Theoretical Framework
For understanding students’ perspectives on their access to support and promote an effective inclusive academic system, the current paper adopts a theoretical framework based on the Capability Approach by Sen Amartya.
Theoretical Underpin
The theoretical underpinning to the study is on Sen’s Capability Approach (Jean-Francois et al., 2011; Sen, 1994, 1999). The Capability Approach focuses upon the moral significance of individuals’ capability of achieving the kind of lives they have reason to value. It emphasizes the types of lives people can live, their capabilities to achieve or accomplish, and what they succeed in being or doing (Jean-Francois et al., 2011). Sen’s approach gives value to an object only based on its usefulness to the subject (user). Therefore, the possession of an item or commodity is recognized as having a characteristic. Thus, a visually impaired person, having a braille book, gives the reader the features of the means to “access” reading or learning; likewise, broadening the object’s functioning to activities or desirables states desirable states (Sen, 1999).
As a result of the intersectionality in the definitions of disabilities, the inter-relatedness of its characteristics between multiple or similar diagnoses, the capability approach becomes a valuable framework for defining disability and analyzing the link between disability, and even more usefulness in formulating disability policies not previously being considered. Sen developed the capability approach as a set of interrelated theses in welfare economics, particularly assessing personal well-being, poverty, and inequality. In Commodities and Capabilities (1985), Sen advocated focusing on a person’s capability to function: what the person can do or can be versus the more standard concentration on opulence (Mitra, 2006). The capability approach allows for a bi-level inference as to the process of disability, namely the capability level and then the functionality level of the individual with the disability.
Through available resources and the inclusive university environment, and the individual’s characteristics, invariably addressing the diversity (Sen, 1994, 1999) and the current study the academic environment and access to the necessary support to achieve success. Overall, Sen is concerned with a person’s interests more than a person’s actions or behaviors. Sen distinguishes two ways of seeing a person’s claims and fulfillment: “well-being” and “advantage.” Well-being is concerned with a person’s achievement: How “well” is their “being”? Therefore, well-being is concerned with the functioning, what a person achieves being or doing (Mitra, 2006).
With only a fraction of students with disabilities self-reporting on campus, often forgoing needed support for which they are entitled necessitates existing frameworks to initialize the discussions on available services for students with disabilities on campuses. As access is vital to the successful selection and use of academic accommodations, the onus lies with institutions to challenge them to push past legal compliance to an actual place of inclusion and integration of these students. With appropriate staffing in disability services offices, newly emergent students and populations can thrive, with campuses increasingly exploring ways to celebrate disability and inclusion as part of a campus diversity initiative that ultimately fosters access for all students (Walters, 2010). Postsecondary institutions ought to review their decisions, policies, practices, and procedures for compliance with regulations, with an open mind and a thoughtful analysis of the parties’ biases. A truly interactive process will bring about a proper balance between all relevant parties’ rights and responsibilities (Simon, 2011).
From a theoretical angle, Sen enables an insight into disability indicators impacting students’ capabilities, resources and promoting a more inclusive academic environment. It also supports the examination of possible gaps between the functionalities and capabilities of persons with disabilities and opportunities (resources) available to them. This study emphasizes the academic support system in postsecondary education environments of students with disabilities, based on the users’ perceptions. The possibility of analyzing the disability indicators opens new viewpoints for policymakers that are of particular interest to persons with disabilities (who are often excluded from mainstream policymaking because policymakers do not consider their agency) (Jean-Francois et al., 2011). Sen’s approach exemplifies resources into diverse categories, and when disseminated to match the needs, they become varied based on the individual situation or condition of the recipient. These Approaches amalgamates equality and human rights while considering the wide-ranging needs dictated by the disabling condition, simultaneously reflecting the students’ autonomy in action. The environmental resources, in these cases the academic support systems, though enhanced learning may also be restrictive or constrain if not adequately aligned to the user’s unique needs, remaining fluid to be adjusted when other variables such as the pandemic alter these needs.
Although Sen refuses to establish an example of capabilities, Nussbaum, on the other hand, identified a list of basic human abilities, labeling them “life,” which refers to living everyday life and avoiding premature death (Latulippe, 2020; Nussbaum, 2012). Examining these students’ perceptions is paramount to providing their academic support, especially as data continues to show experiences of adverse situations in their postsecondary education campuses invariably impacting their learning and increasing the risk of dropping out (Office des Personnes Handicapées du Québec, 2020). The Capability approach promotes an understanding of students’ actual and current needs for program execution and planning. Through Sen’s Approach, available resources can be tailored based on the changing needs of the students rather than be generic or static.
Despite the availability of academic support for university students with disabilities, the uniqueness of their conditions being specific to each individual and not exactly replicated based on diagnosis and environmental or social variables makes it ineffective without variations of support matching exact (individualized) needs, and also the recognition of factors and ecological characteristics of a person that may positively or negatively affect their ability to convert their resources and legal rights into effective Functioning (Sen, 1994). Overall, Sen Saw effective functioning as a depiction of the accomplishments or achievements of an individual. Studies have shown that most university students with disabilities are linked to lower academic achievements, high dropout rates, and low income (Office des Personnes Handicapées du Québec, 2020). However, with the dissemination of proper academic support, students are elevated to the learning capacities of their peers (NETendances., 2020; Office des Personnes Handicapées du Québec, 2020; World Health Organization, 2018).
The critique of Sen’s Approach
Although Sen’s Approach is holistic, catering to the diverse needs in disabilities, Nussbaum proposes a more independent approach where the societal definition of resources does not constrain the user (student with disabilities). Still, absolute autonomy is appreciated without any restriction (Nussbaum, 2012). Although the two approaches differ in this regard, they both identified threats with conservative restrictions (Nussbaum, 2012; Sen, 1994; Sen, 2005). Another study highlighted that supporters of a capabilities approach might struggle satisfactorily to implement it due to numerous constraints such as the concept being framed inequality as being based on freedom, excludes solidarity; with priority being on individual liberty, not social solidarity; the freedom to choose, not the need to belong (Dean, 2009). “It is a liberal-individualist approach and while ethical individualism need not imply methodological individualism “ (Burchardt, 2006). The critique continues by highlighting that “In the space of capabilities, the individual is one step removed; she is objectively distanced from the relations of power within which her identity and her life chances must be constituted” (Dean, 2009). However, as the approach impacts the resources and environmental factors to ensure an individualized approach to inclusive education, it is the most fitting for the current study.
Resources: Academic Support Provisions for University Students with Disabilities
The academic support services and provisions fall within the category of resources. Resources refer to personal, social; financial capitals m goods and services (Sen, 2005). Furthermore, these processes will ensure individualized provisions to the academic and social-environmental context, enhance retention and academic achievements, promote a more inclusive experience, and increase chances of obtaining skilled employment post-graduation. As further data reveal a correlation between disabled university students’ access to academic support services and their educational achievements (Abreu et al., 2016; Association nationale des étudiant(e)s handicapé(e)s au niveau postsecondaire, 2019). The Ministère de l’Éducation supports inclusive éducation in Québec (LEGIS Quebec, 2004). Despite efforts to promote learning outcomes for these groups in universities, the data show, as mentioned above, contrary results. In the past few decades, there has been a global shift from segregation to inclusion in the education of students with disabilities (Bennett, Drowet &Weber, 2013).
Efficient Functioning
Sen is a method that addresses the needs of these students. It is an instructional philosophy that believes students with various disabilities require different instructional methods that are compatible with their learning style and interests. Different instructional approaches are then applied to students with multiple types of disabilities. These approaches are guided by the individual’s learning style and interests. This allows the student to move ahead at his own pace without constant pressure from other students or teachers.
Research Question
Research Question:
RQ1: What is the experience of students with disabilities relating to accessing Academic Support Services in a Quebec University during the COVID-19 pandemic?
RQ2: How can the experiences of students with disabilities on access to academic accommodations be used to effectively enhance their academic experiences?
With Amartya’s theoretical framework of the Capability Approach influencing the research questions, detailing the methods at play, including an analysis of the following aspects is vital to the process.
What are the crucial aspects of Disabilities as Conditions that may be necessary for consideration when planning delivery of support for these populations to reduce inequalities?
Sub Questions
What part of a disabling condition needs to be considered paramount when designing individualized support for university students?
What is the experience of the target student in regard to coping with the pandemic and the notion of capacity?
The impact of COVID 19 on the current academic learning process
How can the results be integrated into support planning, policies, and reducing the stress created by COVID 19 ?Pandemic, based on Sen’s theoretical framework of the Capability Approach with a detailed analysis of the methods at play in the study.
Sen’s Influence on the Methodology
As a framework by Sen Amartya, the Capacity Approach is adopted in this study, exploring the diverse challenges experienced by this population as myriad barriers existing to impact university students with disabilities in accessing individualized academic support vital to their learning. These barriers, with an affinity to impacting the development of learning potentials of these students, resulting from the challenge to individualized access to necessary academic accommodations; though predates the era of COVID-19 pandemic, as been seen to be even more prevalent during this time (Sutton, 2020). Here, they are explored as an empirical qualitative study from a stakeholder’s perspective- a post-secondary student with a disability as a case study at the University of Laval, Quebec. Due to the interrelations in disability conditions and increased risk of mental health prevalence, academic support needs may vary based on unpredictable situations, and even more so during a pandemic.
Methodology
The current section presents the methodology in response to the research question on the perception of accessing Academic Support Services in a Quebec University during the COVID-19.
Study Design
For the desired goal, an exploration of the capabilities of the target student will be carried out through an interview, which will be presented as a Qualitative Research Methodology-Narrative Inquiry (Butina, 2015). Qualitative methods allow the researcher to study issues in depth with data collection often occurring through open-ended questions permitting “one to understand and capture the points of view of other people without predetermining those points of view through a prior selection of questionnaire categories” (Butina, 2015; Patton, 2002).
Data derived from such studies include detailed daa. Generally, the sample sizes used in qualitative research are not justified, despite concerns about accuracy based on justification (Marshall et al., 2013) by representing a small group of people to deepen the understanding of the target group. It is understood that in qualitative research emphasis is more on the quality of the sample rather than the quantity. Meeting the strict requirements to best provide the details necessary for the study as a participant is more vital than the quantity of participants. Therefor this study aims to use a one-person interview based on a strict criterion of a participant meeting all the needs set out in the study to address the desired outcome. “However, as with all aspects of qualitative research, the depth of the data is often more important than the numbers “ .
On the other hand it is vital to be mindful of the “ principle of saturation. The principla as been identified to guarantee rigor in qualitative research (Morse, 2015). This poist in sampling is were no further sampling can provide additionally benefitting results, ultimately, saturation is the point at which ‘additional data do not lead to any new emergent themes in the study (Given, 2016).
Data Collection
Research data is accumulated through a bi-sessional interview and an online demographics survey. The initial consultation is aimed at completing the demographic information, while the subsequent one will be more in-depth one to provide clarification and follow-up inquiries. Interviewing a participant more than once is optimal because it allows for an opportunity to reflect upon the first interview and “build upon and explore the participants’ responses” in the second interview, thereby providing richer and thicker descriptions (Butina, 2015).
Measures
The target student will conduct the demographics questionnaire through an online survey in the first phase of the data collection comprises three sections: a study on demographic factors, disability information, and information regarding accommodation services, the Attitudes toward Accommodations (ATRA) scale. Each team is described in detail below (Troccoli, 2017). The need to take the survey is that all the survey questions are directed towards the target student and are based on the aims and objectives of the research paper.
Demographics survey. The section on the demographic study contained 12 questions. It asks about accommodations students were currently using and their diagnosis. It also includes questions regarding demographic characteristics and GPA.
The Attitudes toward Accommodations (ATRA) Scale
Barnard-Brak developed ATRA to quantify students’ attitudes toward requesting accommodations at the college level. It is made up of 32 Likert-type items that were grouped into the following subscales based on the results of factor analysis: academic integrity (7 items), disability disclosure (7 items), disability acceptance (9 items), and accommodations process (9 items). Response options range from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree). Item responses per subscale were summed up to yield a total score, with higher total scale scores suggesting more unfavorable attitudes (Barnard-Brak et al., 2010). Possible total scores range from 32 to 160. Construct validity of the ATRA scale has been established through confirmatory factor analysis (Monagle, 2015). The reliability estimate was acceptable at the coefficient alpha of .91. ATRA scale is included in the Appendix (Troccoli, 2017).
Setting and Participants
The study participants are five randomly selected from students currently attending the University of Laval and presently utilizing academic support services.. The choice of the University of Laval as the setting is based on its successful inclusive programming attracting many students with disabilities, with over 600 enrolling within the past year despite the pandemic (AQICESH, 2019-2020). Currently, the University of Laval has a population of 3422 self-identified and receiving support at the University support service,
Methodology Table
RQ
Question
Data Collection
Analysis
RQ
RQ2
What is the perception of a student with disabilities relating to accessing Academic Support Services in a Quebec University during the COVID-19 pandemic?
How can the experience of students with disabilities on access to academic accommodations be used to effectively enhance academic experiences?
Demographic and the Attitudes Toward Accommodations (ATRA) scale is conducted primarily as a combination of a questionnaire and online interview on 5 students consenting to participate in the study and meeting the selection criteria.
After that, a narrative student schedule is also used in interviewing.
Two interview sessions to allow for a cross-reference of data. The questions will be asked regarding the pandemic and how learning has been affected
A narrative analysis based on a descriptive qualitative thematic analysis.
The interpretation of resulting data to identify patterns and themes from comparative segments, based on a open ended interview questions and surveys.
Coding and categorization of Demographic factors Disability information. Data on Academic Accommodation services. Demographics Online Survey
ATRA questionnaire
In-depth interview recorded and any verbal transcribed to text.
The post Theoretical Framework For understanding students’ perspectives on their access to support and appeared first on PapersSpot.