This study set out to introduce instructional adaptation to the "Basic Agricultural Techniques" and "Conservation of the Environment" and investigate its effects on the class participating behavior and task solving abilities of three students with mil...
This study set out to introduce instructional adaptation to the "Basic Agricultural Techniques" and "Conservation of the Environment" and investigate its effects on the class participating behavior and task solving abilities of three students with mild mental retardation in an inclusive classroom.
Instructional adaptation was made based on the teaching contents and evaluation methods. The teaching and learning process plan and performance assessment items were developed and applied to the students.
The effects of instructional adaptation were measured in the ABAB design form, which is one of the reversal designs for single subject research. Interventions were made during the theory, experiment and practice hours of the "Basic Agricultural Techniques" and "Conservation of the Environment" to examine the influences on their class participating behavior. Their class participating behavior that was operationally defined by the investigator was observed, recorded and quantified. As a result, the application of instructional adaptation had positive impacts on increasing the class participation rates of the students with mild mental retardation.
As for task solving abilities, the level of performance assessment was revised according to the learning objectives that were altered after instructional adaptation. A series of performance assessment items were devised and provided. And the subjects' task solving abilities, which were operationally defined by the investigator, were measured. The results indicate that the application of instructional adaptation had positive effects on enhancing the task solving abilities of the students with mild mental retardation.
The significance of the study can be found in that it suggested the application of instructional adaptation of specialized subjects had positive effects in improving the class participating behavior and task solving abilities of students with disability who attend an inclusive class and receive specialized subject classes in a vocational high school.