1 / 53

A Review of 50-Years of Literature in Postsecondary Education and Disability

A Review of 50-Years of Literature in Postsecondary Education and Disability. Joseph W. Madaus, Adam R. Lalor , Jennifer S. Kowitt & Allison Lombardi University of Connecticut Lyman Dukes III University of South Florida St. Petersburg Michael Faggella-Luby

maite-christensen
Download Presentation

A Review of 50-Years of Literature in Postsecondary Education and Disability

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A Review of 50-Years of Literature in Postsecondary Education and Disability Joseph W. Madaus, Adam R. Lalor, Jennifer S. Kowitt & Allison Lombardi University of Connecticut Lyman Dukes III University of South Florida St. Petersburg Michael Faggella-Luby Texas Christian University Presentation at the 27th Annual PTI Philadelphia, PA June, 2014 PTI 2014

  2. Session Objectives Explain the rationale for conducting a comprehensive literature review Explain the background and methods used Present specific findings Highlight any effective practices for students with disabilities in higher education PTI 2014

  3. Project Background The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 required that all institutions of higher education receiving Federal funding ensure access to qualified students with disabilities (SWD). Forty years after the passage of the Act, ~11% of college freshmen report having a disability (U.S. G.A.O., 2009). PTI 2014

  4. Project Background • To date, a comprehensive analysis of the disability and higher education literature has yet to be conducted • This literature is broad in scope and dispersed across a variety of disciplines (e.g., special education, higher education, psychology, sociology) • Given the 40-year anniversary of the passage of Section 504 in 2013 and the 25-year anniversary of the ADA in 2015, it is a suitable occasion to review the field’s literature: • What topics have been studied? • What methodologies have been employed? • What portion of the literature can be defined as data-based? • What practices have substantial evidence and support? • What topical areas within the field may receive greater attention in coming years? • Why is this relevant to practitioners, researchers, policy makers? PTI 2014

  5. Project Background • Genesis was a request from NSTTAC to present information about evidence-based practices regarding: • Successful transition to postsecondary education • Success in postsecondary education • Our plan: • Initially, to follow the NSTTAC meta-analysis procedures • But, postsecondary education lacks a taxonomy for the literature • Postsecondary education does not use the evidence based practice standards required in secondary education • No prior sorting of the literature, either by topical or research categories • Required a regrouping and new direction PTI 2014

  6. Our Method • Each article of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability from 2000-2010 was reviewed and common themes and topics were identified. • Discussion of the JPED data revealed overlaps, determination of key terms • e.g., “policies and procedures”, “experiences” • Where does eligibility “belong”? • Difference between institutional and program legal compliance? • What about studies of instruments and proposed constructs? • Initial domains collapsed and updated: • Student level • Program level • Faculty/staff level • Construct level • JPED articles from an additional 5 issues reviewed by four coders • Reliability determined at 75%-85% • Debriefing led to 100% agreement; refinement of terms, inclusion and exclusion criteria PTI 2014

  7. Our Method • Sorted into domains; reliability measured • 88% - 96% for sorting • Articles provided a broader perspective and led to further refinement of the subdomains • Validity check by 8 former editors or co-editors of JPED • Measured the clarity of domain definitions • all were strongly agree or agree that the definition is clear • Requested suggestions for missing domains • Fit of the subdomains • Suggestions for missing subdomainsand clarification of subdomains • (e.g., legal compliance at the program or institutional level) PTI 2014

  8. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria • Inclusion criteria: 1. The article is about Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities (broadly considered to include faculty, disability services, etc.) 2. The article is about one of the following topics/populations: a. Programs for accepted students into degree granting programs at a 2 or 4 year college or university b. Programs, services, or experiences of matriculated students c. Articles about the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of degree granting programs at a 2 or 4 year college or university d. Articles about the experiences of students with disabilities who are graduates of degree granting programs at a 2 or 4 year college or university • Exclusion criteria 1. Articles that are primarily about secondary students in transition or transition aged programs. PTI 2014

  9. Domain Descriptions PTI 2014

  10. Sub Domains PTI 2014

  11. Sub Domains PTI 2014

  12. Sub Domains PTI 2014

  13. Sub Domains PTI 2014

  14. Method • 1,346 articles identified by searches of multiple data bases (e.g., Academic Search Premier, EBSCO) • Published between 1955 and 2012 • Articles grouped into domains, reliability measured • Coding resulted in some articles shifting domains PTI 2014

  15. Instrument • An electronic coding instrument was designed and refined with two pilots using multiple coders. • The instrument allowed for the researchers to code: • Did the article meet inclusion criteria? • Did the article present original data? • If not data-based, what type? (e.g., lit review, legal analysis) • If data-based, what type? (with multiple layers) • What was the setting for the article? (US, Canada, international, 2- or 4-year) • Who was in the sample? (numbers, gender, disability, race, etc.) • Domain and sub-domain • Across coding sheet, 148 choices were possible • To achieve agreement, coders selections must be exact PTI 2014

  16. Inter-Rater Reliability Frequency and Reliability by Domain • For today’s presentation, four subsets were analyzed. • Each article coded twice to check for inter-rater reliability. • Discrepancies discussed and reconciled • A third coder was used as needed to reconcile disagreements PTI 2014

  17. Frequency of Articles by Domain Over Time PTI 2014

  18. Journals with the Highest Frequency of Articles About Higher Education and Disability Across Domains Unique Journals: 249 PTI 2014

  19. Journals with the Highest Frequency of Student-Level Articles Unique Journals: 158 PTI 2014

  20. Journals with the Highest Frequency of Program/Institutional-Level Articles Unique Journals: 100 PTI 2014

  21. Journals with the Highest Frequency of Faculty/Non-Disability Staff-Level Articles Unique Journals: 66 PTI 2014

  22. Journals with the Highest Frequency of Construct Development-Level Articles Unique Journals: 59 PTI 2014

  23. Frequency of Data-Based vs. Non-Data-Based Student-Level Studies Over Time PTI 2014

  24. Proportion of Student-Level Studies by Research Methodology PTI 2014

  25. Proportion of Student-Level Studies With and Without Control/Comparison Groups PTI 2014

  26. Proportion of Data-Based Student-Level Studies Including Disability-Related Demographic Information PTI 2014

  27. Twelve Subdomains of Student-Level Studies and Their Frequencies(Articles could be coded as multiple subdomains) PTI 2014

  28. Frequency of Data-Based vs. Non-Data-Based Program/Institution-Level Studies Over Time PTI 2014

  29. Proportion of Program/Institution-Level Studies by Research Methodology PTI 2014

  30. Proportion of Program/Institution-Level Studies With and Without Control/Comparison Groups PTI 2014

  31. Sixteen Subdomains of Program/Institution-Level Studies and Their Frequencies(Articles could be coded as multiple subdomains) PTI 2014

  32. Frequency of Data-Based vs. Non-Data-Based Faculty/Non-Disability Support Staff-Level Studies Over Time PTI 2014

  33. Proportion of Faculty/Non-Disability Support Staff-Level Studies by Research Methodology PTI 2014

  34. Proportion of Faculty/Non-Disability Staff-Level Studies With and Without Control/Comparison Groups PTI 2014

  35. Six Subdomains of Faculty/Non-Disability Staff-Level Studies and Their Frequencies(Articles could be coded as multiple subdomains) PTI 2014

  36. Frequency of Data-Based vs. Non-Data-Based Construct Development-Level Studies Over Time PTI 2014

  37. Proportion of Construct Development-Level Studies by Research Methodology PTI 2014

  38. Proportion of Construct Development-Level Studies With and Without Control/Comparison Groups NOTE: There were two design studies (one with control group) and a third descriptive study with a group for comparison. PTI 2014

  39. Seven Subdomains of Construct Development-Level Studies and Their Frequencies(Articles could be coded as multiple subdomains) PTI 2014

  40. No Fit Article Descriptions • 14 articles were coded as meeting the criteria to be included in the study, but did not fit a domain. • Examples of article topics: • Disability and higher education testing agencies • Interviews with researchers studying disability and higher education • Disability training and programming for students without disabilities PTI 2014

  41. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Articles on higher education and disability have been published in 249 unique journals These journals have a range of purposes, styles, level of rigor, etc. The overall number of published articles in the field has increased considerably from the late 1970s. A limited number of studies have clear control/comparison groups (n = 20) PTI 2014

  42. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 1 • More data-based studies exist than non data-based  • The number of data-based studies has been increasing  • 56% of studies use quantitative methodology, 34% qualitative, 10% mixed methods • Only 4% data-based articles have a comparison/control group • 69% of data-based studies provided demographic data PTI 2014

  43. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 1 (cont) • Most popular subdomains: • Experience, perception, knowledge, attitude of SWD (n = 272) • Profiles of SWD (n = 123) • Least popular subdomains: • Mainstream technology use (n = 15) • Meeting institutional requirements (n = 11) • Post-undergraduate experiences or outcomes (n = 9) PTI 2014

  44. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 2 • Data-based articles constitute 37.2% of total • First 20 years: <1% of the data-based articles • Last 12 years: 57.3% of the data-based articles • Comparison group design n=0 • Research Method • 65.5% Descriptive Quantitative • 24.5% Descriptive Qualitative • 10% group design, mixed methods or ss (n=11) PTI 2014

  45. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 2 (cont) • Most popular subdomains • Descriptions/recommendations of disability programs/resources ( n = 97) • Policy and procedure (eligibility, accommodations, etc.)(n = 68) • Programs for specific cohorts of SWD (n = 59) • Institutional policies/procedures (n = 58) • Legal compliance (Institution specific) (n = 42) • Least popular subdomains • Legal compliance (program specific)(n = 10) • Program evaluation (n = 10) • Program fit within institution (n = 2) PTI 2014

  46. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 3 • The domain with the fewest articles (n = 132) • Data-based articles constitute 37.2% of total • Prior to 2001: 29.7% of the data-based articles • Since 2001: 70.3% of the data-based articles • Comparison group design 4% (3/71 articles) • Research Method • 61% Quantitative (n = 46) • 23% Qualitative(n = 17) • 16% Mixed methods (n=12) PTI 2014

  47. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 3 (cont) • Most popular subdomains • Faculty knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (n = 59) • Faculty teaching practices (n = 36) • Least popular subdomains • Campus staff practices (n = 20) • Campus staff development and training (n = 9) PTI 2014

  48. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 4 • Data-based articles constitute 42% of total • First 35 years: 1.7% of the data-based articles • Last 12 years: 86.2% of the data-based articles • Comparison group design n=2 • Research Method • 65.5% Descriptive Quantitative • 22.4% Descriptive Qualitative • 12.1% group design, mixed methods or ss (n=11) PTI 2014

  49. Discussion – Is the glass half empty or half full? Domain 4 (cont) • Most popular subdomains • Conceptual models of service delivery (e.g., Universal Design, other models)(n = 52) • Assessment instruments (development, validation, use to develop diagnostic profiles)(n = 42) • Least popular subdomains • Evaluation metrics or methods(n = 9) • Other (including disability studies) (n = 3) PTI 2014

  50. Discussion – Limitations • Not possible to gather every published article • Search terms as broad as possible (28 keywords) • Use of a range of data-bases • Domains and codes for data-collection determined by the research team • Iterative process • Examined multiple journals • Feedback from outside experts • Coding errors • Each article double coded • Reconciliations PTI 2014

More Related