International Journal of Special Education (IJSE)
Summary
The International Journal of Special Education (SE) has been in existence since 1995 and has warranted a rather positive reputation with its articles that shed light on the problems faced in SE. The journal publishes both experimental and theoretical articles addressing concerns in SE. The current impact factor of the journal based on the number of times when its materials were used for reference in other peer-reviewed articles is currently 1.00 (International journal of SE (Int J Spec Educ) 2017).
Assessment
The journal has rather high levels of credibility. Seeing that it has a high indexation level, it is safe to assume that it publishes only credible, peer-reviewed articles. Therefore, IJSE can be considered a reliable source. Additionally, the articles can be located at the same location that the journal mentions. Thus, it can be assumed that the editors of the journal are fully in control of the information that they possess and can arrange it respectively.
The journal has a short yet proud history. Being in publishing since 1995, it has been the repository of a vast range of articles that offer innovative and effective strategies for addressing the needs of children in the environment of SE. The mission of IJSE concerns primarily building awareness and shedding light on some of the contemporary issues and innovative solutions to them. IJSE is also a peer-reviewed journal, which makes it is content especially valuable. With a team of scholars assessing the quality of the material that is chosen for publishing, IJSE guarantees the depth of research and credibility of its articles. Thus, the identified resource must be recognized for its quality.
Critical Reflection
Choosing a journal to select an article on a particular topic is a rather challenging task due to the possible ambiguity of the resource quality. Therefore, IJSE deserves praise for the quality of its content. Even though the journal is comparatively new, it has already gained the reputation of a repository of innovative solutions to some of the problems associated with special education.
The fact that the journal publishes only peer-reviewed content also speaks of its weight and significance. In the environment of special education, mistakes in addressing the target demographicâs needs come at a very high price. Herein lies the importance of IJSE, the articles in which are always verified, containing only the information based on in-depth research and supported by credible references. Therefore, one must consider IJSE articles as scholarly content that deserves to be used to improve the quality of SE.
British Journal of Special Education (BJSE)
Summary
BJSE is a scholarly journal that publishes articles on the subject of SE and the strategies for addressing SE studentsâ needs. The journal has been in existence for an impressive amount of time, gaining weight and becoming an important reference for several studies. BJSE represents the National Association for Special Educational Needs and is published quarterly.
Assessment
The current impact factor of the journal is 1.257, which is considered moderate for a repository of scholarly articles. On the one hand, the identified information can be seen as an important argument against using BJSE as a source of articles for addressing SE learnersâ needs. Indeed, it is important to ensure that selected strategies for teaching SE students come from a trustworthy source. On the other hand, one must keep in mind that the concept of the impact factor is rather flimsy as a criterion for selecting a journal. Since it comprises a range of variables and provides only an average of all points that a journal can gain in the assessment, it often functions as an addition to the overall evaluation of a journal. The identified situation is the exact cause of the impact factor being only a minor component of a larger whole. Thus, one may consider other characteristics of BJSE apart from its impact factor to determine the credibility of the source. The journal is indexed in the British Education Index (BEI), which means that the resource is recognized as scholarly and credible (Overview n.d.). BEI is, in turn, owned by the EBSCO Information Services, which is a larger online database for scholarly articles and other academic resources.
The journal is peer-reviewed and included in a range of databases, including EBSCO mentioned above, PubMed, and other sources of crucial academic information. The journal has been available since 1974, which means that it has warranted an important place in the realm of academic research. Its mission is clear, and selected articles from the database support it extensively. Thus, BJSE can be considered as a credible journal.
Critical Reflection
Exploring the impact that the journal produces in the academic world, one must admit that it has quite an influence. The articles that are published in BJSE provide the platform for implementing effective SE strategies in the SE environment. Furthermore, the studies that are included in the journal can be used as the basis for enhancing the efficacy of the existing strategies. As a result, an increase is witnessed in the levels of inclusion and the range of opportunities that are provided to students with special needs.
âMusic Education for Pupils with Severe or Profound and Multiple Difficulties â Current Provision and Future Needâ
Summary
In their article, Ockelford, Welch, and Zimmermann (2002) shed light on the challenges that SE students face, as well as the opportunities that music education (ME) can offer to them. According to Ockelford, Welch, and Zimmermann (2002), the goals of the paper include developing a better understanding of the impact that music education has on children with severe learning difficulties (SLD).
The study design included collecting data from 10% of British schools that address the needs of SLD students. A questionnaire was designed for the staff of the selected schools to use to provide crucial information about the needs of the target demographic. At first, the authors of the research encountered certain problems with obtaining data, yet they eventually managed to retrieve the necessary information. After the analysis, it was discovered that the very term âSLDâ lacked a precise definition, hence the problems with managing the concern. Furthermore, the analysis has shown that a range of schools used music quite often not only as an integral part of the curriculum but also as the catalyst for engaging students in other activities. Therefore, the study proved that music served an important part in encouraging SLD learners to acquire essential knowledge and skills.
Assessment
The article is credible and verifiable since it was published in a peer-reviewed and trustworthy journal. The results of the study can be used for improving existing school programs. Besides, the study design of the article is profound and detailed, which allows for determining problems in the current strategy for using music in special education. The authors represent the Royal National Institute of the Blind and the University of London. The authors have written other papers. The information provided in the article is rendered accurately and supported by multiple pieces of evidence.
Critical Reflection
The article provides important information for providing SLD students with additional opportunities. Given the need to provide an appropriate environment in which SLD learners will train newly acquired skills and applying specific theories to problems, the insights that the article gives are essential.
âCommunication Improvement through Music: The Case of Children with Developmental Disabilitiesâ
Summary
Krikeli, Michailidis, and Klavdianou (2010) address an important issue in music education for SLD students. Particularly, they provide an analysis of the effects that music has on SLD learnersâ communication skills. The authors provide an extensive overview of the existing data on the subject matter and specify that the research will imply a quantitative analysis of the music therapy as a strategy for improving the performance of learners with mental retardation. The results of the study show that music therapy opens additional communication channels for SLD students to use in an academic setting. As a result, the choice of music therapy is fully justified.
Assessment
The research can be defined as credible since it was published in a peer-reviewed journal by scholars with impressive credentials (including them being members of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Maryland at College Park). The authorsâ names appear in other bibliographies, and the current research can be regarded as an impressive study. The analysis of opportunities for improving communication with the help of music is bound to provide numerous opportunities for encouraging change in the realm of the contemporary SE setting.
Critical Reflection
The article by Krikeli, Michailidis, and Klavdianou (2010) provides the basis for developing improved approaches to meeting SLD students’ needs. Despite minor issues in its design, the article gives profound information about how music therapy changes learnersâ life. Thus, the article must be seen as a crucial addition to the existing range of studies addressing the needs of SLD learners with the help of music as a part of the curriculum.
Reference List
International journal of special education (Int J Spec Educ) 2017, Web.
Krikeli, V, Michailidis, A & Klavdianou, ND 2010, âCommunication Improvement through music: the case of children with developmental disabilitiesâ, International Journal of Special Education, vol. 25, no., 1, pp. 1-9.
Ockelford, A, Welch, G & Zimmermann, S 2002, âFocus of practice: music education for pupils with severe or profound and multiple difficultiesâcurrent provision and future needâ, British Journal of Special Education, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 178-182.
Overview n.d.,Web.