Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Growth Mindset Strategies On Off-Task Time In A Special Education Mathematics Classroom, Alisa Marie Ialacci

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of growth mindset strategies on off-task time and attitude in a special education classroom. This research was done using a two-group pretest-posttest design where students with IEPs will be compared to those who do not have IEPs. Student on-task time was monitored prior to the intervention to give a pre-assessment of each student's off-task time. During the intervention, the students' behaviors were observed for signs of improvement. Growth mindset strategies were implemented during each class as needed for improving the overall mood. Overall the results showed a decrease in off-task …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Middle School Students With Special Needs, Michelle Castillo

Education | Master's Theses

Adolescence is a vulnerable period to a child’s emotional and social environment due to the puberty-related changes in hormones, which has an effect on their judgement, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Middle school students face several daily stressors at school, at home, and in their communities. Although adolescents face stressors in and out of school, a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) can be beneficial. This research focuses on the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on middle school special education students in regards to their attention and behavior in general education classes as well as their self-perception. While prior studies address the benefits …

Lesson Study: Professional Development For And Collaboration Between General And Special Educators, Natalie Corsini

Education | Master's Theses

While much research addresses the benefits of collaborative professional development, such as Professional Learning Communities and Lesson Study, special educators are often left out of these opportunities. This research focuses on the problems related to limited and specialized collaboration between general and special educators. In addition, special educators are leaving the field at high rates, and often report feelings of isolation and disconnect. This study builds upon current research, with the purpose of explaining how Lesson Study impacts collaboration between general educators and special educators. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used to provide a multifaceted view of the …

Writing Underachievement: How To Support Students With Learning Disabilities And/Or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Through Self-Regulation Strategy Development, Katie Ludin

Education | Master's Theses

Writing underachievement is a national dilemma, especially among students with LDs and/or ADHD. Difficulties with written expression create negative social and emotional consequences for students since writing is critical to academic and professional success. Despite this, few studies have explored the impact of writing underachievement. The purpose of this research was to better understand the experiences of struggling writers within the elementary school setting, especially students who receive special education services. Part of this research included an intervention group. Self-Regulation Strategy Development was taught to a group of students with LDs and/or ADHD. This research was conducted in an effort …

Harmonizing Social Emotional Learning For Students With Special Needs, Deema Shihadih

Education | Master's Theses

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) typically face difficulties with social emotional skill sets, yet many classrooms for students with ID do not incorporate social emotional learning in the curriculum. Modifying SEL programs to fit the needs of students may be an appropriate solution, however, little research exists exploring the effects of modifying various SEL programs to fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This research explores the benefits of modifying multiple social emotional learning (SEL) programs to best fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. Qualitative methods were used in order to investigate how SEL programs and …

Life Skills For Life-Long Learners: Teaching Functional Skills To Elementary Students With Special Needs, Emily H. Derecat

Education | Master's Theses

Though extensive studies exist regarding teaching life skills at the middle school and high school level in special education to support students’ transition to adulthood, a comparable amount of research is still needed to examine the use of life skills-based programs in elementary special education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a six-week intervention using research-based practices targeting specific life skills impacted 2nd - 5th grade students with moderate to severe disabilities. This study involved a group of 7 students with varying disabilities and behavioral challenges, using video and peer modeling to enhance specific life skills …

The Effectiveness Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On The Anxiety And School Attendance Of Students With Disabilities, Lisa M. Klink

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of animal-assisted therapy on the anxiety and school attendance of students with disabilities in a middle school language and learning disabled classroom. A single subject design with ABAB phases was utilized. Students participated in animal-assisted therapy during the beginning of their science class period. The anxiety levels of student participants were assessed through the use of Ottawa-Georgia scales for stress across all baseline and intervention phases. Student attendance was tracked using a student roster attendance sheet during each day of the phases. In addition, students complete a Likert scale survey …

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 …

Reading Recovery With Guided Reading Supplementation, Katelyn Barok

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Reading Recovery, an intervention program for first graders, and whether the skills were being transferred into their general education classroom. Specifically, the reading abilities of students in the program were analyzed. Three students participated in the study, one female and two male first grade students. All three students were not classified and came from an inclusion classroom co-taught with a general education and special education teacher. The design of this research was pre-post, post-test group design and teacher surveys were individualized for all participants. Twenty weeks of intervention was …

Practical Strategies For Improving Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Ebd, Mariya T. Davis, Ingrid K. Cumming

Special Education Faculty Publications (Archived)

Transition from high school to adulthood is a difficult period of life for all youth, especially those with disabilities. Research indicates students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience difficulties in transitioning to a postschool environment. Their postschool outcomes in the areas of education, employment, and community participation continue to concern researchers, practitioners, and families and, therefore, demand improvement. Identification and implementation of transition-related evidence-based practices is essential for teachers who work with students with EBD to increase the likelihood of positive adult outcomes for these students. Discussed in this article are transition-related recommendations and practical strategies that may be …

The Use Of Assistive Technology With Students With Severe Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Saudi Arabia: Teachers’ Perspectives, Khalid Mohammed Abu Alghayth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored teachers’ perspectives of AT use, effectiveness of AT, elements teachers’ take into consideration when selecting AT, barriers, and resources needed for effective use of AT with students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. In order to answer this study’s research questions, I employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods design. I conducted a self-administered online survey and online interviews to collect data from participants. This study consisted of two phases, quantitative followed by qualitative interviews. A total of 92 special education teachers from four special education institutes were surveyed, and five teachers in the second phase were interviewed …

Effects Of Yoga On Student Attention In Pre-K, Amanda Paulson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects Yoga Calm (Gillen & Gillen, 2009) had on student attention in Pre-Kindergarten students. Nine pre-kindergarten students receiving special education services at an elementary school participated in 5-10 minutes of yoga practice each day in a small group environment before returning to a large group setting for shared reading. The yoga time consisted of teaching of different sequences along with breathing techniques that could also be used independently. Observations were conducted on a weekly basis during shared reading. The observations focused on whole body listening (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, arms, legs, …

Stress Management: A Group Curriculum For Female Adolescents, Taylor Schaible

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In recent years, research has found that adolescents are experiencing stress at an astounding rate, even compared to adults. With a thorough review of the literature, it has been found that schools in the United States are experiencing an adolescent stress epidemic. Furthermore, students are experiencing stress in ways beyond an academic arena. With that being said, there seems to be a connection between stress leading to anxiety, as well as stress having a profound affect for students who have experienced traumatic experiences. Additionally, the research has shown that there are structural differences within a developing brain that may cause …

Perceptions Of Secondary Students Who Have Experienced The Label Of Poor Reader Or Low Reader, Anna S. O'Rourke

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Abstract A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of Black Male secondary students who are labeled as poor or low readers, as well as the perceptions of their teachers. The researcher sought to understand how the eleventh grade students perceived their own capabilities as well as the instruction they have received and are receiving. The study took place at a large, comprehensive high school in the mid-Atlantic section of our country. Teacher and student interviews were conducted, as well as field observations of teacher participants and the instructional methodology they utilized. The student participants took the RSPS-2 …

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 …

Student Readiness To Learn And Teacher Effectiveness: Two Key Factors In Middle Grades Mathematics Achievement, W. Sean Kearney, Theresa Garfield

Special Education Faculty Publications (Archived)

This study examined student readiness to learn and teacher effectiveness in order to determine their impact on middle grades mathematics achievement. Survey data were collected from 964 middle grades students and 93mathematics teachers in Texas. This study is the first to use this particular collective efficacy short form with middle grade students, and factor analyses were conducted accordingly. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to measure the relationship between teacher perceptions of student readiness to learn and student perceptions of teacher effectiveness on mathematics achievement in the middle grades. The results of these analyses indicated that students’ perceptions of teacher effectiveness …

A Comparison Between Speech Language Pathologists' And School Administrators' Attitudes And Perceptions Regarding Professional Development, Melinda Margaret Salloukh

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the attitudes and perceptions of speech-language pathologists and school administrators regarding professional development. This study contains both quantitative and qualitative survey data from speech-language pathologists and school administrators currently serving in the public schools in Arkansas. This survey, deployed over a six-week period, contained a series of Likert-type and open-ended questions that were analyzed by the researcher to answer three research questions. There were 182 speech-language pathologists and 103 school administrators who responded to this survey. The participants were chosen from an email list obtained from Arkansas Department of Education and …

Voices From The Margin: A Qualitative Study On The Perspectives Of Economically Disadvantaged, Black Students Identified As Learning Disabled, Nadine Duncan

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

This study explores the perspectives of four economically disadvantaged, Black students who have been labeled as learning disabled and placed in the Special Education program. The voices of the students interviewed are used to develop unique, first-hand understandings of the cause of disproportionality among poor, Black children in Special Education with a learning dis/ability. Results from the data collected through individual and group interviews suggest that students do not regard themselves as dis/abled as they find themselves capable of learning and executing non-academic tasks that relate to their lived reality. Therefore, I argue that a historical, and therefore systemic, devaluation …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 3, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu

University of South Florida (USF) - M3 Publishing

This is the third volume of the Advances in Global Education and Research Book Series. This volume has the following parts:

• Part 1: Adult Education
• Part 2: Curriculum and Instruction Development
• Part 3: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 4: Educational Technology
• Part 5: Global Competence
• Part 6: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 7: Human Resource Development
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: Pre K-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-7321275-4-8

Jmu Campus Inclusivity Video Project, Meredith Grace Browder

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

After experiencing a general lack of knowledge at James Madison University (JMU) regarding inclusivity of students with varying abilities, I decided to find the best way to educate the JMU community on how to be more accommodating on campus. I surveyed students served by the Office of Disability Services in order to assess their concerns and needs. My survey data indicated that the students on campus with disabilities have felt isolated at JMU because of multiple factors including both student and faculty ignorance. After researching the significant role played by videos and social media in shaping public opinion, I used …