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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 …

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 …

Parent Perspectives Of Inclusion For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca A. Mack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences with inclusion for parents of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and combined intellectual impairment in elementary schools in the United States. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s theory on social cognitive learning as it applies to students with disabilities learning from observing their peers without disabilities. This study design was a transcendental phenomenological qualitative design to explore multiple parents’ unique experiences with the same phenomenon—inclusion for their child with ASD. Participants were chosen using criterion and snowball sampling from social media groups and live across the …

Best Buddies Club: A Phenomenological Study Of The Non-Disabled Peer Perspective On Socially Interacting With Students With Disabilities, Joanna Marie Cavender

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the shared experience of non-disabled peers serving as a “best buddy” to high school students with a disability in the southeastern United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism Theory, where learning between two diverse learners occurs through social interaction with one another, specifically a high school student with a disability and a non-disabled peer buddy. Participants in this study (N=14) were selected from three different high schools throughout one school district, each with active extracurricular Best Buddies Clubs in place. Data were collected through 1:1 interviews, …

A Study Of K-12 Classroom Teachers' Concerns And Perceived Self-Efficacy In Implementing Inclusive Teaching Practices To Instruct Students With Disabilities, Pankaj Khazanchi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research over the past decade suggests teachers have low instructional self-efficacy/confidence and more concerns about implementing inclusive teaching practices. This quantitative correlational study explored whether reported concerns and demographic variables (gender, age, education, and years of teaching experience) predicts teachers’ instructional self-efficacy with students with disabilities. The Concerns about Inclusive Education and the Teachers’ Efficacy in Implementing Inclusive Practices scales were administered to 123 K-12 classroom teachers in Georgia. Data were subjected to hierarchical linear multiple regression to examine whether systematically adding select demographic variables and teachers’ concern scores to the overall model significantly improved the model’s ability to predict …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Lived Experiences Of Students With Disabilities In Inclusion Classrooms, Michelle Lynette Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of inclusion for students with disabilities regarding the practice of inclusion at a rural middle school in Southwest Virginia. The theories guiding this study were Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The central research question for the study was: What are the shared lived experiences of students with disabilities in an inclusion classroom? Other questions addressed social and academic experiences of students with disabilities in inclusion classrooms. The study took place in intermediate and middle schools in rural Southwest Virginia. Purposeful sampling …

Perceptions Of General Education And Special Education Teachers Towards Inclusion: A Quantitative Study, Charity Leigh Kinneer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the attitudes of general education teachers and special education teacher of the inclusion classroom in the middle and high school levels. Using casual- comparative and survey methodology, the level of agreement or disagreement of these teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusive procedures was assessed in four areas: Planning, Classroom/School Environment, Collaboration/Team Partners, and Resources/Supports/Professional Development. The survey measured general education teachers and special education teachers in the middle and high school levels using a 19- item, five-point Likert scale. To address the research questions, an ANOVA was initially proposed. However, due to the low sample size of administrators …

An Applied Study Examining Inclusion Models In An All-Girls Rhode Island Catholic High School, Shannon Mcmahon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to seek to solve the problem of a lack of comprehensive special education programming in an all-girls, Catholic school in Rhode Island, that addresses the students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and to design a proposal of recommendations, using a multi-method approach. Particular attention was given to the merits of peer mentoring as an effective inclusion strategy. The central research question was “How can the problem of lack of comprehensive special education programs for girls be solved at St. Teresa’s Catholic School in Rhode Island?” Data were collected using both quantitative and qualitative …

A Comparative Study Of Special Education Teachers’ Inclusion Perceptions: The Role Of Certification Routes, Dannette Taylor Estes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A primary goal of education is to increase student achievement. Many school districts are addressing increased student achievement by hiring and retaining effective teachers. Teacher effectiveness and student achievement are both influenced by teacher perception. Teachers with positive perceptions have been shown to contribute to increased student achievement and are perceived to be effective educators. Special education teachers hold both positive and negative perceptions about inclusion. In addition to varied perceptions of inclusion, teachers have taken different routes to obtain special education teacher certification. The purpose of this causal-comparative, quantitative study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference exists …

Book It, Bullies: Using Children's Literature To Address Bullying In The Classroom, Kamryn Gottier

Senior Honors Theses

Bullying is an ever-present issue rampant in schools and society today. It is incredibly eye-opening to consider the striking rates, harmful effects, and possible coping mechanisms associated with bullying. When considering this heavy topic from an educator’s point of view, it is critical that children’s literature be discussed as a powerful weapon to combat bullying. Educators should utilize literature to address bullying and initiate discussions concerning this challenging subject within their classes; prepare their students for being in an inclusion classroom among peers with and without disabilities; inform their students about disabilities that some of their classmates may be diagnosed …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Mathematics Achievement Of Middle School General Education Students, Jarrod Bingham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To accommodate the presence of special education students in general education classrooms, many schools have implemented collaborative teaching or co-teaching, a model in which two or more teachers share responsibility for a group of students. While myriad research has demonstrated that this model benefits special education students, very little researchers have examined the effect of co-teaching upon the general education student, who often outnumber the special education students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate co-teaching’s impact upon the mathematic achievement of general education students. The independent variable in this study was students’ placement into either a) …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Examining Parents' Perceptions Regarding The Enrollment Of Children With Learning Differences In An Nild Program In A K-12 Christian School, Wendy Wallis Bayer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of parents who have a child with learning differences who has been enrolled in a National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) program in a K-12 Christian school. The central phenomenon is, “What are the experiences of parents who have a child with learning differences who has been enrolled in an NILD program in a K-12 Christian school?” Socio-cultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) guide this study. Ten co-researchers, who have children with learning differences who have attended at least one K-12 Christian school and …

Engaging And Inclusive Education: A Case Study, Haley C. Mclean

Senior Honors Theses

The goal of education is to enrich the lives of the students entering the classroom in such a way that sees them leaving after the school year as better and more developed students eager to continue learning. However, there has been a disconnect between educators and the population of their classrooms that requires modifications and special attention. In part, this is because it is time consuming and difficult to make sure that every student, including the handicapped students, is having his or her needs met. In order for classrooms to be effective, there has to be an inclusive environment that …

Elementary And Secondary Special Education Teachers Experiences Of Inclusion For Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities: A Phenomenolgical Study, Shannon Anders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of special education teachers regarding inclusive practices with students with moderate and severe disabilities in a rural North Carolina school district. The purpose of this research was to seek the overall essence of the lived experiences of a purposeful criterion sample of 11 special education teachers as they used inclusion strategies with their students. This study had one central question: How do rural special education teachers describe their experiences with inclusive practices for their students with moderate to severe disabilities? The theories guiding this study were Maslow’s Hierarchy …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On General Education Students In Seventh Grade Math, Kenneth Lamar James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Federal legislation has mandated that all students, including students with disabilities, perform at or above a certain level on standardized tests. Students with disabilities consistently have scored below the required minimum score. Educators have begun implementing co-teaching strategies in the general education classroom in order to better serve the students with disabilities. This has caused concern among some parents and other educators as to how the inclusion of special education students in the general classroom will affect the achievement of general education students. This quantitative study is designed to gather data from the math section of the Criterion Referenced Competency …

A Multi-Case Study Examining Co-Teaching Approaches And Practices In High School Mathematics And Literature/Composition Classes, Patti A. Cleaveland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Special education provides a variety of instructional models to ensure the success of students with disabilities. The increasingly utilized model of co-teaching allows students with disabilities access to the general education environment with the support of special education teachers. The co-teaching model consists of one general and one special education teacher who work together to ensure the success of both the special education and general education students. This qualitative study investigated and explained the co-teaching approaches and practices used by co-teaching partners participating in the academic areas of literature/composition and mathematics classes at the high school level. A multiple case …

Bibliotherapy: An Approach To Treating Mental Illness In The Classroom, Erin M. Curry

Senior Honors Theses

The prevalence of adolescent mental illness has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades. Due to a lack of accessible mental health care and the stigmatization of mental illness, parents of children with these disorders are often reluctant to seek help. These children often resort to negative self-coping methods among which include substance abuse, violence, and suicide. These negative self-coping methods have a harmful, lasting impact on the individual as well as the surrounding community.

Bibliotherapy, which harnesses the meditative power of books, can teach helpful coping skills to students with mental illness. When effectively utilized in …

Comparing The Perceptions Of Inclusion Between General Education And Special Education Teachers, Debra Bruster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative, quantitative study compared the perceptions of inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom that are held by high school general education teachers and high school special education teachers that teach in inclusive settings. The study determined there is a difference between the perceptions of inclusive education between teachers with different teaching assignments. Special education teachers were clearly more positive than general education teachers about the inclusion of students with disabilities, the influence of students with disabilities on the general education classroom and its students, and the management of behavior in the inclusive classroom. There was no …

Experiences Of General Education Elementary Inclusion Co-Teachers In Successful Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Sherrie Robbins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of general education elementary school inclusion co-teachers in schools that are successful with their special education population as defined by Adequate Yearly Progress and most recently, the College and Career Ready Performance Index. The participants were employed in a district in the metro Atlanta area. The primary research question was, "What are the experiences of general education teachers in inclusion and co-teaching classrooms in schools that have met Adequate Yearly Progress and College and Career Ready Performance Index for students with disabilities?" The three sub-questions addressed the self-efficacy, motivation, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Inclusive Environments From The Perspective Of Rural Middle School General Education Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, James Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the shared experience of rural middle school general education teachers of students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in inclusive classrooms. The study began by examining related issues associated with inclusive environments. Data analysis was structured around phenomenological organizational methods: that there exists within the phenomenon a descriptive experience, and within that experience there are voids of possible explanation and interpretation. The research incorporated observations, interviews, and documents as forms of data collection. This inquiry sought to uncover the ways in which general education teachers who serve students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities find …

Examining The Relationships Between Secondary General Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Professional Development, And Support From Special Education Personnel, Lynn Wogamon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlational research study examined the relationships between secondary general education teachers' attitudes toward inclusion, hours of professional development in topics related to special education and hours of support from special education personnel addressing the needs of students with disabilities received weekly. The research also investigated whether this information could be used to predict secondary general education teachers' attitudes towards inclusion. General education teachers in six South Carolina high schools completed the Scale of Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) and a demographic survey that asked about hours of professional development in special education topics and hours of support received …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Carmen Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, school systems must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction in general education classrooms. Implementing the inclusion model has been challenging for many school systems as the systems try to find ways to meet the needs of their diverse student populations. The purpose of this quantitative casual-comparative and correlational study is to identify high school teachers' perceptions of inclusion. One hundred seventy-three high school teachers from six school districts located in a southeastern metropolitan area completed a survey to allow the researcher to examine if a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of inclusion …

Inclusive Learning Environments: An Analysis Of Early Intervention Service Options For Preschoolers With Special Needs, Mimi L. Heath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the quest to restructure educational programming toward higher student outcomes for preschoolers with special needs, professional educators are continuously challenged to provide with integrity a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restricted environment (LRE) as mandated by law. This study analyzed the effectiveness of an inclusive programming model for preschoolers with special needs by examining achievement gains in the developmental domains of adaptive, motor, and cognitive skills as assessed by the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition. Analysis of an inclusive learning environment for six preschoolers with special needs as guided by IEP committee recommendations occurred. In order …