Enhancing the Motivation of Learners with Developmental Disabilities and Sensory Impairments (Hardcover)

This book consolidates the theoretical concepts and evidence-based practices that could be deployed to motivate learners with disabilities. To explore the challenges faced by learners with disabilities and to identify strategies to support and engage them, it presents a systematic review of studies on their motivation to learn in spite of their individual differences and needs. It contributes to the field of special education by providing a consolidated overview and analysis of extant literature on the motivation of learners with disabilities. This helps to identify the gaps and to spearhead research in the relevant direction in the hope of identifying new approaches that could be translated into practice by academics, educators, and parents. This book deals with the most common forms of disabilities, namely dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, sensory impairments, and intellectual disabilities, and also discusses early intervention and inclusion. 

Readers benefit from the acquisition of greater understanding of the motivational challenges faced by learners with disabilities, in addition to actionable approaches to enhance their motivation to learn. Furthermore, readers will have, in a single volume, a collation of research conducted over the last two decades with regards to motivating students with disabilities. They acquire a better understanding of the complexity of the situations given that there may be comorbidities of two or more disability types and the degree of severity of the conditions occurs in a spectrum. This book reflects research findings from all parts of the world and proposes solutions that are generalizable across contexts. In addition, it also highlights gaps that need to be addressed and areas in urgent need of improvement, with the hope of spearheading further research in the area of motivation for learners with disabilities.

Dr. Caroline Koh is an associate professor with Psychology and Child & Human Development, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She obtained her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Cambridge, and her Ed.D. from the University of Durham, United Kingdom. She was formerly a teacher before her faculty appointment at NIE. Her research projects, past and present, include studies in diverse fields such as student motivation, teacher education, the development of moral judgment, pre-service teachers' perceptions of national education, the effectiveness of simulation-based learning, and the use of the e-portfolio and the flipped classroom approach. Besides publishing in international journals, she was the volume editor for the books “Motivation, Leadership, and Curriculum Design” and “Diversifying Learner Experience: A Kaleidoscope of Instructional Approaches and Strategies.” She also served as co-editor for the Asia Pacific Journal of Education.