View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

School Social Workers in Inclusive Schools and Assistive Technology: Awareness, Barriers, and Perceived Training Needs.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: School Social Workers in Inclusive Schools and Assistive Technology: Awareness, Barriers, and Perceived Training Needs.
Authors: Pandya, Samta P (AUTHOR)
Source: Children & Schools. Jul2026, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p181-190. 10p.
Subjects: Self-evaluation, Health services accessibility, Communicative competence, Social workers, Mainstreaming in special education, Descriptive statistics, Assistive technology, Professions, Professional employee training, Clinical competence, Needs assessment, Data analysis software, School health services
Geographic Terms: Nepal, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, India, Ghana, China, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, Saudi Arabia
Abstract: This article reports the results of a survey of school social workers (SSWs) at inclusive schools in select Asian and African countries (N = 1,061), exploring their awareness of assistive technology, competencies in use, perceived barriers, and training needs. Close to two-thirds of the SSWs reported being aware that assistive technology devices provided equal opportunities to children with disabilities. The majority (four-fifths) of SSWs suggested that the perceived barriers in the use of assistive technology included issues of affordability, accessibility, lack of qualified personnel, and limited social acceptance. Results of the discriminant correspondence analyses identified gender as a sole and significant predictor contributing to variations in SSWs' awareness and perceptions. Male SSWs confirmed they could identify varied assistive technology devices and were aware of local and international agencies providing services. Female and gender-nondisclosing SSWs felt more competent than male SSWs to use assistive technology to facilitate instruction. An estimated two-thirds of the total respondents proposed the need for training in community-based rehabilitation to reach most vulnerable groups for facilitating inclusion. Other training needs of SSWs working at inclusive schools in Asian and African countries included learning ways to collaborate with rehabilitation professionals, mastering strategies of estimating student needs and mapping resources, gaining awareness of ongoing research and development in assistive technology, and getting access to accredited training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Children & Schools is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 195128170
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: School Social Workers in Inclusive Schools and Assistive Technology: Awareness, Barriers, and Perceived Training Needs.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pandya%2C+Samta+P%22">Pandya, Samta P</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Children+%26+Schools%22">Children & Schools</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p181-190. 10p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-evaluation%22">Self-evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+services+accessibility%22">Health services accessibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communicative+competence%22">Communicative competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+workers%22">Social workers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mainstreaming+in+special+education%22">Mainstreaming in special education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Assistive+technology%22">Assistive technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professions%22">Professions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+employee+training%22">Professional employee training</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Clinical+competence%22">Clinical competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Needs+assessment%22">Needs assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+health+services%22">School health services</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nepal%22">Nepal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Singapore%22">Singapore</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Arab+Emirates%22">United Arab Emirates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22India%22">India</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ghana%22">Ghana</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nigeria%22">Nigeria</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Saudi+Arabia%22">Saudi Arabia</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This article reports the results of a survey of school social workers (SSWs) at inclusive schools in select Asian and African countries (N = 1,061), exploring their awareness of assistive technology, competencies in use, perceived barriers, and training needs. Close to two-thirds of the SSWs reported being aware that assistive technology devices provided equal opportunities to children with disabilities. The majority (four-fifths) of SSWs suggested that the perceived barriers in the use of assistive technology included issues of affordability, accessibility, lack of qualified personnel, and limited social acceptance. Results of the discriminant correspondence analyses identified gender as a sole and significant predictor contributing to variations in SSWs' awareness and perceptions. Male SSWs confirmed they could identify varied assistive technology devices and were aware of local and international agencies providing services. Female and gender-nondisclosing SSWs felt more competent than male SSWs to use assistive technology to facilitate instruction. An estimated two-thirds of the total respondents proposed the need for training in community-based rehabilitation to reach most vulnerable groups for facilitating inclusion. Other training needs of SSWs working at inclusive schools in Asian and African countries included learning ways to collaborate with rehabilitation professionals, mastering strategies of estimating student needs and mapping resources, gaining awareness of ongoing research and development in assistive technology, and getting access to accredited training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Children & Schools is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=195128170
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1093/cs/cdag011
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 181
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Self-evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health services accessibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communicative competence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social workers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mainstreaming in special education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Assistive technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professional employee training
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Clinical competence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Needs assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School health services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nepal
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Singapore
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Arab Emirates
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: India
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ghana
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: South Africa
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nigeria
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Japan
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Saudi Arabia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: School Social Workers in Inclusive Schools and Assistive Technology: Awareness, Barriers, and Perceived Training Needs.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pandya, Samta P
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 15328759
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 48
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Children & Schools
              Type: main
ResultId 1