ERIC Number: EJ1168865
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1046-6819
EISSN: N/A
Changing How We Think, Changing How We Learn: Scaffolding Executive Function Processes for Students with Learning Disabilities
Rosen, Sonia M.; Boyle, Joseph R.; Cariss, Kaitlyn; Forchelli, Gina A.
Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v20 n4 p165-176 2014
Students with learning disabilities have been reported to have difficulty in a number of different executive function processes that affect their academic performance (Singer & Bashir, 1999). Executive function difficulties for students with learning disabilities have been implicated as the reason why these students struggle with complex academic tasks such as reading, writing, and note-taking (Denckla, 2007). This mixed-methods study explored the extent to which a strategic note-taking intervention encouraged more efficient employment of executive function in middle school students with learning disabilities. This paper draws on interviews, students' notes, and pre- and post-intervention assessments to present case studies of three student participants. Results indicate that the strategic note-taking intervention served as a scaffold, opening up new pathways for struggling students to access executive functions and flexibly deploy cognitive strategies. Importantly, "how" each student did so and "what" each student learned about her/himself as a learner in the process were dependent on the specific challenges presented by her/his learning disability. These cases shed light on the potential for cognitive scaffolding to help students actively improve their own executive functioning in complex tasks such as note-taking
Descriptors: Cognitive Processes, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Executive Function, Learning Disabilities, Mixed Methods Research, Intervention, Middle School Students, Case Studies, Notetaking, Grade 7, Science Instruction, Science Teachers, Middle School Teachers, Pretests Posttests, Semi Structured Interviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324A110087