Abstract
This paper presents quantitative and qualitative findings from an interdisciplinary research project exploring student teachers' positive perceptions of people on the autism spectrum. The set of findings reported in this paper asked 704 student teachers from one university in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262) to write down the first three words they thought of to identify the characteristics of people on the autism spectrum. Data was analysed using a multi-layered, deductive co-rated coding approach. Through this approach repeated words were extracted as were negative and undetermined words, leaving only positive words. Examination of the positive words identified found differences in the manner student teachers focus on the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum as this is an understudied area of research. Finnish student teachers more frequently used language to describe the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum that reflected their perception of learning being their primary professional role. However, English and Swedish student teachers used language that showed they perceived their role as encompassing the social and emotional development of their pupils, with little reflection about the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum as learners.
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Notes
Consulting with research and current views of academics and pupils with autism it was decided that for the purposes of this paper to use the language of ‘autism’ or ‘on the autism spectrum’ throughout to describe people diagnosed with this condition (Kenny et al, 2016) as no one term is universally accepted.
Codes identified were: Student teachers’ perceptions about how others see people on the AS; student teachers’ perceptions of personality characteristics of people with autism; other cognitive abilities; high ability in specific areas / subjects; high ability; disability / SEN; school environments; interventions; support/ needs; impact on practice; teacher mindset; sensory needs; inclusion; exclusion; physical behaviour/needs; emotional behavioural needs; medical diagnosis; communication needs and differences; general communication.
4 sub-themes: ‘positive social skills,’ ‘learning factors,’ ‘positive personality characteristics’ and ‘emotions.’.
Five highest words were included for England as ‘creative’ and ‘particular’ received the same number of mentions.
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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Mark T. Carew receives salary support from the Programme for Evidence to inform Disability Action project funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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SS Formal Analysis, Visualisation, Investigating, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. AL Project leader, Investigating, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. KD Investigating, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. EK Investigating, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. MTC reviewing and editing.
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Informed, written consent was obtained from all student teachers and was also carried out in accordance with regard to confidentiality and voluntary participation. Participants could withdraw at any time. All data will always be stored safely until the conclusion of the project and in line with the archiving laws of each nation. Professional guidelines and ethical codes of conduct for each nation involved applied (Swedish HSFR Codex, British BPS, BERA, 2011/2018, ‘Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research,’ Guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity, 2012) and were adhered to.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Student teachers’ perceptions of social abilities and characteristics (Stage 2)
Student teachers’ perceptions of personality characteristics of people on the AS | Student teachers’ perceptions about how others might interpret people on the AS |
|---|---|
SOCIAL/CONTACT DIFFICULTIES/A-UNSOCIAL Sociala/ kontakt svårigheter / a/osocial 29 Social issues 1 Social difficulties 4 epäsosiaalisuus 8 vuorovaikutusongelmat / sosiaaliset haasteet 24 tilannetajun vaikeus 1 | NOT UNDERSTOOD/MISUNDERSTOOD/MISINTERPRETED/LACK OF INFORMATION Oförstådd/ Missförstådd/ tolkad 4 Misunderstood 2 Misinterpreted 10 väärinymmärretty 1 tietämättömyys / tuntematon 2 |
DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING OTHER PEOPLE Svårt förstå andra människor 1 | PERSPECTIVE SOCIALLY Own perspective 1 omat ajatukset / eri ajatus 2 |
SOCIAL LIMITATIONS Social begränsad 1 | FUNNY Funny in a good way 1 |
DIFFICULTY WITH RELATIONSHIPS Svårt med relationer 2 Forming Social Relationships 1 Relationships 4 Unable to form relationships 1 | ANTI-SOCIAL Anti-social 2 Poor social interaction 1 |
SOCIAL INTERPLAY/INTERACTION Social samspel/ Interaction/samvaro 3 Social /skills, difficulties/relationships/ Interaction/ 41 sosiaaliset taidot / sosiaalinen vuorovaikutus 8 | RUDE Rude 1 |
DIFFICULTY IN READING FEELINGS Svårt läsa av känslor 4 vaikea ymmärtää / osoittaa tunteita 3 | SOLITARY Solitary 1 yksinäinen / yksinäinen toiminta 7 |
SOCIAL COMPETENCE/LACK OF Social kompetens/ brist på 4 | BULLIED kiusattu 1 |
Appendix 2: Tree Visualisation
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Soan, S., Lindblom, A., Dindar, K. et al. Student Teachers' Positive Perceptions of Characteristics and Personality of People on the Autism Spectrum: “Challenging in a Positive Way”. J Autism Dev Disord (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06151-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06151-y