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Challenges Teachers face in Successfully Supporting Autistic Students in a Mainstream Classroom within the new Junior Cycle Curriculum
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Thesis
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2024
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Abstract
This thesis explores the challenges teachers in a mixed, rural, secondary school experience whilst trying to support autistic students within the new Junior Cycle curriculum. Through a mixed-method investigation using an online survey and semi-structured interview process, data was collected from n = 20 participating teachers who opted to complete an online survey and subsequently n = 7 participants self-selected to engage in an interview.
This study sought to answer four key questions: i) What challenges do teachers in mainstream secondary schools currently face in teaching and supporting autistic students under the new Junior Cycle curriculum learning outcomes? ii) What are teacher attitudes towards the expectations and content of the new curriculum in terms of their approach to teaching and supporting ASD students? iii) How have these challenges changed in comparison to teacher challenges faced in supporting ASD students under the old Junior cert curriculum? iv) What recommendations would teachers give to adapt the curriculum and ease these challenges so that they can best support autistic students?
Findings indicate that the challenges faced by teachers in a mainstream classroom, whilst supporting autistic students within the new Junior Cycle curriculum include: i) time constraints impacting their ability to form meaningful relationships with autistic students, ii) the ability to create appropriate differentiated materials, iii) the lack of differentiation in a common level paper, iv) difficulties in supporting autistic students in their completion of the Classroom Based Assessments (CBAs), and v) a lack of appropriate resources and supports provided by relevant government agencies and schools.
Recommendations made by participants and the researcher indicate that changes in success criteria, exam paper predictability, and provision of resources, including i) physical materials, ii) SNAs, iii) resource classes, and iv) planning time, are needed to help resolve some of these challenges.
Keywords
Autism, Autistic students, Junior Cycle Curriculum, Secondary school, ASD