Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Leadership And Teacher Agency For Inclusive Classrooms: Insights About Integrating Students With Disabilities Into Inclusive Classrooms From Teachers And School Leaders In Three International Schools, Chad Wood

Dissertations

As international schools continue to flourish, they must consider how to be inclusive and meet the needs not only of multicultural populations of students, but also the needs of students with diagnosed learning difficulties (i.e., students with special needs). Promoting teacher agency is a potentially important component in successfully implementing inclusive practices given that teachers are key actors in the implementation process. Currently, however, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the interconnectedness of teacher agency and inclusion of special needs populations in international schools.

This qualitative research explores the role of school leaders in promoting teacher agency to support the …

A Multi-Site Case Study Examing How Iep Teams Determine The Least Restrictive Placement For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder At The Elementary School Level, Jennifer J. Hull

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive, multi-site case study was to determine the criteria individualized education program (IEP) teams used to find the least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the elementary school level. The theoretical framework of this study was Maslow’s theory of human motivation, which described a hierarchy that should be in place for students to be ready to learn. Knowles’s adult learning theory also guided this study as it described how the adults’ experience shaped their decision-making. I collected data through direct observations, interviews, and focus groups. Utilizing a purposeful …

Special Education Teacher Perspective On Implementation Of Assistive Technology Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Olga Volkov

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of implementing assistive technology with students who have high-incidence disabilities for special education teachers at a large school district. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is one’s belief in one’s capabilities to organize a course of action to achieve a desired outcome. Self-efficacy determines how individuals think, behave, and self-motivate. Previous studies that investigated technology utilization in schools found that teachers’ self-efficacy is one of the key factors in determining and predicting technology integration. The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology as its research methodology. A …

Teachers’ Lived Experiences Nurturing The Development Of Self-Regulated Learning To Address Academic Outcomes For High School Students With Low Reading Achievement: A Phenomenological Study, Kimberly Mazie Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine teachers’ lived experiences nurturing the development of self-regulated learning to address academic outcomes for high school students with low reading achievement. The two conceptual frameworks that guided this study were Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning, derived from Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and Duke and Cartwright’s active view of reading. These frameworks both provided contributing factors of self-regulatory skills for improved learning and reading outcomes. The research method used for this study was qualitative, and the design was transcendental phenomenology. Using the qualitative method gave a voice to the participants’ lived experiences. It …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities And Their Participation In Postsecondary Job Training Programs: A Qualitative Study, Jami Vickers Granberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities in an inclusive postsecondary education program. The theories that guided this study are Oliver’s theory on the social model of disability and Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism. This study used a transcendental research design and employed the use of purposeful sampling to select participants who have all experienced the same phenomenon. There were 10 participants who have all had the same experience of attending an inclusive postsecondary education program. The setting took place at P.C.C. in the C.A. program. The central research …

Inclusive Classroom Setting For High School Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders: A Phenomenological Study Of Educators' Experiences, Marvin Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of public high school teachers educating students with emotional behavior disorders (EBDs) in the inclusive classroom setting in the Major County School District. The theory guiding this study was Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory (SDT). SDT was applied to this study to understand the autonomy, competence, and relatedness experiences of teachers. Hermeneutics, meaning interpretive or explanatory, was the application of phenomenological design that was used for this study. This approach focused on the commonality of lived experiences that lay beneath surface awareness which is an interpretive process …

Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of High Attrition Rates Of Special Education Teachers Working With Students Who Have Severe Disabilities Or Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Cara Jo Lord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand why special education teachers who worked with students with severe disabilities or emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced elevated stress levels and burnout, resulting in high attrition and migration rates. The central research question guiding this study was: What were the leading causes of attrition and migration among teachers who taught students with severe disabilities or EBD in separate settings outside the general education population? This study, guided by Maslow's motivation theory, explored attrition factors among 10 special education teachers in the United States who had taught students with …

Challenging Norms, Creating Art: An Anti-Ableist Lens On Visual Arts Education, Alexis Lino

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored the active role of disabled artists in their own descriptions of meaning making through their artistic process, utilizing phenomenological research to examine the lived experiences of intellectually or developmentally disabled and neurodiverse adult artists in the Bay Area. The literary study element of the research strove to understand and employ anti-ableism and constructivism as framing lenses, while also reviewing literature on issues such as access barriers, traditional quality standards in arts education, and the de-emphasis of art within curriculum funding priorities, indicating a need for continued reform toward promoting inclusive and process-oriented art education. With a focus …

Enhancing School Culture Through Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (Pbis) Training And Implementation: Insights From Teacher And Administrator Educators, Grazia Benedetti

Education | Master's Theses

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a comprehensive approach to fostering a positive school environment by supporting social behavior throughout the school community. The goal of PBIS is to enhance both educational and social achievements for all students. Research has indicated that successful implementation of school-wide practices requires initiation that includes administrative engagement, creation of a leadership team, and alignment with the school’s vision and mission (Cook & Odom, 2013). Administrator support and ongoing professional development were crucial for the success of positive behavior interventions. School-wide PBIS, described by Angus and Nelson (2019), was a proactive approach to teaching …

Optimizing Special Education With The Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Briana Sundet

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In our fast-evolving world technology is very quickly becoming an essential part of daily life. Teachers being able to utilize technology in the classroom is going to benefit all students, especially those with disabilities. Through research, case studies, and experiments we have learned how important technology is in the classroom and how much it enriches lessons, improves student engagement, and increases testing scores. Then on top of the “usual” technology in the classroom, our educators are now battling with AI resources that are being improperly utilized. Instead of training teachers how to use AI sites, it seems the school system …

Evaluating The Need For Professional Learning That Highlights Proficient Teaching Strategies For Students With Autism In The Elementary Environment, Allison Norman

Dissertations

There is an increase in the identification of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the country. There is also an emphasis on inclusion within the classrooms in the country. This qualitative study addresses the need for teachers to grasp more knowledge about Autism so that they can help children with autism have better access to the general education curriculum and increase support for success in the classroom. Through an action research project, this study aimed to gauge elementary school teachers' existing knowledge about Autism and identify areas where they desired further education. The study involved surveying teachers to understand …

Gifted Students With Physical And Health Disabilities: Characteristics, Identification, And Programming, Terence Friedrichs

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The public has long known about famous gifted persons with physical and health disabilities (P/HDs). However, many school-based gifted or special educators may not believe that such K-12 youth can be gifted or have these disabilities, or they may not know how to serve these students exceptionalities. This capstone paper, a 1995-2023 update of a 1977-94 literature search from gifted P/HD educational and psychology journals which led to the author’s Distinguishing Traits of Gifted Students with Disabilities (Friedrichs, 2001), strives like the preceding paper to illuminate reader understanding of gifted P/HD students. The new document specifically conveys to special and …

Incorporating Books As Strength-Based Examples Of Characters With Dyslexia, Vera Sotirovska, Margaret Vaughn

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Incorporating books that facilitate inclusive understandings of dyslexia can be a challenging yet important pedagogical approach to promoting equitable practices. As realistically portrayed characters and stories provide a way for students to see not only themselves but also others, and enter different worlds, the need for multiple representations of children with dyslexia is necessary when working to create equity-oriented classrooms. First, we discuss strategies on how to select and use books with diverse representations of individuals with dyslexia. Next, we provide book selection criteria to guide teachers in curating their own classroom libraries with similar texts. Finally, we include activities …

Toilet Training And Teaching Self-Initiations To Children With Autism Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Darcy A. Douglass

Honors Capstones

Within this project, we address the challenges faced by individuals, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), during toilet training, which often takes longer than neurotypical children. Practitioners who use traditional methods often overlook teaching children how to request bathroom use, especially among those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Drawing from literature and expert recommendations, we summarize the importance of teaching independence in bathroom use for children with complex communication needs by incorporating their AAC devices when teaching toilet training.

Inspired by Perez et al. (2020), who demonstrated positive responses from individuals with ASD to reinforcement-based procedures, …

A Study Of Children With Autism In Illinois General Education Elementary School Classrooms, Zachary V. King

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this study is to gather survey-based information from parents of children with autism who are currently in elementary schools in Illinois to determine whether or not their children are receiving the needs they should get. The parents are asked about their perceptions as to whether or not their children are getting the necessary help with educational, stimulatory, and sensory needs. The survey’s response, though limited, found that while accommodations and support for children with autism have improved in the past 20 years, the matter of addressing maladaptive behaviors may still need some work. This shows that while …

Clinical Opportunities For Special Education Teacher Candidates: Developing Professional Identities That Endure Beyond Candidacy, Christine M. Davila

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

There is an ongoing shortage of special education teachers, particularly due to early burnout. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were utilized to explore field experience needs for special education teacher candidates that positively affected their ability to maintain self-efficacy toward classroom and behavior management in self-contained settings into their early years of teaching. Findings indicated that special education teacher candidates need opportunities for experiences that allow them to imagine themselves in the role and foster professional identity development that endures beyond candidacy. Embedding opportunities for preservice special education teachers to develop their professional identities within their formal preservice training programs …

Redefining The Landscape Of Educational Interpreting: A National Study, Kristen Guynes, Deborah Cates, Angelina Pelikan, Stephanie Zito

Journal of Interpretation

This national study was conducted to examine the level of progress that educational sign language interpretation has made towards professionalization as a field, particularly since the establishment of the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) in 2016 and the subsequent release of their Standards and Professional Guidelines in 2019. Following a long history of literature indicating drastic disparities in educational interpreters’ credentials, qualifications, expectations, and working conditions, this mixed-method study partially replicated Johnson and colleagues’ (2018) national study, with added exploration of newly acknowledged domains. Data from 591 educational interpreters were analyzed using descriptive and content analyses, triangulated through …

Teacher Background And Underrepresented Students In Gifted Education, Kayla Berg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education programs is a longstanding concern involving equity and access in educational systems. This qualitative research explores the complex factors influencing this disparity, focusing on the role of teacher perceptions in the identification process. Elementary and middle school teacher participants (N = 14) from a single school district provided interview data. Data collection focused on interviews with classroom and gifted teachers related to the three research questions. The research design was a multiple embedded case study.

First, the study investigated how teachers' perceptions of gifted characteristics vary based on personal experiences, …

The Effects Of Text-Based Gaming On Reading Comprehension For Students With Intellectual Disability, Faith Ihrig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, reading comprehension and reading engagement have decreased in the United States. Our world is also becoming increasingly technological, and a large percentage of individuals in the United States, specifically children, are playing video games. There are increasing amounts of video games that target educational skills, such as reading and math, and video games that have been created strictly for entertainment. This study examined the potential effects of playing text-based video games on the comprehension and engagement of 6-8 grade students with intellectual disabilities. A Multiple Baseline Across Participants single case design was used to measure the …

Dialogic Reading As An Intervention For Developing Reading Comprehension Skills In Early-Literacy School-Age Children With Disabilities, Kristi Burnette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dialogic reading as an intervention on participant ability to answer “wh” comprehension questions correctly and independently. Previous research conducted on dialogic reading was primarily conducted with young individuals with autism spectrum disorder, leaving a gap in the research with older age participants. Participants of this study included four students in upper elementary grades 4-6, ages 8-12 who have been identified to have a known deficit in reading comprehension, a cognitive disability, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an attempt to further extend the research on dialogic reading as an …