Educational inclusion and satisfaction of families of students with intellectual disabilities: a bibliometric study

This bibliometric study scrutinizes the corpus of scientific output within the Web of Science pertaining to familial satisfaction among parents raising children with intellectual disabilities, focusing specifically on the milieu of educational inclusion. The analysis discerns a discernible ascension in scholarly interest in this domain, encapsulating 77 papers emanating from 75 journals, incorporating an aggregate of 3,497 cited references. Our investigation delineated 354 researchers across 39 nations, underscoring the transnational purview of this scholarly endeavor. The United States emerged as the pre-eminent contributor, with Canada and the United Kingdom following suit. Collaboration on an international scale was notably led by the US, with the UK and Australia trailing in tandem. Prominent institutions were identified for their scholarly output; the University of Kansas led with four papers, followed closely by Monash University, University of California Los Angeles, and University of California Riverside, each contributing three papers. Of particular note, the University of Kansas accrued 250 global citations (TGCS). A total of 75 journals were encompassed in this study. The Journal of Intellectual Disability Research emerged as the vanguard with four published papers, closely trailed by Child Care Health and Development and Exceptional Children. Notably, the latter boasted the highest impact factor (JCR = 4.09; Q1). In summation, this review proffers a meticulous and expansive overview of extant scholarship concerning the experiences of families rearing children with disabilities within the inclusive education framework.

Academic Achievement and Satisfaction Among University Students With Specific Learning Disabilities: The Roles of Soft Skills and Study-Related Factors

Understanding the individual qualities sustaining students with and without specific learning disabilities (SLDs) is key to supporting their academic achievement and well-being. In this study, we investigated the differences between students with and without SLDs in terms of intraindividual factors (soft skills and study-related factors), academic and nonacademic outcomes (achievement, academic and life satisfaction), and the relationships between such intraindividual factors and the three outcomes. A total of 318 students (79 males; Mage = 22.7; SD = 3.56; age range = 19-45 years; 147 with SLDs) completed self-reported questionnaires and a measure of fluid intelligence. The results showed that students with SLDs reported higher creativity but lower academic self-efficacy, study resilience, and academic achievement, with small-to-medium effect sizes. In both groups, achievement significantly positively related to academic self-efficacy and negatively to creativity. Life satisfaction was positively related to study resilience; and academic satisfaction was related to critical thinking, curiosity, and academic self-efficacy. Nurturing such intraindividual factors can benefit students with and without SLDs.

Type of disability, gender, and age affect school satisfaction: Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Self-reported school satisfaction is an important indicator of child and adolescent well-being. Few studies have examined how disability, gender, and age affect school satisfaction.

AIM

We sought to determine whether the interaction between disability and gender with regard to self-reported school satisfaction might be specific to particular types of disability and particular ages.

METHODS

We undertook secondary analysis of Waves 5 and 6 of the UK's Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a nationally representative sample of children born 2000-2002. MCS is the fourth in the series of British birth cohort studies.

RESULT

At 11 years of age (n = 12,207), school satisfaction was significantly higher for girls and those without disabilities. By contrast, at 14 (n = 10,933), school satisfaction was significantly higher for boys and those without disabilities. Subsequent analyses of gender moderation of the association between disability and school satisfaction revealed a significant interaction between gender and disabilities associated with mental health and with dexterity, respectively, at 14 years but not at age 11.

CONCLUSION

These findings will inform future research endeavours, policy, and practice in psychology, education, and other areas associated with child development and disability.

The subjective well-being of academically gifted students in the Chinese cultural context

This study examined the subjective well-being, as reflected as their satisfaction with life, of academically gifted secondary school students in China, under the framework of the broaden-and-build theory. A total number of 351 academically gifted secondary students participated in the study. Multiple scales were used to measure these academically gifted students’ satisfaction with life and other relevant constructs. The results indicated that girls had significantly higher satisfaction with life than boys. Consistent with the broaden-and-build theory, the study showed that positive emotions and some variables from the broadened mindset and four building resources aspects of the theory were significantly interrelated for these academically gifted students. Based on the hierarchical regression results, positive affect, agency hope, parents’ trust, general health, and social functioning were found to be contributing factors to the subjective well-being, while negative affect, peers alienation, depression, anxiety, were found to be negatively related to their life satisfaction.

Academic Correlates of Children and Adolescents' Life Satisfaction

Educators and psychologists alike have trumpeted calls for a reduced focus on deficits and pathology and increased attention to strengths and general wellness in all children. Life satisfaction is one of the most well-established indicators of general wellness and, moreover, positive functioning. Most examinations of children's life satisfaction have examined the role of family relations and intrapersonal variables. Studies of life satisfaction in relation to schooling are less prevalent, despite the extraordinary focus on education during this developmental period. Initial studies have examined the extent to which a few categories of school-related factors (school climate, intelligence and ability grouping at school, academic achievement and overall appraisals of one's happiness with school) are correlated with students' life satisfaction. Notably, most empirical examinations have examined one or few school-related factors in isolation. The purpose of the current article is to provide a comprehensive summary of the multiple school-related correlates of life satisfaction through a thorough review of the literature. Implications of the literature base for educators and future research are discussed.

Assessing the Psychometric Properties of Both a Global and a Domain-Specific Perceived Quality of Life Measure When Used with Youth Who Have Chronic Conditions

The purpose of this paper was to assess the psychometric properties of the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) and the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) when used with youth who have chronic conditions. Baseline data from a longitudinal study examining predictors of changes in perceived quality of life (PQOL) for youth with chronic conditions were used. SLSS and BMSLSS data were collected on over 400 youth aged 11-17 using youth self-report and parent proxy-report versions. Internal consistency, convergent validity, and factor structure were examined for both versions. Extent of agreement and magnitude of differences between youth and parent report were evaluated. Finally, gender, age, and condition group differences in youth report scores were examined for the SLSS and BMSLSS. Strong internal consistency was demonstrated for the youth and parent reports of both measures. As with normative samples, a single factor structure was found for youth and parent reports of the BMSLSS. However, both youth and parent reports of the SLSS had a two-factor structure: one consisting of five positively worded items, and the other, two negatively worded items. Youth reported their PQOL to be significantly higher than did their parents. Significant differences in PQOL scores for the youth report were not found by age, gender, or conditions. Findings show that, from a psychometric standpoint, the BMSLSS (both youth and parent report) is a promising measure of PQOL for use in population-based research with youth who have chronic conditions. The SLSS may need to be revised to exclude negative items when used with this population of youth.