Education Commons^™

I’M Not A Writer, I’M An Alpaca: Preferences And Perspectives Of Emergent Writers, Shaya Helbig

Waldo Library Student Exhibits

This case study explored preschool children’s perspectives and preferences in writing. While the voices of children are valued in research, often it is the voice of the adult researcher that emerges through their interpretations of the children’s perspectives (Harcourt & Sargent, 2011). In addition, research focusing on children’s interest in writing is limited (Rowe & Neitzel, 2010). The focal study held three focus group sessions, framed by Write, Draw, Show, and Tell (Noonan et al., 2016) with four preschool-aged children in order to better understand their preferences in writing materials, and their perceptions and understanding of writing. Data sources included …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of North Carolina's General Pre-Kindergarten Teachers' Attitudes And Perceived Self-Efficacy Toward Inclusion, Susanne Williamson Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate and describe North Carolina’s general Pre-Kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences concerning their attitudes and perceived self-efficacy towards inclusion. The theories guiding this research study were Bandura’s social learning theory and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior. The social learning theory laid the foundation for the importance of positive attitudes and a high sense of self-efficacy toward inclusion. The theory of planned behavior grounded the idea that teachers’ attitudes influence their behaviors and actions. Therefore, negative attitudes can cause teachers to be negative towards including special needs children. Ten general NC Pre-K teachers …

Weathering The Storm: A Phenomenological Study Of K-12 Special Educator Resilience And Retention, Kimberly M. Wisinski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to interpret the lived experiences of K-12 special education teachers (N = 16) from large, suburban districts in Illinois who have persisted in their positions beyond four years. Understanding factors that contribute to the longevity of special education teachers is not only vital for enhancing the educational landscape for students with disabilities but also for informing district-level strategies aimed at fostering teacher retention. This study was guided by Bronfenbrenner's Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) bioecological systems theory, which provided a framework for exploring the various systems that influence special education teacher retention. To achieve triangulation …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Behavioral Supports For Students With Low Functioning Autism In Virtual Learning Programs, Alicia L. Chamberlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of Special Education Teachers regarding positive behavioral supports for students with Low Functioning Autism (LFA) and behavioral challenges who participate in virtual learning environments. The theory guiding this study is Thorndike’s associative learning theory as it provides a framework for understanding the challenges associated with the application of behavioral supports within the virtual learning environment. The Central Research Question in this study is: What are the shared experiences of Special Education Teachers who implement positive behavioral supports (PBS) for students with LFA and behavioral challenges who participate in …

Educator Motivation For Acquiring Expertise To Support Students With Dyslexia: A Phenomenological Study, Maria T. Casale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the invested motivation for acquiring expertise to support students with dyslexia for elementary school teachers at a charter school in a northeastern state. Teachers employed at Oakdale-Mission Charter School are uniquely positioned to receive in-service teacher training support regarding teaching those with dyslexia. The lack of Orton Gillingham-certified teachers to provide for those with dyslexia prevents these students from adequately receiving access and equity in a school district in a large metropolitan city in a northeastern state. Therefore, Oakdale-Mission Charter School was explored as a unique and innovative solution for those …

A Multi-Site Case Study Examing How Iep Teams Determine The Least Restrictive Placement For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder At The Elementary School Level, Jennifer J. Hull

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive, multi-site case study was to determine the criteria individualized education program (IEP) teams used to find the least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the elementary school level. The theoretical framework of this study was Maslow’s theory of human motivation, which described a hierarchy that should be in place for students to be ready to learn. Knowles’s adult learning theory also guided this study as it described how the adults’ experience shaped their decision-making. I collected data through direct observations, interviews, and focus groups. Utilizing a purposeful …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities And Their Participation In Postsecondary Job Training Programs: A Qualitative Study, Jami Vickers Granberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities in an inclusive postsecondary education program. The theories that guided this study are Oliver’s theory on the social model of disability and Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism. This study used a transcendental research design and employed the use of purposeful sampling to select participants who have all experienced the same phenomenon. There were 10 participants who have all had the same experience of attending an inclusive postsecondary education program. The setting took place at P.C.C. in the C.A. program. The central research …

Teachers’ Lived Experiences Nurturing The Development Of Self-Regulated Learning To Address Academic Outcomes For High School Students With Low Reading Achievement: A Phenomenological Study, Kimberly Mazie Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine teachers’ lived experiences nurturing the development of self-regulated learning to address academic outcomes for high school students with low reading achievement. The two conceptual frameworks that guided this study were Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning, derived from Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and Duke and Cartwright’s active view of reading. These frameworks both provided contributing factors of self-regulatory skills for improved learning and reading outcomes. The research method used for this study was qualitative, and the design was transcendental phenomenology. Using the qualitative method gave a voice to the participants’ lived experiences. It …

Special Education Teacher Perspective On Implementation Of Assistive Technology Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Olga Volkov

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of implementing assistive technology with students who have high-incidence disabilities for special education teachers at a large school district. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is one’s belief in one’s capabilities to organize a course of action to achieve a desired outcome. Self-efficacy determines how individuals think, behave, and self-motivate. Previous studies that investigated technology utilization in schools found that teachers’ self-efficacy is one of the key factors in determining and predicting technology integration. The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology as its research methodology. A …

Inclusive Classroom Setting For High School Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders: A Phenomenological Study Of Educators' Experiences, Marvin Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of public high school teachers educating students with emotional behavior disorders (EBDs) in the inclusive classroom setting in the Major County School District. The theory guiding this study was Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory (SDT). SDT was applied to this study to understand the autonomy, competence, and relatedness experiences of teachers. Hermeneutics, meaning interpretive or explanatory, was the application of phenomenological design that was used for this study. This approach focused on the commonality of lived experiences that lay beneath surface awareness which is an interpretive process …

Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of High Attrition Rates Of Special Education Teachers Working With Students Who Have Severe Disabilities Or Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Cara Jo Lord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand why special education teachers who worked with students with severe disabilities or emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced elevated stress levels and burnout, resulting in high attrition and migration rates. The central research question guiding this study was: What were the leading causes of attrition and migration among teachers who taught students with severe disabilities or EBD in separate settings outside the general education population? This study, guided by Maslow's motivation theory, explored attrition factors among 10 special education teachers in the United States who had taught students with …

Teacher Background And Underrepresented Students In Gifted Education, Kayla Berg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education programs is a longstanding concern involving equity and access in educational systems. This qualitative research explores the complex factors influencing this disparity, focusing on the role of teacher perceptions in the identification process. Elementary and middle school teacher participants (N = 14) from a single school district provided interview data. Data collection focused on interviews with classroom and gifted teachers related to the three research questions. The research design was a multiple embedded case study.

First, the study investigated how teachers' perceptions of gifted characteristics vary based on personal experiences, …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Exclusionary Discipline For Students With Disabilities In A Manifestation Determination Review: A Case Study, Jenell R. Huska

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to understand K-12 educators’ knowledge of the characteristics of students with disabilities and how their ability to implement evidence-based practices shaped their perceptions of their role in making decisions regarding exclusionary discipline in a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR). The central research question included: How do K-12 educators’ perceptions regarding organizational support affect the decisions they make concerning exclusionary discipline for students with disabilities in a Manifestation Determination Review? Eisenberger et al.’s (1986) Organizational Support Theory (OST) guided this study. OST relates to educators’ perceptions regarding how their organization supports them in making decisions regarding …

Late To The Game: A Phenomenological Study Of The Educational Experiences Of Females With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tammara Clevenger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the K-12 educational experiences of females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as it states that people are the operators of their lives, and not passive entities within their environment. However, individuals with ASD often have difficulties with social communication, communication interaction, and restricted, repetitive behaviors, which impact their ability to regulate themselves in various environments. The study used transcendental phenomenology to understand the K-12 educational experiences of females with ASD. A total of 10 participants were used. The participants and their …

Recommendations To Improve Social-Emotional Learning For Students With Disabilities At The Virginia School For The Deaf And The Blind In Virginia, Rebecca J. White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations to improve social-emotional learning for students with disabilities at The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Virginia. The problem is that social-emotional learning practices need improving since 80% of teachers at The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind reported a lack of social and emotional skills in students on the yearly Needs Assessment Survey (The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind Needs Assessment Survey, 2022). The rationale for this research is the importance of improving the development of social-emotional skills in students with disabilities. …

Special Education Teachers' Experiences Addressing Mental Health Concerns In Students With Comorbid Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Alison L. Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of special education teachers in public schools regarding addressing mental health needs in their students experiencing comorbid disabilities. The theory guiding this study was contextual organizational framework as it applies to individual special education teachers addressing comorbid mental health concerns in their students. The research addresses the central research question: What experiences within the organizational context(s) do special education teachers describe with regard to working with special education students with comorbid mental health disorders? All participants were special education teachers in either elementary or secondary schools, who …

Professional Development And Training For The Inclusion Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Pre-Kindergarten: A Phenomenological Study, Melinda K. Parsons- Shadid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences utilizing professional resources to aid in the early childhood education development of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder for teachers at charter schools in a large city in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The problem is that there are limited professional resources to reduce early childhood education teachers' ability to educate students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder within the general classroom. One central research question and three sub-questions explored the purpose and problem of this study, which were guided by social cognitive theory. The central research question …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Teachers In Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Elise Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of elementary teachers in inclusion classrooms. The theory which guided this study was Bandura’s (2006) social cognitive theory as it related to the lived experiences of teacher preparedness for teaching in inclusion classrooms. Successful inclusion-setting outcomes were attributed to a teacher’s perception and attitude toward disabilities and their ability to teach them. This study was designed to answer the following central research question: What are the lived experiences of teachers regarding their preparation for teaching in elementary-level inclusion classrooms? Three sub-questions were used to understand the lived …

Work-Based Learning Experiences And Students With Intellectual Disabilities: A Qualitative Case Study, Jessy Logan Richard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this embedded single-case study was to understand how participation in work-based learning experiences (WBLE) prepares students with intellectual disabilities (ID) for successful post-school competitive employment. The theory guiding this study was Kolb’s experiential learning theory, as it systematically explains the four stages of learning that learners go through during WBLE. This embedded single-case study investigated the experience of 12 work site supervisors supervising students with an ID while participating in WBLE at a restaurant and a hotel and one student who participated in the WBLE. Data were collected using individual interviews, document analysis, and focus groups. The …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Educators And Service Providers In The Identification Process Of Minority Students For Special Education In East Tennessee Elementary Schools, Paula R. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of educators and service providers in identifying minority students in special education in Tennessee elementary schools. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. This theory emphasizes cultural tools and their functions in understanding a different culture. It also provides a framework for researchers to investigate how education links individuals to their culture. The study’s sample consisted of ten participants, including general education teachers of core content areas, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and ELL teachers from three elementary schools in Tennessee. I used the triangulated research strategy …

Basic Needs Fulfillment And Course Completion Rates For Online University Students With Disabilities: A Quantitative, Non-Experimental, Causal-Comparative Study, Ashleigh M. King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental causal-comparative study is to determine if there is a difference in the percentage of courses completed between online university students with disabilities who are experiencing food and/or housing insecurity and those who are not. Students with disabilities at universities are less likely to complete courses than peers without disabilities, and while this discrepancy is often blamed on disability, other factors that impact student performance must be examined to determine if intersecting factors that disproportionately impact people with disabilities, specifically food and housing insecurity, may be contributing to decreased percentages of course completion. The theory …

Eds 702: The Young Child With Special Needs, Lingyu Li

Open Educational Resources

This introductory course addresses the concept of disability and the field of special education. It will also consider the social, cultural, and economic context surrounding the education of young children (birth to 8 years) with a wide range of developmental delays and disability conditions. Pertinent legislation, intervention with families, developing Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs), Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and issues of advocacy will be studied within the context of the continuum of service delivery (home-based, center-based, and school-based interventions). (15 fieldwork hours required.)

Improving Social And Emotional Learning In Middle School, Casey Canaday

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research shows that social-emotional learning has a direct impact on the academic and overall success of students in educational environments and beyond. Effective social-emotional programs and strategies implemented with fidelity can improve school climate and culture, positively impacting students, teachers, staff, and families. Without explicit teaching of social-emotional concepts, students are not given the opportunities to reach their full potential to be well-rounded individuals with developed social-emotional skills that support their overall wellness. The findings of a variety of research related to social-emotional learning guided the school improvement plan that was created to successfully implement social-emotional learning practices into schools. …

The Effects Of Repeated Reading Strategies On 9th And 10th Grade Iep Students' Fluency Rate, Kylee F. Cooper

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to study the effects of repeated reading on improving oral reading fluency of 9th and 10th grade students on an IEP. The researcher specifically examined the use of 6 Minute Solutions curriculum. The researcher is a high school special education teacher in her 7th year of teaching, where her own students were the participants in the repeated reading intervention. The six-week intervention was performed in their Learning Strategies or Reading Strategies class where the researcher collected their fluency data daily using the 6 Minute Solutions passages and materials. The findings revealed the …

Developing Resiliency Skills Of Preschoolers Through Social-Emotional Behavioral Teaching Practices To Buffer Against Trauma And Increase Child Outcomes, Jill Mastin

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan responds to challenges that preschool teachers face with the growing number of young children in their classrooms who have experienced trauma and exhibit serious, highly disruptive, and dangerous behaviors. All children benefit from early learning experiences that are rich in social-emotional learning. Research has shown that students with well developed emotional literacy, problem solving skills, and self-regulation skills have better outcomes into adulthood compared to peers who struggle with these skills. This school improvement plan aims to provide insight and guidance for Early Childhood Educational Programs by providing intentional professional development to build staff capacity for …

Improving Literacy Skills For Els Through Targeted Pd, Kayla R. De Vos

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Over the last few decades, schools have seen an increase in the number of English learners entering their classrooms. Meeting the needs of English learners continues to be a topic for discussion. Schools and teachers across the United States are struggling to appropriately meet the unique learning needs of this demographic of students. English learners continue to be pushed through the educational system while the gap between them and their non-EL peers continues to widen. This school improvement plan was created with the intention of providing a professional development plan that focuses on improving teacher knowledge and providing teachers with …

Character Education And Its Effects On Athletic Performance, Melissa Brandenburg

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was driven by the researcher's current interest in character education for female student-athletes and if the presentation of character education lessons plays a role in player performance. Along with the effects of character education and performance, the researcher also tried to decipher if timing of lesson delivery had an overall impact on the performance of the student-athlete. This quantitative action research took four weeks to complete with presentation of weekly lessons and student-athlete feedback in the form of a Google Form questionnaire. The researcher, a varsity head softball coach, enlisted in the voluntary help of her current …

Action Research In The Teacher Candidate Clinical Experience, Krystal Kooiker

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the impact of explicit action research training during teacher candidates’ clinical experience with the hope of increasing their self-efficacy as reflective practitioners. The researcher utilized a qualitative action research methodology with a phenomenological design during the student teaching seminar capstone course. Participants were taken step-by-step through the action research process while they applied their personally designed project in their clinical experience setting over the course of a semester. The research was conducted to analyze teacher candidates’ perceived self-efficacy as action researchers, their use of collaboration with supervisors and peers, and …

The Numeracy Intervention Project, Paige Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This study focused on the Numeracy Intervention Project designed to detect gaps in student's mathematical learning. Research took place in the special education setting with one participant. Participants qualified by having an Individualized Education Plan with a goal specific to math instruction. The intervention took place over a two-week time period where the researcher and student met each day for thirty minutes. The Numeracy Intervention provided a scripted baseline assessment, hands on manipulatives, and several specific skill activities. Results from the baseline to post assessment showed no significant results. Study limitations and future research are included.

Individualized Instruction In The Special Education Classroom, Elizabeth Arnold

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine if individualized instruction in the special education classroom positively correlates with vocabulary acquisition. This study focused exclusively on a middle school special education student diagnosed with autism and ADHD. The researcher utilized a pre-test to begin data collection prior to starting the unit. A post-test was given at the end of the unit to determine vocabulary acquisition. Data analysis revealed the student increased vocabulary over the course of the unit. The research findings suggest individualized education teams should consider the special education classroom when determining the least restrictive environment. The …