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An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby Jan 2023

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Beginning special education teachers often leave the field within the first 3–5 years of employment. There is ample research available on mentoring programs for beginning teachers. However, limited research exists on mentoring programs for beginning special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice special education teachers in urban schools to broaden the current understanding regarding their perceptions of mentoring. Self-determination theory was the conceptual framework for examining the mentoring relationships and the participants’ perceptions. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposeful sample of 10 novice …


High School Special Educators’ Perceptions Of The Transition Planning Process To Prepare Students With Disabilities For Postsecondary Life, Anne M. Bell Jan 2023

High School Special Educators’ Perceptions Of The Transition Planning Process To Prepare Students With Disabilities For Postsecondary Life, Anne M. Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStudents with disabilities in the United States continue to encounter less than favorable success in employment and education after high school. Only 35% of students with disabilities graduating from high school have workforce skills. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate high school special educators’ perceptions of the transition planning process for students with disabilities in preparation for postsecondary life. The conceptual framework was Schlossberg’s transition theory and Kohler’s taxonomy for transition programming 2.0 model. The research questions focused on the types of transition planning practices that are currently being used by high school special education teachers …


An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby Jan 2023

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Beginning special education teachers often leave the field within the first 3–5 years of employment. There is ample research available on mentoring programs for beginning teachers. However, limited research exists on mentoring programs for beginning special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice special education teachers in urban schools to broaden the current understanding regarding their perceptions of mentoring. Self-determination theory was the conceptual framework for examining the mentoring relationships and the participants’ perceptions. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposeful sample of 10 novice …


High School Principals Supporting The Academic Achievement Of Students With Disabilities, Toni Brooks Jan 2022

High School Principals Supporting The Academic Achievement Of Students With Disabilities, Toni Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, legislators have created policies to hold school personnel accountable for the academic success of all students. However, many students with disabilities working toward a high school diploma have not demonstrated progress on local or national standardized assessments. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the ways that high school principals in a Mid-Atlantic school district provided leadership practices to support the academic achievement of students with disabilities. Burns and Bass’s transformational leadership theory informed this study. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with eight high school principals and a review of archival test …


Special Education Challenges In Transitioning To Online Learning In Wyoming During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Merritt Jan 2022

Special Education Challenges In Transitioning To Online Learning In Wyoming During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, education had unexpected impacts, including the closure of schools and the disruption of learning for students. Students with disabilities experienced increased challenges related to these impacts. The problem was to understand the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities when transitioning from in-classroom to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents during the transition from in-classroom to online learning for students with disabilities and identify …


Differentiated Instruction For Students With Significant Disabilities In Inclusive Secondary Classrooms, Oghenevwaire Odeworitse Malomo Jan 2021

Differentiated Instruction For Students With Significant Disabilities In Inclusive Secondary Classrooms, Oghenevwaire Odeworitse Malomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Secondary general education teachers often face many challenges when differentiating instruction to meet the learning needs of students with significant disabilities (SD) in an inclusive secondary general education classroom. A qualitative case study that included eight general education teachers from different content areas in southwest state in the US was used to investigate the general education teachers’ perception of the challenges they face when differentiating instruction to meet the learning needs of students with SD in an inclusive secondary general education classroom. Tomlinson’s differentiated instruction (DI) model serve as the conceptual framework for this study, which emphasizes maximizing learning for …


Perspectives On Professional Development On Common Core Standards For English Language Arts, Martin W. Jones Jan 2021

Perspectives On Professional Development On Common Core Standards For English Language Arts, Martin W. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school teachers at a rural site in a western state have faced problems in implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA), as well as in resolving achievement gaps in ELA between regular education students, special education (SPED) students, English language learners (ELL), and at-risk students. The purpose of this case study was to obtain teachers’ and school leaders’ perspectives on how CCSS for ELA can be used to enhance learning for all populations of students using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The CCSS for ELA and UDL comprised the frameworks employed in this …


Instructional Leadership Practices Of Middle School Principals Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities, Sharon Dixson Jan 2021

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Middle School Principals Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities, Sharon Dixson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA problem existed among middle school principals in that they appeared to inconsistently apply instructional leadership practices while supporting their teachers teaching students with learning disabilities. How the principals perceived these inconsistencies and the possible effects on practice was not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of middle school principals regarding their instructional leadership practices to consistently support teachers who teach students with learning disabilities. The conceptual framework comprised the instructional leadership theory of Murphy, Hallinger, Weil, and Mitman. The research question addressed the perceptions of middle school principals regarding their instructional leadership practices …


Educational Interpreters For The Deaf: Job Ambiguity And Role Conflict, Marian Berry Jan 2021

Educational Interpreters For The Deaf: Job Ambiguity And Role Conflict, Marian Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study investigated the ongoing job ambiguity and role conflict of certified educational interpreters for the deaf (CEID). It explored and identified factors that contribute to the difficulty in recruiting and retaining CEID interpreters for K-12 schools. The difficulty is compounded by the need for increasingly complex and specialized skills and knowledge required to become a CEID. Little attention has been given to CEIDs and the problems of job ambiguity, role conflict, and interpreter shortage. Identification of the recurring factors in the job ambiguity and role conflict will contribute toward eliminating the shortage of CEID's. This qualitative study aimed to …


Teachers’ Perceptions Of Differentiation And The Struggle For Consistent Implementation, Felicia Dawn Fordyce Jan 2021

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Differentiation And The Struggle For Consistent Implementation, Felicia Dawn Fordyce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A problem at three elementary schools in an Appalachian state was that some or all instructors were struggling to implement differentiated instruction in the classroom. Because differentiation is a research-based best practice, teachers should be consistently using this strategy to meet the varying needs found within the inclusive classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of third- and fourth-grade teachers on their knowledge, implementation, and self-assessment of using differentiated instruction in classrooms in three elementary schools. A qualitative case study methodology was used with the interpretation of differentiation as the conceptual framework. The two research questions …


Differentiated Instruction In Middle School Inclusion Classrooms To Support Special Education Students, Latoya Keyona Benjamin Jan 2020

Differentiated Instruction In Middle School Inclusion Classrooms To Support Special Education Students, Latoya Keyona Benjamin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction (DI) research has shown many benefits of implementing instructional practices within an inclusive classroom. However, many teachers do not utilize this instructional practice regularly. An instrumental qualitative case study design that included teachers from one middle school in a rural school district in a southeastern state was used in this study to explore rural middle school teachers' experiences with incorporating the components of DI to support special education students in an inclusion classroom. The challenges faced when incorporating DI were also examined. Tomlinson's model of differentiated instruction framed this study, as it explores the need for teachers to …


Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster Jan 2020

Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although more students with learning disabilities (LDs) are attending postsecondary institutions, faculty lacks the necessary training to educate students with LDs. A need exists to ensure that their college experiences include resources or support services to help students meet their academic requirements. Without support services, students may encounter poor outcomes in postsecondary education. This bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore perspectives and experiences of students with LDs related to student services and accommodations at a postsecondary institution. Knowles's theory of andragogy formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 students, who were medically diagnosed as having …


Case Study Of Teachers’ Instructional Practices Among Eighth Grade Students With Disabilities, Lashaundon Perkins Jan 2020

Case Study Of Teachers’ Instructional Practices Among Eighth Grade Students With Disabilities, Lashaundon Perkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic achievement of students relies heavily on a student’s reading proficiency. The college-and career-readiness reading test results of 8th grade North Carolina students did not meet expectations during the 2016-2017 school year. The overall reading performance of 8th grade North Carolina students who have shown achievement at or above proficient was 30%, which is below the national average. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional practices of special education teachers in a low performing school in the eastern region of North Carolina. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Research questions addressed …


Perceptions, Potholes, And Possibilities Of Using Digital Voice Assistants To Differentiate Instructions, Adrian A. Weir Jan 2020

Perceptions, Potholes, And Possibilities Of Using Digital Voice Assistants To Differentiate Instructions, Adrian A. Weir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction have been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district located in the southeastern United States. Despite the emergence of digital voice assistants (DVAs) as tools for instructions, teachers lack knowledge and strategies for using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify teacher knowledge and strategies employed among special education (SPED) teachers using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The concepts of Carol Tomlinson’s differentiation theory and Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework served …


Investigating Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In Inclusive Classrooms, Jilleane Archie Jan 2020

Investigating Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In Inclusive Classrooms, Jilleane Archie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities, while implementing research-based instructional strategies in inclusive settings, presents an array of successes and challenges for both general and special education teachers. The problem at the local study site was that both general and special education teachers faced challenges as they implemented inclusion practices to meet the College and Career Readiness Performance Index, Closing Gaps component improvement targets for students with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate general and special education teachers’ successes, challenges, and needs as they implemented inclusion practices in middle school classrooms. This study was …


Head Start Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Experiences Teaching Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Leronda Phillips Jan 2020

Head Start Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Experiences Teaching Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Leronda Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorders are pervasive developmental disorders in which a student’s inability to communicate, undeveloped social skills, and restricted interests require intervention from trained professionals. Autism spectrum disorder is an eligibility for special education where students can be affected by the presence of a lack of qualified teachers. Teachers who work with students with special needs experience more frustration and burnout than do teachers of typical students; research has suggested that teachers with higher self-efficacy have more success than do teachers with lower self-efficacy. The study’s theoretical basis was derived from Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. This phenomenological qualitative research study explored …


Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster Jan 2020

Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although more students with learning disabilities (LDs) are attending postsecondary institutions, faculty lacks the necessary training to educate students with LDs. A need exists to ensure that their college experiences include resources or support services to help students meet their academic requirements. Without support services, students may encounter poor outcomes in postsecondary education. This bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore perspectives and experiences of students with LDs related to student services and accommodations at a postsecondary institution. Knowles's theory of andragogy formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 students, who were medically diagnosed as having …


Special Education Teacher Retention In The Early Years, Caroll Brant Jan 2020

Special Education Teacher Retention In The Early Years, Caroll Brant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intent of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of intrinsic motivators and extrinsic workplace experiences on the retention of beginning special education teachers of students with low incidence disabilities (LIDs). This study was designed in response to district leaders’ shared concerns of the continuous turnover experienced annually in several districts in a region of a southern state. Two research questions were developed to gain a deeper insight into the influence intrinsic and extrinsic factors have on beginning special education teachers’ decisions to stay in the self-contained, LID classroom. Ten beginning special education LID teachers participated in interviews …


Circumstances And Experiences Of Regular And Special Education Teachers In Inclusion, Grace Selarde Absher Jan 2019

Circumstances And Experiences Of Regular And Special Education Teachers In Inclusion, Grace Selarde Absher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementation of federally mandated classroom inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in the United States is inconsistent. Research has been limited on how teachers implement inclusion in classrooms, which has prevented systemwide improvements of inclusion practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe the circumstances and experiences of regular and special education teachers in 3rd to 6th grade inclusion classes. The theory of organizational learning served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected in interviews with 7 regular education teachers (RETs) and 5 special education teachers (SETs) from 3 public school districts in a …


Examining General Educators' Instructional Practices Teaching Mathematics To K-8 Students With Disabilities, Kendra Michelle Cumberland Jan 2019

Examining General Educators' Instructional Practices Teaching Mathematics To K-8 Students With Disabilities, Kendra Michelle Cumberland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disparity in the mathematics performance between students with disabilities (SWDs) and students without disabilities in K-8 grades in international schools may lead to a lack of opportunities for SWDs to take advanced mathematics classes and enter mathematics-related college programs and careers. This problem may be increased if K-8 teachers of SWDs do not use social-constructivist-based practices needed for effective mathematics teaching. The purpose of this bounded qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the constructivist-based practices teachers applied in the mathematics K-8 classrooms for SWDs. Vygotsky's social-constructivism theory was used to guide this study. The research question addressed which …


The Relationship Of Parental Involvement And Reading Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Students, Florence Ann Mayhall-Andrews Jan 2018

The Relationship Of Parental Involvement And Reading Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Students, Florence Ann Mayhall-Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local high school and school district have failed to achieve adequate yearly progress in reading due to the poor performance of 9th-grade and special education students on the annual state reading assessment. There may be numerous factors leading to the low scores, but researchers have suggested that students whose parents are engaged in their education have more academic success than students whose parents have minimal participation. An explanatory survey design was used in this quantitative study to identify the involvement activities of parents of 9th-grade students and determine if there was a relationship between their involvement and their child's …


Increasing The Career Longevity Of Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Leroy V. Smith Jan 2018

Increasing The Career Longevity Of Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Leroy V. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have among the highest attrition rates of any teaching discipline in the United States. High attrition rates affect EBD teachers, school districts, and students with EBD. Through the theoretical lenses of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Eisenberger's organizational support theory (OST), this study sought to determine if there was a difference in college preparation, job support, and job benefit/amenity factors identified by EBD teachers who intended to leave the discipline (n = 6) and those who intended to stay (n = 9). This quantitative, survey-based study yielded data from 15 …


Self-Efficacy Of Novice And Experienced Special Education Teachers Of English Learners, Deborah Escalante Montoya Jan 2018

Self-Efficacy Of Novice And Experienced Special Education Teachers Of English Learners, Deborah Escalante Montoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special education teachers in California acquire advanced degrees, credentials, and authorizations to serve students with disabilities who are English language learners (SWD-ELLs), yet continue to be challenged to meet the complex instructional needs of these students. Performance on statewide tests of achievement show continued disparities between the academic achievement of SWD, ELLs, and their non-disabled English-only speaking peers. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was the theoretical foundation for this research study given that teachers' perceptions of their abilities across the span of their careers can directly affect the achievement of their students. To compare and examine the self-reported sense of self-efficacy …


Response To Intervention Program Implementation In A Suburban Elementary School Setting, Danielle M. Kovach Jan 2018

Response To Intervention Program Implementation In A Suburban Elementary School Setting, Danielle M. Kovach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Response to Intervention (RTI) programs are designed to support students at risk of failing in school due to academic or behavioral problems. When RTI programs are applied inconsistently due to teachers' resources or knowledge, students may be wrongly identified for special education services. The purpose of this qualitative bounded descriptive case study was to explore K-4 general education teachers' experiences with RTI program implementation and the extent teachers used the RTI program in their classrooms. This study was guided by Gagné's conditions of learning theory. A purposeful sampling of 10 K-4 general education teachers, who taught an RTI program, volunteered …


Strategies And Assessments To Support Special Education Students' Writing The Literacy Test, Angelo Caesar Maniccia Jan 2018

Strategies And Assessments To Support Special Education Students' Writing The Literacy Test, Angelo Caesar Maniccia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many special education (SPED) students are failing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) despite writing instruction provided by SPED teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand teachers' perceptions about why students were failing the literacy/writing test and document whether evidence-based assessment and writing practices were implemented. Cognitive-behavioral theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions in this study focused on SPED teachers perceptions regarding students not passing the OSSLT, observations of whether assessment and instruction for writing aligned with best practices, and collecting baseline curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data of SPED students' current writing …


Attitudes And Effectiveness Of Teachers In Diverse Inclusive Classrooms, Pamela Moore-Mckinley Jan 2018

Attitudes And Effectiveness Of Teachers In Diverse Inclusive Classrooms, Pamela Moore-Mckinley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities who participate in a fully inclusive educational program have failed to meet district or state goals for adequate yearly progress. This student population is explicitly recognized in state and federal accountability systems. The purpose for this study was to determine how certain factors affected the implementation of inclusive services at one school. This study investigated how teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward inclusion, level of education, exposure to people/students with disabilities, level of support, and knowledge of laws governing the education of students with disabilities affected inclusive classrooms. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences was used as the theoretical …


Response To Intervention Implementation And Special Education Eligibility In Rural Wisconsin Schools, Jessica Golburg Jan 2018

Response To Intervention Implementation And Special Education Eligibility In Rural Wisconsin Schools, Jessica Golburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences among special education enrollments for specific learning disabilities (SLD) and other disabilities within districts using school-wide response to intervention (RTI). Differences between rural and suburban school districts during the phases of the insufficient criterion rollout for SLD identification were explored as were environmental factors' impact on RTI implementation. Systems theory framed how concerns in rural districts impact the ability to use RTI data for special education enrollment. The research questions examined prevalence rates of SLD and other disabilities, compared RTI implementation fidelity in rural and suburban districts, and explored environmental …


Teachers' Theories Of Teaching And Learning And The Use Of Math Interventions, Nicole P. Jones Jan 2017

Teachers' Theories Of Teaching And Learning And The Use Of Math Interventions, Nicole P. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the academic gap between students with learning disabilities (LD) and their nondisabled peers, schools continue to educate students with LD in regular education classrooms. In secondary math classes, such as Algebra 1, students with LD have high percentages of failure. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between teachers' personal theories of teaching and learning and their use of math interventions. Fox's (1983) theoretical framework of teaching and learning was used as a conceptual lens. Surveys were administered to 20 high school math teachers in an urban Northeastern U.S. school district. An ordinal logistic regression …


Teacher And Student Variables Affecting Special Education Evaluation And Referral, Lorenzo Adrian Woodson Jan 2017

Teacher And Student Variables Affecting Special Education Evaluation And Referral, Lorenzo Adrian Woodson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that African American/Black boys are referred for special education evaluation at disproportionately higher rates than boys of other racial/ethnic groups. This correlational study used survey methodology to examine whether student and teacher demographic variables predicted how likely a teacher would refer boy students for special education evaluation. The following questions guided this research: 1) To what degree does student race/ethnicity, teacher gender, teacher race/ethnicity, and teacher attitude toward inclusion predict how likely a teacher would refer boys' to special education after controlling for teacher's years of experience in general and special education? 2) What are the …


Challenges To Augmentative And Alternative Communication Interventions With Autism Spectrum Disorder Students, Kristy Jane Singer-Macnair Jan 2017

Challenges To Augmentative And Alternative Communication Interventions With Autism Spectrum Disorder Students, Kristy Jane Singer-Macnair

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have challenges with communication, social interactions, and behavior, which can limit their functioning in school settings. They need to have functional communication skills to access the curriculum and have their needs met across all social environments. Special education teachers often experience barriers to successful implementation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions appropriate for these students. The purpose of this case study was to understand how special education teachers experience AAC intervention processes, and illuminate the conditions for effective AAC implementation. A qualitative case study was conducted using interviews from 6 credentialed special education …