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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

The Gifted Transition: A Phenomenological Case Study Examination Of Preparation Strategies Utilized By General Education Inclusion Teachers, Jawan Brown Alexander

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation

If the United States is going to remain globally relevant and competitive with other nations, educational leaders should consider investing in their brightest students. According to the National Association for Gifted Students (2018), education officials are not investing in gifted education at the same rate or to the same extent that they are financing other areas of special education. Public education policy provides special needs learners with required instructional support and accommodation through mandatory supplemental funding; however, gifted students on the other end of the special education spectrum, also requiring and benefiting from intervention and accommodation, do not receive the …

Co-Teaching As A Vehicle To Inclusion In A Diverse Suburban Middle School: A Case Study, Luis Correa

Dissertations

Many school districts across the United States have adopted, or are considering adopting, full inclusion to meet academic and social-emotional needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Co-teaching has become a popular approach for districts committed to inclusion. This study is about a Midwestern school district which more than 10 years ago committed itself to inclusion and co-teaching. The primary research question was: How do we make co-teaching more effective in the Fairview School District? A survey was sent to 120 co-teachers from three middle schools about their experiences with co-teaching in the areas of sharing responsibilities, co-teaching relationships, planning time, …

Student Perspective On Accessing Accommodations In The General Education Classroom, Whitney Long

Education | Master's Theses

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are to be provided accommodations that allow them to access the curriculum in inclusionary classroom. Research shows that many general education teachers are not properly trained in supporting students with disabilities, are provided with limited time and resources to plan differentiated curriculum, and in turn develop poor teacher efficacy and a negative attitude towards the inclusion setting. These challenges indicate that some students may not be accessing the general education curriculum. The limitation with current research is that it fails to gain the student perspective on their ability …

The Effect Of Classwide Peer Tutoring On The Skill Performance And Fitness Levels Of Students With Disabilities In An Elementary Physical Education Inclusion Class, Christopher Farrell

Theses and Dissertations

This single subject study used an ABAB research design to investigate the effect of classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) on the skill performance and fitness levels of students with disabilities. Data was collected from nine students with disabilities who are members of a fourth grade physical education inclusion class. During the baseline phases of this study, students received instruction through whole-class direct instruction provided by the physical education teacher. During the intervention phases of this study, students participated in CWPT sessions. Skill performance in this study was determined through students demonstrating skill cues while shooting towards a target. Fitness levels were …

Understanding The Co-Teaching Experience Of Teachers: Negotiating Choice And Efficacy, Mary A. Garofalo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Co-teaching, a main strategy of the inclusionary movement, has been widely researched over the last 25 years. Although there is much research in the way of student outcomes and best practices, the research on teachers’ perceptions of co-teaching on the secondary level is non-existent. Although all of the research on best practices of co-teaching suggests that voluntary participation and choice of partner is important when implementing a co-teaching program, school administration tend to veer away from giving teachers a choice due to scheduling or financial constraints.

Using qualitative, case-study research methods, including teacher and administrative interviews, survey and field observations, …

The Attitudes Of Secondary School Teachers Regarding Inclusion Of Students With Autism In Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Al Jaffal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school teachers’ attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, students with ASD can attend regular education classrooms, especially in elementary and middle schools. In addition, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is interested in the inclusion of students with ASD in secondary schools. Since the attitudes of secondary school teachers toward inclusion of students with ASD have not been examined, it was important to look at the attitudes of these teachers towards the inclusion of students with ASD so …

Perceptions Of Coaching Students Students With Disabilities, Cassidy Feiler

Honors Projects

This paper’s purpose is to talk to future coaches about the idea of athletic inclusion, as well as their related questions, ideas, and issues surrounding the topic of students with disabilities being on school sponsored sports teams. To conduct this research, the interviewer set out a mass email through a university application to encourage interested participants to take part in face to face interviews. Based off these interviews, the interviewer, with the help of a Graduate Assistant, created transcriptions for future reference. Based off of prior research, conducting interviews, and creating transcriptions, the interviewer was able to come up with …

Inclusion And Racial Diversity Curriculum In Preschools, Vanessa Sanchez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Preschool aged children begin to observe the things that makes individuals different in the world around them. Teachers have the opportunity to teach children the importance of recognizing the differences and accepting towards others who are racially different. Lessons around racial diversity will help children extend their knowledge about others and help develop positive attitudes towards racial diversity . To address the need for preschool aged children to learn about diversity in a positive way, I created a 3 day lesson plan about racial diversity executed at CSUMB child care center.

Inclusion In Physical Education, Taylor Thompson-Hall

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Cross-age peer tutoring will be used to help create an inclusion setting for students with and without disabilities. The participants for the capstone project included five fifth graders and five students with special needs that are in grades first to third. The site the research was conducted at is an elementary school located in Seaside, California. Fifth graders were trained on how to be an effective tutor in order to be able to help the special need students increase their motor performance by teaching them how to throw a ball overhand. The research found that cross-age peer tutoring was an …

Removing Stigma Around Disabilities In The Classroom: The History And Benefits Of Inclusive Education, Kasandra Scourbys

Senior Theses

The right to an equal education for students with disabilities is not something that has been available to all children until recently. In 1975, the passing of Public Law 94-142 started the movement of social justice and inclusion for all people with diverse learning abilities to receive equal access to an education. This law has been restructured and is currently known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). Through this law, there are a growing number of students with disabilities (physical, learning, and intellectual) who are being placed in the least restrictive environment and spend most, if not all, …

Improving Inclusion Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Narrative Inquiry, Kylie Damico

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to engage in narrative inquiry to explore teacher self-efficacy of inclusion teachers in a classroom where teachers may have low sense of teacher self-efficacy. Two special education teachers who have experienced challenges in co-teaching in the regular classrooms explored pre-conferencing with the general education teacher before class and reflecting with the general education teacher after the class period to try and increase teacher self-efficacy. They met regularly throughout the study and discussed their sense of teacher self-efficacy as it relates to the techniques explored and completed the Teaching Students with Disabilities Scale. The …

White Faculty Perceptions Of Diversity And Diversity Work, Ariane Hutchins-Newman

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education has become increasingly diverse over the past 100 years. Women and people of color have integrated and, in many cases, assimilated into the academy. However, not all groups have gained access equally. While certain groups, such as women, have experienced measurable growth, African Americans have lagged in their presence within the academy. Representation of Black scholars in the faculty has been constant over a nearly 20-year period. Black faculty comprised 5% of the faculty in 1998 and 6% of the faculty in 2015. Colleges and universities dedicate significant resources to diversity and inclusion. However, there continues to be …

Utilizing The Universal Design For Learning Model To Improve Educational Environments In Secondary Inclusive Classrooms, Robyn A. Delahunt

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This purpose of this case study was to explore the potential reasons why secondary teachers are resistant to working in inclusive programs, as well as to discover barriers to inclusion so that those obstacles can be addressed and rectified by those who make meaningful, relevant, and holistic educational changes, leading to improved classroom experiences for all parties within inclusive settings. The pre-research prediction that barriers to inclusion revolve around instructional differentiation, increased responsibilities, and additional work load were correct as they relate to the teacher identified obstacles of lack of support and lack of training, with most participants agreeing that …

Teacher Perception Of Inclusion: A Daunting Task Or Welcome Challenge, Anna Kirsten Gryskiewicz

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Approximately one-third of school-age children have been identified as students with learning disabilities. As a result, teachers are confronted with the challenge of providing quality instruction to students with diverse learning needs. Challenges and benefits abound in the inclusive classroom. Therefore, the study, considered quantitative, non-experimental, and survey research in nature, explored variables that influence teacher perception and participant-perceived satisfaction of inclusion. The cross-national study consisted of 112 participants hailing from public and private schools in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Differentiated instruction, social skills development, pre-service preparedness, and classroom culture represented the most statistically significant correlates in predicting …

Autism And Inclusion In England’S Multi Academy Trust: A Case Study Of A Senior Leadership Team, Danielle Lane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explore how the senior leadership team at an Academy Trust in England understands and operationalizes inclusion, particularly for pupils whose learning profile includes autism. England’s policies regarding inclusion appear to focus on the placement of pupils with disabilities in the mainstream provision; however, the Academy Trust, a specialist provision, suggests their school is inclusive. Gaining insight into the senior leadership team’s understandings and operationalization of inclusion will provide further understandings of inclusion in Multi Academy Trusts that are specialist provisions. In this study, I examine the understandings of eight members of a senior leadership team at …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Restorative Justice, Care, Inclusion, And Disability: A Phen[Women]Ological Study, Jennifer Hull

Dissertations

In the State of Illinois, changes are taking effect related to classroom culture and educational policy is moving from “safe schools/zero tolerance” policies to restorative justice practices. Through a feminist disability studies lens, the focus of this a phen[women]ological study of the lived experiences of six educators from two different schools in Illinois and their perceptions of restorative justice, care, inclusion, and disability was to ask: How are educators making sense of restorative justice practices? What are the implications for students with disabilities? Five topics of significance surfaced, including (a) caring; (b) restorative justice and inclusion; (c) impact of technology; …

A Study Of Identity Issues That Affect Clergy Leadership On Lgbtq Inclusion, James Jeffrey Butcher

All Theses And Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes how the leadership decisions of thirty local church Protestant clergy in Virginia were influenced by personal, organizational, and cultural identity issues on matters related to homosexuality or LGBTQ inclusion. Self-understanding of identity issues affected clergy practice of biblical and theological interpretations on topics that include: purity, inclusion, same-sex marriage, ordination of LGBTQ persons, denominational loyalty, local church loyalty, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and transformative leadership. The researcher used semi-structured phenomenological interviews with seven focus groups and seven individual follow-up interviews. The researcher explored the process by which clergy construct their identities, while noting the resulting leadership strategies …

Inclusion In International Schools: Achieving Academic Excellence And Education For All, Marla Starr Hall

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion of students with diverse learning profiles is a rapidly growing trend, yet no research exists on the implementation of inclusive programming in international schools. As diversity becomes more important in the globalized world and it becomes more important to equip all students with job skills for the modern age, international schools will need to provide effective and efficient programming for a wide variety of learning profiles. At the same time, international schools must provide students with a high-quality academic education that yields top measurable results in order to ensure that their students remain competitive in an ever more competitive …