Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Idea 2004: Building Collaborative Partnerships And Effective Communication Between Administrators, Special And General Educators, And Multi-Disciplinary Professionals, Jennifer C. Madigan, G Scroth-Cavataio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Teacher Understanding And Perception Of A Response To Intervention Program In A Rural, Western North Carolina School District, Dwight Dean King

Education Dissertations and Projects

Response to Intervention, aka Response to Instruction (RtI), is a multi-tiered instructional process designed to provide research-based interventions to struggling learners. It has recently gained increased popularity with the perceived failure of the discrepancy formula model of placing children in special education services and with the recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Because RtI is just gaining ground in the field of education, limited research regarding teachers' perceptions of the process is available. This research project utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining survey and interview data, to assess teacher understanding and perception of RtI in a rural North …

Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teacher Training Concerning Curriculum Alignment For Students With Developmental Disabilities, Kim Watkins

Education Dissertations and Projects

Legislative mandates require teachers to provide access to the general curriculum for all students in the least restrictive environment. Though policies are in place to ensure high quality instruction for all students, many students with developmental disabilities are still being served in self-contained settings with a life-skills instructional approach only, without the necessary supports for accessing the general curriculum. The purpose of this study was to reveal the extent of pre-service teacher perceptions of teacher training on curriculum alignment in order to improve pre-service teacher training in special education for access to the general curriculum for students with developmental disabilities. …

Disability In The Context Of Higher Education: Issues And Concerns In India, Syed Salma Jameel

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Disability in higher education has different implications from that of school Education. Higher education increases the chance of employability, thus, affirming dignified life for the persons with disabilities. While going through the policies and programmes in India it is found that not much has been done in the field of disability and higher education. There are number of groups working on the school education of children with disabilities. This has not translated in the entry of students to higher education because of various reasons. Infrastructural facilities within institutions, attitudes towards persons with disabilities, transportation facilities, and lack of support services …

Attitudes Of Beginner Teachers Of Special Education To Classroom Management: Who's The Boss Here?, Tsafi Timor Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The study deals with approaches of beginner teachers from a Special Education Training Programs to classroom management and to instruction with regard to two approaches: the Humanistic approach (or Student-Centered Approach), and the Custodial approach (or Teacher-Centered Approach). mixed use of both approaches in classroom management practices with a tendency towards the Humanistic approach. The Custodial approach was observed as related to issues of control and attitude towards violence whereas the Humanistic approach was found to be related to student-teacher relations, belief in students' abilities and perceptions of discipline. However, approach towards instruction and teaching was observed as related in …

Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Autism And Emotional Behavioral Disorder, Jennifer M. Cassady

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

General education teachers have differing views about the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. However, the type and severity of the children’s disabilities affect teachers’ willingness to accommodate certain students and their confidence that they will effectively manage their classroom. It has been reported that teachers have expressed concerns about having students with autism and emotional behavioral disorder in the general education setting because of the children’s lack of social skills, behavioral outbursts, modifications made to the curriculum, and lack of training and supports. Many instructors do not believe they are able to teach these populations effectively while …

Mvip: Math Villages For Inclusive Practices: A Model To Engage All Students And Teachers In Stem Experiences, Ida Malian Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The Math Villages for Inclusive Practices (MVIP) model supports inclusive practices through a) the inclusion of students with disabilities, specifically mathematics disabilities into STEM related activities, b) co-teaching of STEM related topics as professional development, c) “hands-on” real life problems to be addressed collaboratively with students and co-teachers.

MVIP model levels the playing field for students with math disabilities to be engaged in integrated STEM activities. Co-teachers support these activities through professional development that creates content-rich and differentiated instruction for all students. The village concept is derived from the membership of the village learners which includes students, special educators and …

Planning Learning Experiences In The Inclusive Classroom: Implementing The Three Core Udl Principles To Motivate, Challenge And Engage All Learners, Jennifer L. Jones, Karrie A. Jones, Paul J. Vermette

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In 2010, Vermette, Jones, Jones, Werner, Kline & D’Angelo published a lesson planning format, the PLE (planned learning experience) designed to help teachers meet the demands of the ever diversifying, ever demanding American secondary classroom (Vermette et al., 2010). This model helps teachers do more than simply create a “lesson plan” (a list of maneuvers for the teacher), but provides a framework for crafting authentic, meaningful and engaging learning experiences for all students. Given this great challenge, this article deconstructs the PLE in light of the three core principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and considers the ramifications of …

Effects Of Co-Teaching On The Biology Achievement Of Typical And At-Risk Students Educated In Secondary Inclusion Settings, Polly G. Haselden Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

School accountability is at the forefront of education with the recent passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in January 2001. One well-known instructional strategy, co-teaching has the potential to improve the academic performance of students (i.e., typical and at-risk) educated in general education classrooms. A co-teaching intervention that included operationalized components of instructional delivery and a support class was compared to the traditional instructional delivery of students receiving science instruction from a general education teacher alone in four high school biology classrooms. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between the groups of students educated in …

Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support In Preschool: Lessons For Getting Started, Deborah R. Carter, Renee K. Van Norman, Claire Tredwell

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is growing concern over the number of young children who display challenging behavior and preschool teachers are reporting children’s challenging behavior as their greatest concern. Program-wide Positive Behavior Support (PWPBS) is a promising model for supporting appropriate behavior and decreasing challenging behavior in early childhood programs. Implementation in early childhood settings is relatively new and guidance on how to implement PWPBS in early childhood settings in growing. This article documents the implementation process for an early childhood program serving children from six weeks to five years of age, shares lessons learned and offers practical advice for getting started with …

Relationship Of Teacher Training Levels To Teacher Referrals For Twice Exceptional Students, Robin A. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although previous studies have acknowledged the role of teacher training in working with children with special needs, none have investigated the relationship between teacher training and referrals. There is a need to understand the factors that affect K-12 classroom teachers' referrals of twice exceptional (2E) students into gifted programs. Supported by the optimal stimulation theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between teacher training and 2E student referrals. The survey method was used to collect data from 102 K-12 teachers in the Ohio school district on their teaching credentials, ranging from no …

Factors That Influence Special Education Teachers' Career Decisions In A Rural School District In Southern Indiana, Theresa Lemons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition of special education teachers is a national problem resulting in lost monetary resources, school climate discontinuity, and lower student achievement. Within a small, rural district in southern Indiana, special education teacher attrition has risen since 2008 and continues to rise. District administrators want to retain teachers to ensure a continuity of instructional services for students with special needs. To explore this problem, an intrinsic qualitative case study was employed, guided by a research question that investigated the factors that special education teachers and administrators perceived as influencing special educators' career decisions. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Billingsley's schematic representation of …

The Impact Of Professional Development Training In Autism And Experience On Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Nancy Biasotti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regular education teachers' self-efficacy may be negatively impacted due to a lack of professional development and experience teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research links teacher self-efficacy with increased student academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine to what degree training on ASD during and following teacher certification and experience had on overall teacher self-efficacy. This one-shot case study was based upon Bandura's theoretical construct of self-efficacy and secondarily on Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, and Hoy's theory of self-efficacy. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scales (TSES) was used to collect data from regular education teachers with experience …

Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Young Adults With Learning Disabilities, Karin Ann Marie Coles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive academic self-efficacy beliefs are associated with increased motivation, higher levels of persistence, and overall academic success. There is a gap in the literature regarding how young adult learners with identified learning disabilities who are also enrolled in postsecondary education characterize their development of academic self-efficacy beliefs and corresponding adaptive coping skills. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to develop a meaningful understanding of the lived experiences of young adult students with learning disabilities in the development of their self-efficacy beliefs and adaptive coping skills. Social learning theory, particularly the self-efficacy belief components, was the guiding conceptual framework for …

Educators' Perceptions Of Assistive Technology For Students With Severe Or Multiple Disabilities, Mary Jane Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assistive technology (AT) is defined as any tool that can help integrate students with severe or multiple disabilities (SMD) into learning activities. As mandated by federal law, AT must be considered for all students with disabilities. Educators, however, do not consistently embrace low and mid tech AT devices in reading and the language arts, thus limiting student engagement in learning activities. The purpose of this study was to explore educators' perceptions of their experiences regarding the acquisition and the use of low and mid tech assistive devices with students with SMD. This study builds on the existing literature base of …

Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems In The Classroom, Helen Angela Mezzomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) systems are used to give voice to individuals who are nonverbal. As AAC systems become more complex and prevalent in the classroom expectations of school-based professionals expand. However, the roles of those expected to support AAC systems, primarily teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), are not clearly defined. Without clearly defined roles, professionals may not provide needed support to students who use AAC. Dewey's theory of community suggests that role confusion leads to insufficient and ineffective services. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine how teachers and SLPs view their roles in supporting AAC. The …

General Educators Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach In Mixed-Ability Classrooms, Kristen Sparks Kantor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing populations of students with special academic needs included in general education classrooms in American public schools are providing a growing teacher preparation challenge. The purpose of this study was to analyze both strengths and weaknesses in how general education teachers perceived their pre-service preparation for teaching in mixed-ability classrooms. A constructivist learning theory paradigm was used to interpret shared experiences of general education teachers working in mixed-ability public elementary schools. The research question was centered in how this group of teachers assessed preparation to provide instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorder, English Language Learners (ELL), general education, gifted, and …

Use Of Professional Development To Improve Attitudes Of General Educators Towards Inclusion, Ginger Dodge-Quick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study involved the inclusion of special needs students in the general education classroom as required by law. The problem centered on general educators' perceptions of their abilities to meet the education needs of included students and their lack of training in special education issues. Research questions studied perceptions general educators had regarding inclusion and whether professional development addressed those concerns, and improved their perception of inclusion. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) was the conceptual framework utilized throughout the sequential mixed-methods case study. Quantitative data of teachers' concerns were determined using the Survey of Concerns Questionnaire from the CBAM …

Induction Of Special Education Teachers In Self-Contained Classrooms For Students With Autism, Nelly A. Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past decade, the number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in public schools in a northeastern US state has almost tripled in number. Given a lack of preservice training on autism topics, many beginning special education teachers are ill prepared to meet the challenges of working in classrooms for students with ASD and current induction practices do not specifically support special education teachers. The perceived effectiveness of induction programs for beginning teachers in self-contained classrooms for students with ASD were examined in this phenomonological inquiry grounded in theories of adult learning. Through semi structured interviews that were …

A Grounded Theory Approach To Use Of Differentiated Instruction To Improve Students' Outcomes In Mathematics, Juniace Senecharles Etienne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in a school district in a southeastern state are being challenged to meet the needs of students who have learning disabilities (LDs) and who require an individualized education program with a mathematics goal. The students are in danger of not passing state, district, and classroom mathematics tests, and not all the schools are meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). Funding from the federal government is denied if a school does not achieve AYP; the school personnel must then complete a school improvement plan. The purpose of this study was to explore which differentiation instructional (DI) practices inclusion teachers were using …