臺北市國小特殊教育教師實施應用行為分析之現況
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Date
2018-07-??
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國立台灣師範大學特殊教育學系
National Taiwan Normal University Department of Special Education
National Taiwan Normal University Department of Special Education
Abstract
臺灣於2013年發布並修正《特殊教育法施行細則》，明訂專業團隊須提供所需學生行為功能介入方案，為國內實施應用行為分析立下重要里程碑。本研究目的為探討特教老師對於應用行為分析的認知程度與使用頻率的現況。研究對象為臺北市國小階段特教老師，隨機系統性抽樣66所臺北市國民小學及兩間特殊學校發放問卷，共回收有效問卷298份。問卷基於正向行為支持與應用行為分析的七大向度而設計，共有30題，內含反向題八題；研究結果發現，國小特殊教育教師在應用行為分析的七大向度裡，較能掌握「技術性的」和「行為的」兩個概念向度；普遍掌握較弱的概念向度為「應用的」。國小特殊教育教師對應用行為分析認知程度與使用頻率的關係，可分為四類型，依序為33.9%的知行高顯型、28.9%的知易行難型、21.1%的知行低顯型、16.1%的知難行易型。逐步複迴歸分析結果發現，自陳會在教學上使用應用行為分析、應用行為分析認知程度愈高、為特殊教育研究所或40學分班畢業、任教於一般學校資源班或特殊教育學校，是國小特殊教育教師應用行為分析使用頻率較高的顯著預測因子。國小階段特殊教育教師對應用行為分析之行為功能評量與介入的認知程度及使用頻率均高者占三分之一，顯示仍有加強之空間。另本研究發現，實踐動機、認知程度、教育程度、任教學校的安置型態可預測行為功能評量與介入的使用頻率。雖然是臺北市區域取樣，但因目前臺灣尚未有相關研究發表，因此研究結果仍能在謹慎下作為特殊教育學界推動應用行為分析與正向行為支持之參考。
The Taiwan Association for Behavior Analysis was established in 2007. There are three course series certifiedby the Behavior Analyst CertificationBoard in Taiwan. As of June 2018, 24 certified behavior analysts were located in Taiwan. Taiwan’s “Enforcement Rules of Special Education” were amended in 2013; since then, the special education professional team involved in the program has been required to provide functional behavior intervention plans to students with emotional behavior issues; this was an important milestone for the domestic implementation of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Purpose: Using elementary school special education teachers in Taipei as an example, this study explored the current dissemination of ABA among special education teachers in Taiwan. Our research questions examined the following: (1) cognizance of ABA; (2) the frequency of use of ABA; (3) the levels of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA, which we used to categorize teachers into groups exhibiting a high level of cognizance of ABA and high frequency of use, a high level of cognizance and low frequency of use, a low level of cognizance and high frequency of use, and a low level of cognizance and low frequency of use; (4) the variables that inflence the level of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA; and (5) the variables that predicted frequency of use of ABA. Methods: Certifiedspecial education teachers at elementary schools in Taipei were eligible participants. A structured questionnaire of 30 questions (including eight duplicated reverse questions for reliability) was developed on the basis of positive behavior support and the seven dimensions of ABA. Questionnaires were distributed to a systematically randomized sample of 66 elementary schools and two special schools in Taipei; 298 valid set of responses were collected. Results/Findings: Most participants consistently provided correct answers to questionnaire items relating to the “technological” and “behavioral” dimensions but not to questions in the “applied” dimension. Per the survey results, the participants were distributed into four types according to the level of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA: 33.9% exhibited a high level of cognizance and high frequency of use, 28.9% demonstrated a high level of cognizance and low frequency of use, 21.1% displayed a low level of cognizance and low frequency of use, and 16.1% had a low level of cognizance and high frequency of use. A stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the key predictors of high frequency of use of ABA in teaching were high frequency of use of ABA, high level of cognizance of ABA, attainment of a higher than college/university educational level or completion of 40 credits of graduate-level special education classes, and teaching in ordinary school resource classes or special education schools. This study additionally discovered that the motivation to use ABA, the level of cognizance of the practice, the level of educational attainment, and the type of school in which the participant worked predicted the frequency of use of ABA in functional behavior intervention planning. Conclusions/Implications: This study determined that one-third of special education teachers in elementary schools had a high level of cognizance and high frequency of use of ABA. This finding demonstrated the current dissemination of the practice and evidenced the need for improvement. The results also demonstrated that motivation to use the practice, a high level of cognizance of ABA, a high level of educational attainment, and the type of school in which a teacher works predict the likelihood of the use of behavior functional analysis and intervention. The proportional sampling method precludes generalizing the findingsto the entirety of Taiwan, but no other similar study has been reported in Taiwan; thus, the results nevertheless serve as a useful reference for promoting the practice of ABA.
The Taiwan Association for Behavior Analysis was established in 2007. There are three course series certifiedby the Behavior Analyst CertificationBoard in Taiwan. As of June 2018, 24 certified behavior analysts were located in Taiwan. Taiwan’s “Enforcement Rules of Special Education” were amended in 2013; since then, the special education professional team involved in the program has been required to provide functional behavior intervention plans to students with emotional behavior issues; this was an important milestone for the domestic implementation of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Purpose: Using elementary school special education teachers in Taipei as an example, this study explored the current dissemination of ABA among special education teachers in Taiwan. Our research questions examined the following: (1) cognizance of ABA; (2) the frequency of use of ABA; (3) the levels of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA, which we used to categorize teachers into groups exhibiting a high level of cognizance of ABA and high frequency of use, a high level of cognizance and low frequency of use, a low level of cognizance and high frequency of use, and a low level of cognizance and low frequency of use; (4) the variables that inflence the level of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA; and (5) the variables that predicted frequency of use of ABA. Methods: Certifiedspecial education teachers at elementary schools in Taipei were eligible participants. A structured questionnaire of 30 questions (including eight duplicated reverse questions for reliability) was developed on the basis of positive behavior support and the seven dimensions of ABA. Questionnaires were distributed to a systematically randomized sample of 66 elementary schools and two special schools in Taipei; 298 valid set of responses were collected. Results/Findings: Most participants consistently provided correct answers to questionnaire items relating to the “technological” and “behavioral” dimensions but not to questions in the “applied” dimension. Per the survey results, the participants were distributed into four types according to the level of cognizance and frequency of use of ABA: 33.9% exhibited a high level of cognizance and high frequency of use, 28.9% demonstrated a high level of cognizance and low frequency of use, 21.1% displayed a low level of cognizance and low frequency of use, and 16.1% had a low level of cognizance and high frequency of use. A stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the key predictors of high frequency of use of ABA in teaching were high frequency of use of ABA, high level of cognizance of ABA, attainment of a higher than college/university educational level or completion of 40 credits of graduate-level special education classes, and teaching in ordinary school resource classes or special education schools. This study additionally discovered that the motivation to use ABA, the level of cognizance of the practice, the level of educational attainment, and the type of school in which the participant worked predicted the frequency of use of ABA in functional behavior intervention planning. Conclusions/Implications: This study determined that one-third of special education teachers in elementary schools had a high level of cognizance and high frequency of use of ABA. This finding demonstrated the current dissemination of the practice and evidenced the need for improvement. The results also demonstrated that motivation to use the practice, a high level of cognizance of ABA, a high level of educational attainment, and the type of school in which a teacher works predict the likelihood of the use of behavior functional analysis and intervention. The proportional sampling method precludes generalizing the findingsto the entirety of Taiwan, but no other similar study has been reported in Taiwan; thus, the results nevertheless serve as a useful reference for promoting the practice of ABA.