The social construction of learning problems: Language use in a special education resource room

The language use of special education students has infrequently been studied in the classroom; the environment in which their difficulties are typically defined. The purpose of this study was to consider how oral and written language were used for learning in a rural elementary special education resource room. The study was based on a semiotic view of cognition and language learning and a consideration of learning problems from a socio-cognitive perspective.;Three broad areas of focus were defined at the beginning of the study. (1) In what ways do students identified as special learners use language to learn? How is language used in group settings as compared to that used by an individual? (2) What are the interrelationships between the students' language learning and students' reflection about language? What role does reflection play in learning? (3) What features of the classroom curriculum and social environment support learning for children with reading and writing difficulties?;A collaborative methodology employing ethnographic procedures for collecting data was used. Data collection methods included field notes, audio tape, video tape, literacy products, and interviews. Data was collected over an entire school year.;The analysis focused on two aspects of language use in the classroom; language interactions in small group settings and the language performance of two students in literacy events throughout the school year. The microanalysis of the language interactions considered the role of the teacher/students, types of social interactions, strategies used for constructing meaning, and the use of sign systems. The analysis of the work of the two students focused on their use of personal and cultural scripts in using language, relating to peers, and reflecting upon and evaluating their language use. Both types of analysis focused on the collaborative construction of students' disabilities and abilities in this classroom.;Results point to the complexity and contextual nature of language use in the classroom. These results also promote consideration of a more socio-cognitive explanation of learning difficulties. Information was also provided related to establishing supportive literacy environments for students with learning difficulties.