Self-determination of students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities: teachers’ knowledge and beliefs and reported practices
Social participation and development of self-determination for people with intellectual disabilities are at the heart of several international conventions (UN, 1971, 1975) and ministerial Quebec’s policies (MSSS, 2001). The implementation of the educational program CASP-I, A competency-based approach to social participation (Gouvernement du Quebec, 2019) in Quebec represents a change for teachers of students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. In this program, self-determination is positioned as an important objective for the development of students’ social participation (Algozzine et al., 2001 ; Cobb et al., 2009). However, the appropriation of this concept within schools is still partial (Cho et al., 2011 ; Shogren et al., 2014), which requires to support teachers succeed (Shogren et al., 2015 ; Whemeyer et al., 2013). The article will present the results of seven research interviews conducted with primary school teachers working with students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The analysis of their representations of self-determination highlights the links between their knowledge and their beliefs about it, as well as the teaching practices that they associate with it. Recommendations are made to promote the appropriation of the concept of self-determination within Quebec schools and to support the accompaniment of teachers towards the desired change.