Setting Individual Goals for Pupils with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities : Engaging in the Activity Area-Based Curriculum Making

Abstract
The activity area-based curriculum model (AACM) is used in the Finnish basic education to support pupils—most of whom have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD)—who could benefit more from skills that advance independent life coping. Existing studies have concentrated mainly on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goal-setting process for pupils with milder disabilities than PIMD and have consistently demonstrated significant barriers in the process. This study explores the collaborative IEP goal-setting process for pupils with the AACM. Sixty-five Finnish special education teachers using the AACM participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were analysed with thematic network analysis. The groups involved in the IEP goal-setting process were divided into main and side mediators. The main mediators were described as significant collaborators with important knowledge of the pupil, while side mediators rarely participated in the process. The special education teachers appeared to be leading the collaboration and were positioned in the middle of the main and side mediators. Further research should focus on the implementation of parents’ collaborative positions. Furthermore, practices and methods should be developed to reinforce the positions of group home staff, special education teacher colleagues and pupils with the AACM or PIMD themselves.
Main Authors
Format
Articles Research article
Published
2021
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
MDPI
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202109214940Use this for linking
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2227-7102
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090529
Language
English
Published in
Education Sciences
Citation
  • Peltomäki, S., Pirttimaa, R., Pyhältö, K., & Kontu, E. K. (2021). Setting Individual Goals for Pupils with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities : Engaging in the Activity Area-Based Curriculum Making. Education Sciences, 11(9), Article 529. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090529
License
CC BY 4.0Open Access
Copyright© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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