Education Commons^™

Effective Instructional Strategies In Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect Of Active And Passive Engagement On Concept Learning And Opportunity To Learn, Christy Mikolaj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study focused on the effect of active engagement on opportunity to learn and concept learning among sixth grade special education students participating in the inclusion mathematical setting. By implementing two instructional strategies and using the theoretical frameworks of Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism and Erikson’s Stage of Psychosocial Development of Industry vs. Inferiority, findings showed there was a significant negative relationship between active engagement time during instruction and concept learning. The study showed students with identified needs within an inclusion mathematics setting increased concept learning in both instructional classrooms. Therefore, there was no difference in concept learning …

A Survey Of Teacher Attitude Regarding Self-Awareness And Inclusive Education Of Special Education Students, Brooke Parvi

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Self-awareness is not something that develops individually or in solitude. Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2019) defines self-awareness as, “an awareness of one's own personality or individuality.” Schools have started to increase their understanding of the relevance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and have been progressively providing more training in this area to their teachers. Inclusion happens when students with disabilities to mingle and learn with typically developing students; learn from each other and experiencing social expectations together. Research has indicated that students with learning and behavior disabilities lack social and emotional skills, specifically self-awareness skills.

In this study, educators were …

Perceptions Of Educators Teaching Inclusion Classes In An Urban Secondary Environment, Nicole Bellomo

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

School systems across the United States have integrated students with disabilities into the general education classroom creating an inclusive environment where general and special education students can learn side by side. Within the inclusion classroom, general education and special education teachers collaborate to design and implement instruction for all student learners. Therefore, it is critical to understand the attitudes of general and special education teachers and reveal the factors that influence the beliefs they hold regarding the inclusion classroom. The beliefs held by inclusion teachers are a crucial factor to the success of students with disabilities in the inclusion setting …

The Impact Of A Hybrid Professional Development On Teacher Instructional Strategies: A Study Of The Integration Of Google Read And Write To Improve Instructional Practices, Amanda Mae Ratkovitch

Theses and Dissertations

Classrooms today are becoming more diverse and students with disabilities are being included more within the general education setting. Therefore, teachers need to continue to develop their instructional practices to be able to support such a diverse population of students. Assistive tech-nology is one way that teachers are able to meet the needs of their students. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence a hybrid professional development had on urban educators use of assistive technology within their classrooms. The professional development included four sixty-minute face to face sessions where teachers learned the principles of Universal Design for …

Queer Students’ Perceptions Of Inclusion At Abc Community College: A Phenomenology, Francis Canedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of Queer students at ABC Community College. Using phenomenology as its guiding framework, transcribed interviews were analyzed in order to seek the phenomenon of the experience. Examination of the literature suggested that Queer students’ experiences of discrimination could have a negative impact on academic achievement and that inclusive and affirming spaces have the opposite effect.

Further, Queer students search for affirming spaces from their faculty and peers, and the engagement these spaces provide may be good prognosticator academic achievement. When students are provided with inclusive spaces, they may be more likely to come …

Campus Recreation Inclusion For People With Disabilities: A Qualitative Investigation Of Current Inclusive Practices., Tyler C. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the current practices of campus recreation professionals to create inclusive campus recreation programs, services, and facilities. The researcher identified twelve campus recreation programs known by their peers and the industry to be at the forefront of providing inclusion efforts to people with disabilities. Through in-depth discussions with campus recreation practitioners at the twelve identified institutions, the investigation elicited a variety of interesting results. Utilizing the frameworks of Critical Disability Theory and Universal Design, this investigation identified how campus recreation practitioners perceive the inclusiveness of their campus recreation departments and how the campus recreation practitioners developed their inclusive …

Pre-Service Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion In The Classroom, Anna F. Landis

Ramifications

A survey was conducted of students at West Chester University regarding their attitudes toward inclusion. The study was based upon previous studies by Margevica, Tubele, Bolton, Doan, & McGinley (2017) that examined Latvian students’ attitudes toward inclusion. Deng (2008) created a survey that examined the attitudes of educators in China towards inclusion. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2016), 95 percent of 6- to 21-year-old students with disabilities are served in general education school settings. The survey was administered to declared education majors, undergraduate and graduate, who were in attendance to randomly selected classes that represented a range …

Inverse Inclusion: Transforming Dispositions Of Disability And Inclusion, Angela M. Laporte

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

Inverse inclusion, a novel pedagogy, transforms preservice teachers’ dispositions about disability and inclusion during an action research study of two university intercession service learning course collaborations with a community-based art program for disabled adults (clients). In this approach, university students (preservice teachers) rotate and reflect on roles as student, teacher, teacher’s assistant, and observer within an inclusive art class. Among these rotations, the student position relinquishes their hierarchical perspective as teacher, assistant, and observer, and situates them as a collaborative learner, conducive to building egalitarian relationships with clients. Based on qualitative data from university student participants in the form …

Womxn: An Evolution Of Identity, Ash D. Kunz

Summit to Salish Sea: Inquiries and Essays

Environmental Education is situated firmly in the hegemony of White, settler-colonial, capitalistic, able-bodied and –minded, heteronormative, patriarchal society. Individuals whose identity does not conform to this dominant metanarrative are excluded from and marginalized by “othering”. Trauma and violence are commonplace in society against Indigenous peoples, Black and Latinx folx and People of Color, womxn, people with disabilities, people in the LGBTQIA+ community, and all minoritized identities. That history of trauma, coupled with social and physical isolation can lead to mental and emotional struggles that negatively impact personal wellbeing. A lack of wellbeing, in turn can lead to or further depression. …

Leading Through Ambiguity: A Phenomenological Examination Of Chief Diversity Officers, Shawn L. Washington

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the experiences of chief diversity officers (CDOs) with leading through ambiguity in their roles. It is critical to provide support and structure to senior-level administrators leading diversity efforts at colleges and universities. “Ambiguity,” for the purposes of my study and main research question, relates to a CDO’s experience with an ill-defined organizational structure that governs their role. A qualitative phenomenological study was employed to document the experiences of 14 CDOs in higher education. Open-ended interviews facilitated capturing the essence of the lived experiences of CDOs leading despite the ambiguity in their …

How Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes And Perceptions Of Students With Disabilities Influence Inclusion In Career And Technical Education Courses, Theresa M. Cortney

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated how the attitudes and perceptions of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers toward students with disabilities influenced inclusion in CTE courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how positive or negative experiences of CTE teachers toward students with disabilities impacted the number of students accessing CTE courses. Fifteen high school CTE teachers, along with a focus group of six high school CTE teachers were interviewed. Results of this study revealed that despite positive attitudes toward inclusion in CTE courses, CTE teachers felt unsupported by special education and reported they felt CTE was being …

Local Student Activist Participates In Portland Ice Protests, Leela Stockley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

In mid-October, it was announced by the city of Portland, Maine that the city would be opening an office to house United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new office will be located on the fourth floor of One City Center, and officials say that the office will be actively focusing on crimes related to human trafficking, child exploitation, transnational drug trafficking and transnational terrorism rather than illegal immigration and deportation efforts.

Including Autism: Confronting Inequitable Practices In A Toddler Classroom, Emmanuelle N. Fincham, Amanda R. Fellner

Occasional Paper Series

As co-teachers in a toddler room, we share a personal narrative about our experiences working with a child diagnosed with autism while in our care. Framed within the competing discourses of the medicalized perspective on disability and the individual, child-centered philosophies of early childhood education, we investigate the inequities we felt in the classroom and make connections to the field of early childhood inclusive education at large.

Diversity & Inclusion Update – Fall 2019, Office Of Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Update

This Fall 2019 newsletter discusses ongoing campus initiatives to facilitate diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Topics discussed include the newly introduced Presidential Student Advisory Group, the First Scholars program for first generation students, the new ability to self-select pronouns for class rosters, and the creation of Hera's Closet.

Revalidating An Instrument To Gain Insights Into Changing Attitudes Towards Teaching All Students, Jess L. Gregory, Lori A. Noto

NERA Conference Proceedings 2019

The educational landscape has changed and with it the expectations for general education teachers. Teachers must meet students’ increasingly diverse and complex educational needs. The paper explores the role of ego as one of many possible reasons the ATTAS-mm instrument measures attitudes differently now from its original validation study in 2012.

Building An Inclusive Library Through Staff Accessibility Training, K.T. L. Vaughan

Libraries

Libraries provide a needed third place for students to engage with their peers and faculty, both academically and socially. Staff behavior, knowledge, and skills in providing an accessible and inclusive environment are key to helping students with disabilities feel that they belong in the libraries. This makes training in disability and accessibility awareness a necessary component of the overall program for the library. This study assessed a locally-developed, online training program for staff of all levels that was intended to improve staff knowledge and skills in disability etiquette, library services and spaces that support people with disabilities, and the policies …

The Prevalence And Importance Of Ethnic Diversity In Children’S Literature, Rose Schewe

Senior Honors Theses

Despite the complicated past of ethnic censorship, ethnic diversity has a prominent role in children’s literature published in the United States because diversity is accurately representative of the culture in which today’s young readers live. Children’s literature has advanced in terms of ethnic diversity in recent decades, but obstacles that prevent the stories of various minority groups from being told continue to exist. In order for all children to feel properly included in the literary world, children must be given the opportunity to see both people who are different from them as well as people who bear similarities to themselves …

Using Assistive Technology Tools To Support Learning In The Inclusive Preschool Classroom, Marla J. Lohmann, Katrina A. Hovey, Ariane N. Gauvreau, Johanna P. Higgins

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

For over a century, early childhood experts have discussed the importance of play for young children’s growth and development. Play is critical for the development of young children as it increases learning (Barton, 2015), supports young children in gaining social and communication skills (Dennis & Stockall, 2015), and leads to social awareness and empathy skills (Brown, 2009). However, for young children with disabilities, accessing play and social interactions can prove to be challenging (Fallon & MacCobb, 2013). In order to support preschoolers with disabilities in learning through play, the authors recommend the use of assistive technologies (AT) for (a) communication, …

Towards Intercultural Understanding And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Building An Internationally Minded School, Meaghan Higginson

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

As an International Baccalaureate school in a diverse Canadian city, Welton Academy’s (pseudonym) vision is to be a world-class, academic school with a focus on shaping students into globally minded, engaged citizens. The demographics of the school are changing, as the student body is becoming increasingly more ethnically diverse. Currently, one of the school’s strategic missions is focused on international mindedness. Although the school’s vision to promote international mindedness includes global engagement and multilingualism, the area of intercultural understanding is not identified. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores a Problem of Practice (PoP) that highlights the need to develop intercultural …

Politics, Inclusion, And Social Practice, Ronjaunee Chatterjee, Amy Wong

Amy Wong

"In the wake of the American election, Elaine Hadley’s 'Closing Remarks' from v21’s b2o issue—that we are writing, living, and teaching in a 'critical moment, some might even say a survivalist moment' in which 'the power of positive psychology does not seem adequate to the times'—appear chilling in their urgency. Hadley cautions against a pleasure and optimism largely disengaged from feminist and class critiques, as well as from what she calls 'Politics with a big P.'"

~article excerpt~

Co-Teaching: A Win-Win Situation For All, Kimberly Watson

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Eleven studies looking at the benefits of co-teaching for everyone involved, including all students, teachers, and administration. Also, the key strategies to consider to have a successful co-teaching experience.

A Comparison Of Eighth Grade General Education Students’ Ela Scores In Co-Teaching And Regular Classrooms, Deborah Cecilia Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal comparative, ex post facto quantitative study compared the Georgia Milestones English Language Arts (ELA) scores of 8th-grade general education students taught in a co-teaching classroom compared with scores of students taught in a regular classroom. The research focused on a comparison of the academic performance of two groups on statewide standardized assessments in ELA over 2 consecutive years, 2017 and 2018. The study contributes to the limited research regarding student achievement of general education students in co-teaching classrooms. This study was based on Vygotsky’s social development theory. The research questions examined the differences in the academic performance of …

A Study Of The Collaborative Strategies Of General Education And Special Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom In An Urban High School, Angela Mcdougall

Theses and Dissertations

This study expands on prior research on the benefits and strategies implemented in an inclusion classroom with the general education and special education teacher in an urban high school. The collaborative strategies that both teachers implement are critical to ensure a high level of instruction delivery to the special education students and the general education students that are placed together in the inclusion classroom. The general education teacher and the special education teacher both have their respective roles in the inclusion classroom.

General education teachers, ICS (in class support) and special education teachers who instruct in self-contained classrooms were interviewed …

Equipping Special Needs Ministries In The Church And/Or School, Leah Van Tol

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Inclusion of children, teens, and adults with various disabilities within religious settings, private schools, and church is less common than that of a public school or work environment. Inclusion reaches far beyond just invitations to events or places, it requires physical adaptations, attitude changes, and/or environmental changes. This review of literature provides a leader or educator with relevant research as well as how to start an inclusive religious program. It discusses how to include these individuals within the church setting as well as what the role of said leader or educator could or should be. It also provides numerous teaching …

Benefits And Disadvantages Of Inclusion In An Elementary School Setting, Christina Sieber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students who receive special education services must be educated in the least restrictive setting. Inclusion in the general education classroom for students with special needs has become a controversial topic among educators and parents. The purpose of this literature review is to determine the benefits and disadvantages of an inclusive educational placement for elementary students with significant special needs. After an examination of the literature on inclusion, data will be shared to determine the possible benefits and disadvantages of a fully inclusive placement for students with significant special needs. The literature review will also provide an analysis of the research …

Examining The Perspectives Of Elementary Education Teachers Prepared Through Traditional And Dual License Programs, Kelly A. Swindlehurst Ph.D., Colby T. Kervick Ed.D, Katharine G. Shepherd Ed.D

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Preparing classroom teachers to work with students with diverse learning needs is a challenge that has been well documented by the literature. Earning a dual license in general and special education has been posited as one possible solution to this challenge. This paper reports on a qualitative study that examined the differences between dually licensed and traditionally prepared educators with regards to their self-efficacy and ideas about inclusion. Findings suggest that teachers who earn a dual license in general education and special education may have a stronger sense of self-efficacy as well as a stronger skill set for working with …

Is It Enough? Challenges Generalizing Social Skills Gains Into Community Settings, Taylor William Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Group social skills training (GSST) is an important intervention approach to help children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to find more success in social engagement and inclusion. However, there is a lack of research using direct behavioral observations, especially in generalization of acquired skills to settings other than the treatment setting. We provided social skills training to 25 adolescents with ASD using a curriculum shown to have positive effects (the UCLA PEERS® curriculum). We also administered the Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP) and Social Communication Questionnaire – Current (SCQ-Current) to the parents of participants before and after the …

Addressing The Needs Of High School English Learners Through Inclusion In General Education Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study Of A Midwestern Metropolitan Public School District, Amanda Levos

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

English Learners (EL) and those students’ redesignated language proficient, or more accurately described as emergent bilingual or multilingual learners; make up a significant subset of the student population of high schools throughout the country. ELs may be vulnerable to academic failure in core academic subject areas due to limited language proficiency and potential gaps in formal education. Every school district creates a continuum of services to educate students at various levels of English language acquisition, which more than likely will include inclusion in the general education classroom. The challenge for districts is ensuring that general education teachers have the knowledge, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Teachers’ Experiences With Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning And Adjusting To Inclusion: Impacts Of The Home And School Collaboration, Chana S. Josilowski, Wendy Morris

The Qualitative Report

Although inclusive classrooms provide unique opportunities for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), these students face barriers during the initial transition from self-contained classrooms (Sanahuja-Gavaldà, Olmos-Rueda, & Morón-Velasco, 2016). The purpose of this qualitative, generic study was to identify how home and school collaboration impacted the transition and adjustment of students with ASD to an inclusive setting. Using a generic qualitative methodology, we collected data from 16 teachers who responded to a series of open-ended questions about their experiences with parental engagement during the transition to inclusion for students with ASD. Three themes emerged; teachers indicated that when parents and …

“When You Don't Believe Something Is Real, You Can't Actually Advocate For Or Support It”: Trans* Inclusion In K-12 Schools, Susan W. Woolley

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

Drawing on interviews, ethnographic observations, and survey data, the author examines the ways teachers, administrators, and policy makers conceptualize and influence school environments for students of all genders. This article engages queer studies in education and disability theory to analyze the inclusion of trans* students in schools. Looking at the implementation of the New York City Department of Education’s Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Student Guidelines in K-12 schools, the author questions how we can understand and address the gap between educational practice and policy to create schools that are inclusive of trans* students. How does the denial that transgender and …