and from the…