Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Improving Peer-To-Peer Learning For Students With Extensive Support Needs In Inclusive Classrooms, Zachary Michael Deets

Dissertations and Theses

Inclusive learning opportunities lead to better outcomes for students with extensive support needs (ESN). In the absence of targeted intervention, however, students with ESN are unlikely to interact meaningfully with their peers or the general education curriculum. The literature describes evidence-based strategies in support of the meaningful inclusion of students with ESN in inclusive classrooms, including the use of technology to mediate learning experiences and nondisabled peers as learning "interventionists." This dissertation introduces an intervention package, Technology-Assisted Peer-Mediated Academic Support (TAPMAS), incorporating Technology-Aided Instruction and Intervention (TAII) and Peer-Based Instruction and Intervention (PBII), as a model of how educators may …

Special Education Teachers Leading Paraprofessionals: A Phenomenological Study Of How Special Education Teachers Develop Leadership Skills, Ellen Elizabeth Langley

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of special education teachers as they relate to teacher preparation programs and how they prepared teachers to work with and lead paraprofessionals. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership approach and Adult Leadership Theory are the theoretical basis for this study. Qualitative data was collected through twelve semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that special education teachers do perceive that college preparation programs do not adequately prepare them to lead paraprofessionals. Data also supported the claim that a lack of adult leadership training did have a negative affect on workplace relationships …

Policy And Leadership Accountability On Black Special Education Teacher Persistence, Brittany M. Holmes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a persistent shortage of qualified special education teachers in schools across the country. This issue is exacerbated by the need for special education teachers of color who can help serve the disproportionate number of minority students in schools. Over time, researchers and government entities, alike, have considered ways to increase the recruitment and retention efforts of Black teachers However, given the lack of investigation regarding the needs of Black teachers in special education and what encourages their persistence, efforts to increase representation have been unsuccessful. For this reason, using a qualitative methodology, the purpose of this study is …

The Perceived Preparedness Of Elementary General Education Teachers Serving Students With Special Needs, Rachel Lauren Schmidt

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to explore the preparedness of K-5 general education teachers through their lived experiences of teaching and working alongside special education teachers in the inclusive classroom. Data were gathered from thirteen teachers across Louisiana who participated in a semi-structured interview that focused on the following three research questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of elementary general education teachers regarding preparedness in teaching students with special needs under IDEA in the general education setting? (2) How do elementary general education teachers describe their preparedness to collaborate with special education teachers through their lived …

Ready Or Not, Here We Go! Preparing For The Education Specialist Teaching Performance Assessment, Rosalinda J. Larios, Calli Lewis Chiu, Rohanna Ylagan-Nicanor

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

In the state of California, the Education Specialist Teaching Performance Assessment (EdSp TPAs) is the latest accountability measure to be required of aspiring education specialists. Existing literature has been overwhelmingly critical of the TPAs (Dover, 2022; Valdez et al., 2020). And now, in the dawn of the EdSp TPAs, there must be a candid conversation about preparing candidates sufficiently for the TPAs in order to avoid exacerbating the field that is struggling to recruit teachers. This article discusses three significant obstacles in preparing candidates for the assessment: challenges associated with identifying focus students, insufficient preparation among mentor teachers, and program …

Interprofessional Practice Aligns With New California Teacher Performance Expectations For Students With Complex Communication Needs, Kai J. Greene, M.C. Kate Esposito

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Educators are bound to encounter students with a broad range of speech-language and communication needs in their respective classrooms. According to federal mandates, current and future teachers are required to implement inclusive practices, which involves providing access to communication for all students. This practitioner-focused article shares an interprofessional practice collaborative project developed between a university teacher preparation program and the speech-language pathology division of a large urban school district. As part of a requisite credential course on language development and early literacy skills, pre-candidate students in the education specialist credential program complete a course assignment led by a school-based speech-language …

Comparative Effects Of Presession And Interspersed Attention On Disruptive Behavior In An Inclusive Elementary Classroom, Kerry Kisinger, Charles L. Wood

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study evaluated the comparative effects of presession and interspersed attention on the disruptive behavior of an at-risk student in an inclusive fourth-grade classroom. Data indicated a decrease in disruptive behavior during both presession and interspersed attention conditions with the interspersed condition producing the lower level. Social validity measures also indicated the student was satisfied with the intervention and felt that it had a positive impact on his behavior. Additionally, social validity measures completed by the teacher indicated that while both interventions were reasonable to implement, appropriate for addressing the student’s disruptive behaviors, did not detract from the learning environment, …

Chronic Health Conditions, School Attendance, And Socioeconomic Factors: A Literature Review, Kristin Wikel, Andrew M. Markelz

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Students with chronic health conditions experience many challenges, such as increased school absences, that may impact academic success. Additional academic problems exist for students with chronic health conditions who also have socioeconomic status (SES) factors. A systematic literature review as conducted to study the interactions between chronic health conditions, absenteeism, and factors associated with SES. Findings suggest that asthma, the most common chronic health condition in children, is the leading cause of health-related school absences. Findings also suggest that factors associated with SES, such as family income, also impact school attendance for students with chronic health conditions. Although the results …

Table Of Contents

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

No abstract provided.

Early Childhood Educators’ Readiness Embrace Inclusion For Preschool-Age Children With Disabilities In California, Sachi Kondo, Andrea Golloher, Lisa A. Simpson, Peg A. Hughes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Despite the push to increase inclusive early childhood (EC) care and education programs to support the learning and development of all children, such programs remain rare in California where most preschoolers with disabilities receive special education services in special day classrooms. Developing inclusive programs requires EC educators who are committed to supporting inclusion. Using a survey of EC teachers in public and private programs, this study sought to identify factors that influenced the teachers’ attitudes toward and self-efficacy for providing inclusive programs for young children with disabilities. While most of the teachers reported positive views of inclusion, they reported less …

Creativity In The Virtual Classroom: Engaging Online Special Education Teacher Candidates In Their Own Learning, Rob Shauger, Kathleen A. Boothe, Marla J. Lohmann

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), the number of college students enrolled in at least one online course was approximately 11 million during the 2021-2022 school year. Knowing that institutes of higher education (IHEs) are responsible for teaching students who are primarily online learners, special education teacher preparation programs at IHEs need to change their focus on how to meet these online learners' needs. There is plentiful research on what faculty should include in their online classes, but finding specific strategies and activities that engage students in their own learning can be challenging. This article provides teacher …

Examining The Effectiveness Of A Multimedia Video On Pedestrian Safety With Postsecondary Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Kristina N. Randall, Shanna E. Hirsch, Abigail A. Allen

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Prior research suggests that the use of multimedia instruction along with video modeling increases the ability of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) to independently complete tasks. However, the previous research has not always included instruction of the underlying vocabulary, nor has it always resulted in skill maintenance. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of multimedia instruction using video modeling to teach pedestrian safety signs to participants with ID to support skills needed for community. The effectiveness of the multimedia intervention was measured using a randomized control trial utilizing a pre-/posttest design. Participants’ knowledge grew significantly …

Cortical Activation As A Result Of Reading Stimuli For Students With Dyslexia And Typically Developing: New Insights From Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Neuroimaging (Fnirs), Elazab Mohamed Elshazly

Dissertations

As far as we know, there are few studies that investigated cortical activation using fNIRS and none has examined these hemodynamic changes associated with reading Arabic skills. This study evaluated the changes in cortical activation parameters in terms of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, hemoglobin difference, and total hemoglobin concentrations observed in the brain (cerebral cortex) of 3^rd grade students during reading Arabic language tasks. The concentrations of cortical activation’s parameters were measured using a functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device. The sample size was comprised of 14 3^rd grade students that were enrolled in an inclusive environment public school in …

Educating The Diaspora: In Search Of Liberatory Educational Experiences, Daicy Diaz-Granados

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This oral history project focuses on the liberatory educational experiences of Puerto Rican millennials in the diaspora. Participants shared stories that surfaced and interrogated the history of colonial oppression and illuminated threads that still inform the educational experiences of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora. The material fact and implications of an educational system rooted in colonialism and enduring coloniality quickly asserted itself as a major consideration; the inextricable linking of liberatory and agentic educational experiences to self-knowledge predicated on knowing/understanding one’s intersectional identity fully was unmistakable. The ravages of the Covid pandemic joined with neoliberalism, poverty, xenophobia, ableism, sexism, anti-Blackness, …

The Efficacy Of Social And Emotional Learning For High School Students With Cognitive Disabilities, The Experiential Approach, Lawanda Fox

Dissertations

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential to all students' education across all grade levels. However, what does that look like at different developmental stages, and how can SEL best support learning and development for high school students with cognitive disabilities? Young people are becoming more aware of their identities and values in high school. They build upon many social and emotional competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) developed throughout elementary and middle school. However, students with cognitive disabilities are more challenged than their peers without disabilities to accomplish these competencies. This study aims to identify …

Home-Literacy Environments And Language Development In Toddlers With Down Syndrome, Madison S. Dulin, Susan J. Loveall, Laura J. Mattie

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Introduction: The present study aimed to (1) characterize the home-literacy environments (HLE) of toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) and (2) examine if richness of the HLE, child engagement during shared storybook reading activities, quality of a caregiver-child shared storybook reading activity, and exposure to language in the home environment predicted child receptive vocabulary concurrently (Time 1) and 6 months later (Time 2).

Methods: Participants were toddlers with DS (n = 13 at Time 1, 11–29 months of age; n = 10 at Time 2) and their mothers. Mothers completed a Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire at Time 1, …

Football Connections Impact On High School Graduation: A Qualitative Study, Devin Rakin Allison Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the influences that playing high school football has on graduation. The theories guiding this study were the theory of connectedness and the theory of attachment and how students' connections to football helped them achieve the goal of graduation. Ainsworth and Bowlby and their theories of attachment were used to tie football as an extracurricular activity to graduation and why educators push for students to be involved. I attempted to show the benefits that involvement in football helps a student succeed in high school. Themes like connections, support, and academics were revealed …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Low Teacher Retention And Morale In A Rural Poverty-Stricken School, Susan Michele Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the factors that are related to low morale and retention as described by teachers who work in a rural, poverty-stricken school in Middle Georgia. The problem addressed in this study was high teacher attrition in rural, poverty-stricken schools. The theories guiding this study were Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene, two-factor theory, and Maslow’s theory of motivation. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit 10 teachers who are employed at a rural, low-income school for three or more years. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted individually. The data were analyzed using open …

Effects Of Research Dissemination Vehicle Use On Preservice Teacher Candidate Knowledge Acquisition, Allie Jenkins Boquet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provides information on how EBPs can be disseminated to education practitioners for the purpose of knowledge acquisition. With a well-established research-to-practice gap in the field of education, this study determined which research dissemination vehicle, practitioner journal article, informational video, or textbook chapter, allowed for the highest acquisition of knowledge for preservice teachers.

The purpose of this study was to determine how the use of three different research dissemination vehicles, 1) practitioner journal articles, 2) informational videos, and 3) textbook chapters, impacts acquisition of knowledge of the EBP, instructional feedback, when utilized by preservice teacher candidates as well as …