Teachers' causal attributional responses of students with learning disabilities in China

This paper aims to raise awareness of the importance of attributional beliefs in relation to the educational outcomes of students with learning disabilities (LD) in China. The study examined the attributional beliefs of 103 elementary and secondary school teachers towards students with LD, in comparison to students without LD. The findings show that Chinese teachers differed little in their attributional beliefs between students with and without LD, and generally follow a positive attribution cycle for students with and without LD. Implications from the findings, and future research recommendations are also presented.

► LD status has a very limited influence on causal dimensions of academic outcomes.
► Chinese teachers respond to student failure through a positive attribution cycle.
► Effort was perceived as the main cause of academic success and failure.
► Teachers transmit to students with LD that they are as capable as NLD students.
► The attributional information transmitted may have positive effects on students.