Education Commons^™

Teacher Judgment Accuracy In The Domain Of Spelling, April Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated first and second grade teachers’ understanding of their students’ skill in spelling words of varying difficulty. Specifically, teachers judged their students’ item- by-item performance on a twelve-item spelling test adapted from a commercially available developmental spelling inventory. Results showed that teachers’ judgments were accurate 77% of the time, a figure similar to accuracy levels reported in previous teacher judgment research in the area of literacy. The study also included an error analysis task that was designed to assess teachers’ knowledge of developmental spelling. Results revealed a significant relationship (r = .42) between teacher judgment accuracy and performance …

Teacher Perceptions Of Inclusion And Students With Autism, Nancy Keener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion is considered the least restrictive environment for most students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of inclusion in general education classrooms for students with autism. This included an examination of how schools determined placement for students with autism, the academic and social influences of placement in the general classroom, perceptions of teachers and administrators about inclusion for students with autism, teaching strategies that worked for students with autism in the general classroom, and the influence other students in the classroom have on students with autism. Participants in the study were from …

Use Of A Daily Behavior Report Card And Response Dependent Fading To Increase And Maintain Academic Engagement In An Elementary Student With Developmental Delay, Ziyad Alrumayh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial and maintenance effects of a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) intervention and fading procedure on Academic Engaged Time (AET) of a 6-year-old boy with Developmental Delay and Attention Deficits were evaluated with a reversal design. Following an initial baseline, the DBRC was implemented and then completely removed followed by reapplication of the DBRC. Subsequently, the report card was gradually reduced in the frequency of its use from very daily to every other day. Increased AET reliably varied with the application and then removal of the DBRC. Whereas complete removal of the DBRC resulted in substantial decreases in AET, …

Self-Monitoring To Increase On-Task Behavior Using The Motivaider®, Connie Summey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers often need simple ways to implement effective classroom interventions that reduce off-task behaviors for students with or without ADHD (Gaastra, Groen, Tucha, & Tucha, 2016). One intervention that is easy to use and can be implemented with minimal demand on teachers is self-monitoring (Amato-Zech, Hoff, & Doepke, 2006). One prompt that can be used in the classroom for self-monitoring is the MotivAider. The MotivAider is an electronic timer that vibrates to provide a tactile prompt to self-monitor (Amato-Zech et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the MotivAider, a tactile self-monitoring device, …

Preschool Teachers' Perceptions Of Children Prenatally Exposed To Drugs, Brandie D. Maness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the incidence of prenatal drug exposure increasing, it is important that preschool teachers are prepared and confident in serving the needs of children affected by this exposure. Teachers need more training and education to prepare them for working with children with prenatal drug exposure.

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the perceptions, training, and shared experiences of preschool teachers when working with 4- and 5-year-old preschool children who have experienced prenatal drug exposure. The researcher invited 77 preschool teachers in northeast Tennessee working in either Head Start or Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K Initiative programs to complete …

The Inclusive Classroom: Perceptions Of General And Special Educators’ Preparedness To Meet The Needs Of Students With Disabilities, Allecia Frizzell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine whether kindergarten through eighth grade general education teachers and special education teachers were prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Conducted in Northeast Tennessee, an online survey was used to collect responses from participants in six school districts. The survey focused on four dimensions including perceptions of preparedness, attitudes towards inclusion, perceptions of administrator support and perceptions of self-efficacy. Data collected from 180 respondents were analyzed and informed the results of this study.

Findings indicated that special education teachers reported significantly higher levels of preparedness to meet the needs …

Quality Indicators For Classrooms Serving Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Construct Validation Study, Rebecca Hopkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A rise in the prevalence of students with ASD points to the need for more qualified and effective teachers to meet the needs of this population. Existing research delineates evidence-based practices and teaching standards positively improve educational outcomes for students with ASD. Teacher evaluation systems have the potential to highlight strengths and areas for improvement in special education teaching practices. Research on observation instruments to evaluate the unique skills and knowledge of special education teachers of students with ASD is limited. A need exists for high quality observation instruments to measure teacher performance in special education classrooms serving students with …

Exploring Stress For Novice Teachers' In Low Socio-Economic Elementary Schools Through Breathing Biofeedback, Angelica Fulchini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers who serve children of color in schools that support students from low socio-economic status have turnover rates reported to be as high as 70% (SES; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Numerous approaches to teacher retention in low SES settings have been discussed in the literature (Chester & Beaudin, 1996; Donaldson, 2009; Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Jacob, 2007; McKinney, Haberman, Stafford-Johnson, & Robinson, 2008; McLaurin, Smith, & Smillie, 2009; Siwatu, Frazier, Osaghae, & Starker, 2011; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016; Taylor & Frankenberg, 2009), but the use of emerging biofeedback technology is an unexplored territory. This type of technology could help …

An Examination Of Movement Between Preschool And Kindergarten Classrooms For Young Children With Developmental Disabilities, Faith Ezekiel-Wilder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher in this investigation describes the similarities and differences of movement in preschool and kindergarten classrooms for young children with developmental delay. Through the use of a mixed method research design, the researcher examined how movement is integrated throughout a school day and integrated into teacher-directed mathematics activities. This study used a multiple case study method that included observations of preschool (n = 3) and kindergarten (n = 3) classrooms to determine similarities and differences in movement. In addition, a quantitative measure was embedded within the multiple case study design to compare movement of children with developmental delay. A …

An Analysis Of Choice-Making As A Means To Decrease The Frequency Of Self-Injurious Behaviors In Students With Severe Disabilities, Melanie Olson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This single case multiple baseline research study examined choice-making as a means to decrease the frequency of self-injurious behaviors in six students with severe disabilities. Five males and one female between the ages of 14 and 21 participated in the five-week intervention. The following research questions were addressed: 1) Does the choice-making intervention reduce hitting, biting, and self-injurious behaviors? 2) How much time does the choice-making intervention add to the classroom teacher's preparation? 3) What costs are associated with the choice-making intervention during an average lesson? The choice-making intervention was associated with positive behavioral outcomes for all of the students. …

Symmetry Identified In 2-Dimensional Artwork Compositions Using Visuospatial Ability, Theresa Ferg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the John Langdon Down Foundation A.C. in the La Escuela Mexicana de Arte Down school in Mexico City D.F., Mexico, art students with Trisomy 21 display the use of a mathematical construct in the painting compositions of their artworks. The mathematical construct is a type of symmetry and it carries a positive affect. This is important because there have been no studies that have investigated the use of the symmetry in the artwork compositions of persons with Down syndrome. The geometric construction of the artwork compositions follows the artistic principle of the Rule of Three and the division of …

Applied Software Tools For Supporting Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Ahmad Abualsamid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored the level of technology utilization in supporting children with cognitive disabilities at schools, speech clinics, and with assistive communication at home. Anecdotal evidence, literature research, and our own survey of special needs educators in Central Florida reveal that use of technology is minimal in classrooms for students with special needs even when scientific research has shown the effectiveness of video modeling in teaching children with special needs new skills and behaviors. Research also shows that speech and language therapists utilize a manual approach to elicit and analyze language samples from children with special needs. While technology is utilized …

Implementing Gameplay Skills To Increase Eye Contact And Communication For Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorder And Comorbid Disabilities, Celestial Wills-Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of gameplay activities using a structured social skills program to increase both eye contact responses and the number of verbal responses during peer relationships for students with comorbid disabilities in a clinical setting. This SEL intervention was modified for children with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD). A single-subject, multiple-baseline, across-participants design was used. Participants included adolescents (n = 6) with comorbid disabilities, predominantly ASD and EBD, their board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA), and six behavior technicians. The researcher established and maintained face-to-face reciprocal peer social engagements (communication) …