Competence, control, and coping strategies in learning-disabled, physically-impaired, and regular-education students.

Abstract

This study explores the relations between self-perceptions of competence, perceptions of control, information about h and icapping conditions, and use of effective coping strategies in children. Sixty subjects in grades 2-6, who were identified as either physically-impaired (PI), learning-disabled (LD), or regular-education (RE) participated in this study. All subjects were enrolled in public schools and met selection criteria including achievement and intelligence scores. Children completed paper and pencil tasks about their knowledge about h and icaps, perceptions of competence, and control perceptions. The children's general education teachers, special education teachers, and parents completed questionnaires rating the coping skills of each child. Results indicated different patterns among the groups. The LD students had the lowest perceptions of competence in academic and behavioral domains as well as global self-worth. These students were also more likely to make attributions for success and failure to unknown sources of control and were judged to have the poorest coping skills. The PI students reported the lowest perceived competences in physical appearance and athletic skills. The PI students were not different from the RE students in general self-worth or making attributions to unknown sources of control and were rated only slightly lower in their use of coping skills. Information the children had about h and icapping conditions was not different among the groups. Subjects were divided into two groups, children with highly effective coping skills (n = 16) and poor coping skills (n = 17). There were PI, LD and RE students in both groups. The successful copers perceived themselves as competent and made few attributions to unknown sources of control. The least successful copers perceived themselves competent only in athletics and were more likely to make attributions to unknown sources of control. IQ was not related to coping skill in either group suggesting that all students can learn effective coping skills. This study revealed that students who have positive beliefs about their own abilities, feel in control of their school performances, and adjust well to dem and s in the environment exhibit effective coping skills. Students with less effective coping strategies are more apt to make attributions to unknown sources of control and do not express confidence in their own competencies.