Students' Perceptions of Two Hypothetical Teachers' Instructional Adaptations for Low Achievers

Abstract

This article reports the results of 2 studies designed to examine elementary students' perceptions about adaptations hypothetical teachers made to meet individual students' needs and the extent to which students' perceptions of adaptations related to their achievement. The first study focused on the extent to which the Students' Perceptions of Teachers (SPT) Scale was appropriate for use with elementary students. 87 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students from 2 urban schools participated in this exploratory investigation. Results indicated that elementary students' responses to the SPT scale were similar to those of secondary students in a previous study, and although the items of the SPT were appropriate for elementary students, procedures for administering the SPT scale needed to be altered. The 158 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the second study completed the SPT and were interviewed about whether they preferred adaptations or nonadaptations by their teachers. In addition, a subset of 56 students was administered an in-depth interview based on the SPT scale. Results of quantitative and qualitative analyses suggested that the students over-whelmingly preferred classroom teachers who made adaptations to meet individual students' needs. High achievers preferred teachers who accommodated individual needs more than did lower achievers.