Education Commons^™

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 …

Inclusive Classrooms: From Access To Engagement

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Ability To Teach In Inclusive Classrooms, Matthew T. Vancleef

Education: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The number of students with special needs participating in general education classrooms has increased dramatically in the past two decades. Despite this growth, colleges and universities across the United States still neglect to teach general education teacher candidates about inclusive practices for their respective content areas. Inclusive practices in education refer to those which seek to include students with special needs – mild or profound – in the general education classroom, curriculum, and experience. Inclusive practices are required by federal law. As a result, a master’s research project was developed wherein general education teachers at a south-central Pennsylvania middle school …

The Power Of Creation: Critical Imagination In The Honors Classroom, Jennie Woodard

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

The article examines how to incorporate issues of social justice and diversity in the honors classroom through critical imagination. Inclusion and diversity are among the five strategic pillars of honors education, but the challenge is to create space for social justice as an academic inquiry. This article describes an honors project where students were tasked to come up with their own concept for a television show, using their imagination to bridge gaps in representations on television. Critical imagination allowed the students to move beyond analyzing television in its current state and conceptualize what more inclusive television could look like in …

Diversity & Inclusion Update - Spring 2019, Office Of Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Update

The Spring 2019 newsletter discusses ongoing campus initiatives to facilitate diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Topics discussed include: The First Generation Campaign; the growth of Latinx house; faculty training around diversity and inclusion in teaching; the Trustee-led advisory group on the new campus renaming policy; the development of "Breathe Gettysburg"; the continued development of "Our Voices", which will be replacing the Vagina Monologues; as well as continuing to address concerns from the Campus Climate Study.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Equity In Stem: Utilizing Student Experience To Better Inform Policy And Practice, Natasha Hessami

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

As women and people of color continue to pursue higher education and other advanced degrees, the STEM field consistently lags behind in diverse representation and leadership. There is a critical need to address the structural barriers marginalized groups face to accessing and succeeding in STEM and invest both time and money into innovative student-centered solutions. This project outlines the development of the CSE Student Ambassador program and implementation recommendations, the development and presentation of seminars focused on equity in the Biology and Chemistry departments, and general recommendations for faculty to make classroom and lab spaces more inclusive.

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) …

The Coexistence Plan At A Secondary School: Analysis Based On The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Gustavo González-Calvo, David Hortigüela-Alcalá, Alejandra Hernando-Garijo, Ángel Pérez-Pueyo

The Qualitative Report

The main objective of this research is to analyse the Plan for Coexistence at a Spanish Secondary School and its implementation from the perspective of an inclusive model of school management. Beginning with a theoretical review of different national and international contributions centred on inclusive education and the improvement of school coexistence, we have chosen a qualitative methodology that will enable us to listen and to give a voice to the main members of the school community: students and teachers. We show how the Citizenship Plan follows an inclusive focus, enhancing the participation of the whole community in the different …

Prek Special Education Inclusion Practices In Maine: An Exploratory Study Of Three Districts, Janet C. Fairman, Amy F. Johnson

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

The question of how to best meet the social and emotional needs of PreK students in Maine has been a legislative focus in recent years, including two attempts to convene legislative task forces to restructure the provision of special education services for children aged 3 to 5. This Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) study sought to address the research gap on PreK special education inclusion. Specifically, this study sought to learn more about current practices and views regarding the inclusion of special education students in public PreK programs, what challenges schools and teachers face in serving these children, and …

‘It’S A Challenge’: Post Primary Physical Education Teachers’ Experiences Of And Perspectives On Inclusive Practice With Students With Disabilities, Ona Mcgrath, Susan Crawford, Dan O'Sullivan

Publications

Internationally, several studies have indicated insufficient emphasis on the theory and practice of inclusion in relation to disability, in both initial teacher education and continuing professional development programmes for Physical Education (PE) teachers. This has resulted in some negative attitudes and perceived lack of competency among teachers in relation to inclusive practices in PE. There is a lack of in-depth studies in this regard from an Irish perspective. This current study sought to explore seven PE teachers’ experiences and perspectives in relation to the inclusion of students with disabilities in four post primary schools using a multiple case study design. …

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 Comparison Of Sampling Approaches For Monitoring Schoolwide Inclusion Program Fidelity, Hank S. Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Including students with disabilities requires schoolwide interventions that are implemented with fidelity (adherence). Collection of fidelity data may become problematic when multiple evidence-based treatments exist in one setting. To address concerns around efficiency of data collection, this study hypothesized that the three sampling approaches (proportional, consensus, stratified random) provided similar levels of agreement with an expert rater, thus warranting the differentiation in their applications based on the needs of the evaluators. Three high schools were randomly assigned to one of three sampling approaches (i.e., proportional, consensus, stratified random) to complete a fidelity measure for the implementation of a schoolwide inclusion …

A Comparison Of Sampling Approaches For Monitoring Schoolwide Inclusion Program Fidelity, Hank Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Including students with disabilities requires schoolwide interventions that are implemented with fidelity (adherence). Collection of fidelity data may become problematic when multiple evidence-based treatments exist in one setting. To address concerns around efficiency of data collection, this study hypothesized that the three sampling approaches (proportional, consensus, stratified random) provided similar levels of agreement with an expert rater, thus warranting the differentiation in their applications based on the needs of the evaluators. Three high schools were randomly assigned to one of three sampling approaches (i.e., proportional, consensus, stratified random) to complete a fidelity measure for the implementation of a schoolwide inclusion …

The History Of Latino Students At The University Of Kentucky, 1865-2019, Daniela Gamez Salgado

Oswald Research and Creativity Competition

The purpose of this research project, prompted by the Office for Institutional Diversity, was to comprehensively collect the first draft of the history of Latino students at the University of Kentucky from 1865 through 2019. Digital and physical archival research, participant observation, and interviews were conducted in the process of understanding and analyzing the evolution of this historically underserved community. The extensive implications of this collection will serve as a formalized foundation that will further indicate the changing needs of the Latino community on campus. This collection of history also legitimizes the experiences of students of Latin American descent at …

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 …

Critical Elements Of Effective Co-Teaching In The K-12 Classroom, Julie M. Gaffney

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is a common and significant practice that pairs a special education teacher with a general education teacher for the purpose of enhancing the education of all students. In addition to giving students with special needs access to the content of general education classes, all students get the social benefits of being closer to their peers. Since the introduction of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) (1997), methods of inclusion for special education students have taken center stage. Teachers and administrators are experiencing the benefits and challenges of this relatively new but successful concept. Research is plentiful but there is …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2018-2019, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Christina Buckles, Trisha Burr, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Beth Hillemann, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Virginia Moran, Louann Terveer, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of Macalester's DeWitt Wallace Library activities for 2018-2019.

Theme: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Increasing Self-Efficacy In Providing Inclusive Practices To Students With Diverse Learning Needs, Teresa K. Nagy

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was designed to determine if teachers in an elementary school in South Suburban School District in Chicago, Illinois increased their self-efficacy as it relates to serving students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment after receiving professional development. The study began with a historical review of students with disabilities and the current requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Reauthorization Act of 2004. Educational systems within the United States are required to provide services to students with diverse learning needs in the least restrictive environment. These supports are most commonly referred to as inclusive practices. …

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 …

Teacher Beliefs About Providing Instruction For Gifted Students In Inclusive Mathematics Classrooms, Carrie Lynn Kizuka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kindergarten - Grade 12 (K-12) students identified as gifted in mathematics in the United States are not being appropriately challenged. Teachers are the most important school-related factor that contributes to student success; however, researchers have not explored the experiences of teachers who work with gifted students in inclusive mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of K-12 teachers who provide instruction for gifted students in inclusive mathematics classrooms. Bandura's social cognitive theory framed the study. Interview data were collected from 12 teachers who provide mathematics instruction for gifted students in inclusive …

Elementary Teachers' Perceived Professional Learning Needs For The Inclusive Classroom, Laurel Taylor Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of U.S. federal policy directives mandating inclusion, general education teachers in a rural elementary school in southern Maine were expected to be effective in working in inclusive classrooms with learners with diverse needs; however, teachers were meeting the mandates for inclusion but their students were not meeting the state's annual progress targets. The purpose of this project study was to explore teachers' perceptions of their readiness and needs for professional learning to work with diverse learners in the inclusive classroom. The research questions centered on teachers' beliefs, specific to their preparation and their needs and preferred mode …

The Collaboration Experiences Of Elementary School Intervention Specialists In Inclusive Classroom Settings, Donisha Noel Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaboration is one of the most significant components of inclusive education, according to professional literature. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of intervention specialists in terms of collaboration with general education teachers in elementary school inclusive classrooms and administrative support of collaboration. The collaboration and the community of practice theories were used for the conceptual framework in this study to understand how collaboration is an ongoing interaction between people to achieve a common goal. Research questions were designed to understand the perceptions of intervention specialists who work in inclusive classrooms regarding collaboration and administrative support by …

Creating A Task-Analysis For Teaching Emergent Literacy Skills To Students With Autism, Joshua N. Baker, Christopher Rivera, Stephanie M. Devine, Lee Mason

Department of Elementary and Special Education Faculty Publications

This article provides six fundamental steps for using a task analysis to teach emergent literacy skills to young learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to general education peers, students with ASD score lower on reading measures and often have difficulty acquiring literacy skills via the instruction methods used in typical classrooms. An effective instructional technique for many students with ASD is systematic instruction via task analysis. Task analysis may be a useful tool for teachers of students with ASD to build literacy skills by aligning instruction in missing skills to the curriculum standards. The steps to consider when using …

Exploring The Impact Of Diversity Training On The Development And Application Of Cultural Competence Skills In Higher Education Professionals, Kendra Cabler

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years the terms diversity and inclusion have become major buzzwords across industries and fields of study. Within the field of education broadly, and higher education in particular, a shifting student demographic can be seen across the country. Issues of equity and inclusion have become central complexities for present day educational strategists, and organizations committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion must do so with intentionality. In the context of higher education, this often requires the intentional development of professionals within a particular college or university. There has been a great deal of research concerning the development of cultural …

Eighth-Grade Teachers' And Students' Experiences With Ipads In Math Inclusion Classes, Sitembiso Maduma Ncube

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although educators have embraced technology in mathematics inclusion classrooms, students with math learning disabilities (MLD) still have anxiety and negative attitudes about mathematics and score lower than their counterparts. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to investigate and describe the experiences of middle school 8th grade inclusion iPad math app users. The technological pedagogical content knowledge model, the universal design for learning model, and the experiential learning theory provided the conceptual framework of technology integration. The research questions addressed the experiences of middle school inclusion teachers and students with MLD regarding iPad use in a Common Core …