Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Examining Diversity And The Role And Influence Of Post-Secondary Faculty At A Predominantly White Institution In Tennessee: A Critical Race Case Analysis, Lanell Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, critical race analysis study is to explore how White faculty conceptualize and apply critical race theory (CRT) and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to curricula within a college of education and how the perceptions of their students’ identities influence specific pedagogical decisions. The researcher sought to extend the research on CRT in education by analyzing specific, detailed cases and incorporating purposeful sampling by selecting participants who match specific study criteria, i.e. graduate-level White faculty located in Tennessee who teach in programs of education.

This study was limited to six faculty in a college of education (in …

The Effect Of Constant Time Delay And Sentence Frames On Correct Word Selection For Sentences Constructed Using Technology-Aided Instruction During A Story-Based Lesson, Thai Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intervention package that included constant time delay (CTD) and sentence frames on correct word selection for sentences constructed using technology-aided instruction (TAI) during and following a story-based lesson (SBL) for participants ages 6-8 who have intellectual disability, developmental delays, and autism (IDD). A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. Probes were conducted during baseline, intervention, generalization, and maintenance phases to determine the effectiveness of the intervention on correct word selection for sentence construction. Results indicate a functional relation between the …

Gender Perceptions And Female Students' Academic Engagement And Success In Stem Fields, Rheanna Morgan

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite an increase of females in higher education and the workforce, fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continue to be male-dominated. One explanation for this trend is the lack of gender representation and counterstereotypical role models to encourage female engagement in these fields at the university level. Previous research has looked at instructor gender, classroom gender composition, and involvement in extracurricular activities as possible factors influencing students' engagement and success in the classroom. However, few studies have investigated how gender perceptions influence female students in STEM fields. This study uses self-report data from a voluntary survey to …

The Water We Were Swimming In: Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Students' Lived Experiences In Engineering., Natalie Saroff Oliner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies address the lived experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) students in engineering. Grounded in critical trans politics (Spade, 2015), this dissertation contributes to the literature on TGNC students in engineering by examining their experiences negotiating their identities while navigating interrelated systems of oppression in a field dominated by White, heterosexual, cisgender men. Using a critical constructivism framework, I conducted a narrative inquiry to explore the lived experiences of five TGNC students in engineering programs. Participants experienced TGNC oppression at their universities, built LGBTQ+ and TGNC communities, and described more welcoming climates in non-engineering contexts compared to engineering. …

How Neurodiversity Centered Museum Education Within Art Museums Can Benefit Children With Adhd And Autism Spectrum Disorders, Maria I. Johnson

Museum Studies Theses

Within the last twenty years, many major museums have made an effort to be seen and operate as pillars of their communities. They have begun shifting their organizational standards to be more inclusive and accessible to marginalized communities. When looking at the educational practices of modern art museums, there is undoubtedly a common standard of educational programs. While this formula has worked for many, there is a community that has voiced the need for a change. The neurodivergent community, which developed within the last two decades, should have access to art museum education in an accessible way. The following thesis …

Have You Heard?: Increasing College Access And Success For Students With Disabilities, Michelle Trujillo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on increasing college access and self-advocacy for students with disabilities in higher education and the resources available for them. This is important because students with disabilities deserve to attend college and obtain the support they need in order to be successful once in the institution and once they graduate. It is argued that there needs to be an increase in enrollment for students with disabilities in higher education. Considerations of the issue include the perspectives of a staff member from the community college who is in the disability resources department and a student …

Educating College Students’ About Laws Regarding Children With Disabilities, Desirey Contreras

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many individuals may be unaware of the laws regarding children with disabilities. Individuals who are going into helping professions who are not fully educated about laws regarding children with disabilities may not be able to be proper advocates for children with disabilities. This lack of education in adults can leave children with disabilities more susceptible to bullying and segregation in schools, poorer quality of education, and exclusion in interscholastic sports. This project focuses on educating college students about laws regarding children with disabilities. The project was executed completely asynchronously. Participants were given three learning outcomes to meet and successfully met …

The Quest For Equity: Multicultural Education, Corina Lieu

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is multiculturalism in education. This is an important issue because students deserve an education that reflects their living experiences inside and outside of the classroom. An argument is made that the lack of multiculturalism in education could foster an environment in which students would not receive an education that is equitable. Considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of the principal of a public school, and three staff members. This group of participants provide deeper insights into multiculturalism within the classrooms. After interviewing an administrator and staff members, three different actions …

Assessing Professionals Working With Latinx Families With Special Needs In Monterey County, Jose Francisco Hernandez Rivera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Special Kids Connect (SKC) is a nonprofit organization serving children with disabilities and their families in Monterey County. This capstone project concentrated on the professionals working with children as part of SKC’s Early Start Intervention Program. The project’s objective was to discover local agencies' professional development training needs that serve Latinx families with disabled children between 2 to 8 years. Seventy-five child-care providers, early intervention service professionals, regional center staff, and school district personnel responded to the survey. They indicated an overall 60 % needed an understanding of systems related to IEPs, Early Start Services, Developmental Screenings, Social-Emotional Screenings, Regional …

How Nonbinary College Students At Southern Universities Explore Identity Through Gender Expression, Charles Jesse Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the number of young people identifying as nonbinary continues to increase (Davis, 2018), our need, as educators, to understand their experiences on college campuses also increases. Using narrative inquiry and photovoice, framed by critical queer theory and genderism, this examined both institutionalized and socially constructed expectations and influences that affect the development of nonbinary gender expression and identity for the college students by addressing the research question: What are the experiences of nonbinary college students in the Southern United States in exploring their gender expression at research universities? The five major themes that emerged from this study were as …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Implementation Of The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act In Higher Education: Discretionary Practices Of Disability Services Professionals, Crystal Denise Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly transformed the landscape of higher education. The urgent nature of procedural changes in academic and administrative higher education services did not exempt leadership, faculty, or staff from their legally mandated responsibility to provide equal access to the educational environment for students with disabilities as outlined within title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by disability services professionals to implement the ADAAAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources and preferred formats of policy guidance were explored. The priorities of department, division, and institution-level …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Primary School Suspension And Expulsion, Leen Abochale

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigated the variables that might impact primary school in-school suspension (ISS) and out-of-school suspension (OSS) in a rural state in the southern region of the United States. Data for the present study were collected from the state’s Department of Education’s discipline database. Data was analyzed across three school years using separate multilevel growth modeling approaches: one with ISS rate as the dependent variable and another with OSS rate as the dependent variable. (Raudenbush and Bryk, 2002). Predictors in both models include the percentage of English-language learner students, percentage of low-income students, percentage of students eligible for SPED, the …

In Our Own Words: Special Education Teachers Of Color With Dis/Abilities, Saili Kulkarni, Samuel Bland, Joanna Gaeta

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Self-Efficacy Development In Elementary-Aged Learners Through Dance As An Algorithmic Thinking Tool, Niva Shrestha

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a transdisciplinary approach in teaching computational thinking through dance to elementary-aged learners, with primary attention to females. With limited literature available on how pre-adolescents begin to construct conceptions of computer science and other engineering domains, including potential career pathways, the incentive of this project was to leverage a day camp for about 20 rising 3rd - 5th-grade learners to assess their identity development in computer science. Modules that teach computational thinking through dance paired with Unruly splats (block-based programmable electronic gadgets) were implemented. By conducting pre-and post-surveys and a …

Attitudes Of Turkish Parents Toward Sex Education Of Their Intellectual Disability Children, Hakan Sarı, Tuğba Pürsün

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Legal regulations in Turkey state that it is a fundamental right for children with intellectual disability to receive sex education. However, such education is highly limited due to the negative attitudes of these children’s parents. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to evaluate the attitudes of Turkish parents toward the sexual education of their intellectually disabled children.

Methods: This quantitative study used the survey method on 311 parents who have children with intellectual disabilities. Data collection was carried out using a Likert-type scale questionnaire developed by the author. Socio-demographic variables were attained, and the data …

Parents’ Perceptions Of The College Experiences Of Twice-Exceptional Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Joseph Madaus, Emily J. Tarconish, Shannon Langdon, Ashley Taconet, Nicholas W. Gelbar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are accessing college in increasing numbers, and within this group, there is a cohort of academically talented students who can be considered twice-exceptional, or 2e-ASD. While research about college students with ASD is increasing, there is a relative dearth of literature about 2e-ASD college students, and their secondary transition and college experiences. The current study presents the results of individual interviews that were conducted with 10 parents of 2e-ASD college students to explore their perceptions of their children’s experiences, including what things went well and what were problematic areas. Parents described clear and early expectations …

Experiential Learning Through Participatory Action Research In An Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Program, Jessica L. Franks, Stephanie D. Baumann, Marvin So, Angela M. Miles, Jorge M. Verlenden, Teal Benevides, Mark Crenshaw, Stephen Truscott, Daniel Crimmins

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Experience in multidisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers, leaders in public health, and educators is essential to effectively address the diverse needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.

Purpose: We describe three participatory action research (PAR) projects from an interdisciplinary training program, which used experiential learning to enhance leadership competencies and promote inclusive services. Trainees report their leadership growth as providers and advocates for children with I/DD using experiential learning through PAR.

Approach: Trainees discuss their engagement with organizations serving children with I/DD and ways that experiential learning supported leadership skill development, …

Assessing Need And Acceptability Of A Youth Mentoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism By Adults With Autism, Kai Y. Gunty, Lindsey Weiler, Angela Keyzers, Rebekah Hudock

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Adult mentors can positively influence development, yet youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have too little access to adult mentors who can provide role modeling, guidance, and support. Furthermore, neurotypical adult mentors (i.e., adult mentors without ASD) may not understand the day-to-day realities that youth with ASD face and the social world they navigate. Therefore, it is possible that adults with ASD may be particularly well-suited as mentors for youth with ASD.

Method: Six semi-structured focus groups of four to seven people each explored the need for a mentoring program to bridge the gap between the supports youth with …

La Discapacidad En Los Sistemas De Educación En Bolivia Y Chile, Kree Pace

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The flawed approach to the education of disabled students is an issue that plagues countless countries across the globe, and those in Latin America are no different. Bolivia and Chile are two vastly different countries from a cultural and economic perspective. However, one issue that they have in common is the manner in which they attempt to teach disabled students. There are two major models of disability; social and medical. The social model teaches that disabilities are not inherently negative traits to have, and that those who have them should be supported by society. It also emphasizes that the organization …

Music Making And Learning At A School For The Visually Impaired: A Case Study, Jacob A. Peterson

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the learning environment and the teaching methodologies of teachers at a state school for the visually impaired. Data collection included interviews and observations with field notes with two teachers at LSVI (one music and one non-music teacher) and an interview with a member of the administration. The semi-structured interviews and observations took place in three phases: 1) preliminary interviews in which the participants answered questions about goals for their classrooms, background information, common strategies/methods/tools that they have at their disposal, 2) observations of a class/classes with each of the teachers, 3) …