Social skill expectations: do general education and special education teachers differ?

Abstract

There has been much research on the inappropriate behaviors demonstrated by children with learning disabilities (LD). The interactions between teachers with students who have LD and those who do not have LD also have been studied. Research indicates that the perceptions of teachers related to the social skills exhibited by students may have an effect on their academic and behavioral functioning. The purpose of this study is to determine any differences in the social skill expectations, as measured by a modified version of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) - Teacher Form, of regular education teachers compared to special education teachers at the elementary level. Results indicate some statistically significant differences between the social skill expectations of regular education teachers compared to the teachers of learning disabled students.