ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic engendered a new reality and considerable changes, with multiple psychological consequences for individuals and families. The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent containment are unprecedented global stressors. Research suggests that self-efficacy is one of the key resources for managing stressful events and reducing the associated risks. Self-efficacy is a general concept referring to the extent to which people believe they have the competency to cope adequately with stressful life demands or challenges. Objectives: This study aims to explore self-efficacy and its association with demographic characteristics in Greek families of university students with or without members with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece. Methods: The study population consisted of 411 participants, 130(31.6%)men and 281 (68.4%) women, of which the 217 (52.8%) were parents and the 194 were children (university students) in the 3rd and 4th years of their studies and the 217 were parents. The age of participants ranged from 20 to 60 years. A self-report questionnaire and the Self-efficacy Scale (GSE) were used for data collection.Results: According to the findings, participants (total sample) showed a high degree of self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and specific demographic characteristics seemed to have a significant association with self-efficacy. On one hand, there were associations between self-efficacy and a) sex, b) the family type, and d) the employment status. In particular, a higher degree of self-efficacy was shown in males, the nuclear and the extended families, the participants with no employment, and the individuals who worked from home. On the other hand, self-efficacy was not statistically significant concerning the family role (parent or child), the level of education, the existence or non-existence of one or more members with SEND in the family, and the marital status. Conclusion: The study’s main conclusion was that university students’ families with or without members with SEND activated selfefficacy as a mechanism for preserving their balance during the COVID- 19 pandemic and that specific individual and family demographic characteristics affect the degree of self-efficacy. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
ABSTRACT
This paper addresses an identified gap in research during the COVID-19 pandemic: how the disruption impacted on pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) attending specialist (i.e., non-mainstream) settings in England. Estimates provided by around 200 special school and college leaders at two timepoints during the pandemic are used to provide overall estimates of the extent to which the pandemic and time spent out of school had on the academic and developmental progress of pupils in these settings. We find that the reported effects are greater than those reported elsewhere for pupils in mainstream settings. In line with research involving the mainstream school population in England, we find that the reported effects on academic and developmental progress were greater for pupils facing economic disadvantage. Additional data from our survey of leaders reveal that the reasons for the reported impact on pupils were: (i) limited access to school or college and the extended periods of non-attendance;(ii) the widespread disruption to the delivery of health and care provision for pupils with complex SEND;(iii) the particular way in which COVID protections and restrictions impacted the curriculum offer in specialist provisions;and (iv) limited digital access, which affected home learning. Looking to post-COVID recovery, special school and college leaders identify an urgent need for tailored support for their communities.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has affected people across the world. The current study examined anxiety and worries during the first UK national lockdown in March 2020. Parents (n = 402) reported on their own anxiety and worries as well as that of their son/daughter with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and typically developing (TD) child (n = 186) at three time points. Although both groups showed increased anxiety across the three time points, levels of anxiety in the SEND group, but not the TD siblings, were predicted by awareness about COVID-19. In addition, worries differed between the groups showing that COVID-19 impacts the wellbeing of those with SEND differently to that of their TD siblings.