Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Exploring Alternative Curriculum Implementation In Special Education Settings, Amber R. Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand teachers’ perceptions of implementing an alternative curriculum in their self-contained special education settings and grade levels, as well as their perceptions of the training and ongoing support provided for its implementation. This study used a case study research design. Findings revealed that the participants experienced several challenges related to training, ongoing support, and curriculum implementation, including issues aligning the alternative curriculum with state standards and assessments. This study is significant because alternative curriculum implementation is under-researched in the United States, and the international literature on this topic is limited.

Inclusive Instructional Practices: System-Wide Support For Students With Disabilities In Technical, Vocational Education And Training In Vihiga County, Kenya, Maurine Kageriza, Howard Omukami

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Kenya’s TVET sector has fully transitioned to the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework, with one of the major challenges being the adoption of instructional requirements for students with disabilities, an inclusion issue compounded by exclusionary risk, and the choice of appropriate instructional experiences. Inclusive instructional practices remain a critical practice for mitigating marginalisation in mastering competencies. This study investigates inclusive instructional practices for SWDs in TVET in Vihiga County, Kenya. A convergent mixed methods with embedded case study design was employed in two public TVET institutions in Vihiga County, Kenya, involving 36 students with disabilities, 46 trainers, and 8 …

Educator Perception Of Principal Leadership For Developing Teacher Self-Efficacy In Inclusive Education, Jessica L. Jones

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explored general education teacher perceptions of the most impactful principal leadership actions for developing teacher self-efficacy for the education of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms and schools. An Inclusive Leadership Practices survey was developed by the researcher using qualitative research from Whybrew (2018), the Essential Best Practices in Inclusive Schools Tool (Jorgensen et al., 2012), and leadership research by Hitt and Tucker (2016). General education teachers with experience teaching students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms who chose to participate in this study completed the survey as a measure of their perceptions on inclusive leadership practices. They …

Increasing Pride Skills For Child Engagement Using Cdi-Only Ipcit With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jordan T. Etherington, Zachary C. Labrot, Emily R. Defouw, Brad Dufrene, Brittany D. Garza, Amarah Sweaks, Briley Newcomb

Faculty Publications

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display elevated levels of challenging behaviors and decreased social engagement. Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) may help children with ASD increase rates at which they engage and interact with their caregivers. Existing barriers to treatment completion, including high attrition and travel time and costs, may be ameliorated by delivering PCIT virtually (iPCIT) and setting attainable mastery criteria. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across three caregiver-child dyads with ASD to determine whether an iPCIT protocol affected caregivers’ use of positive engagement skills, children’s engagement, and children’s challenging behaviors. Results demonstrated increased and …

Bridging The Gap: Educating Students On The Neurodiverse Experience, Riley Axtell

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neurodivergent students face misunderstanding, stigma, and systemic barriers that impact academic and emotional well-being. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a curriculum-based project designed to educate college students about neurodiverse experiences and improve knowledge, empathy, and understanding. The curriculum was administered in two formats: an in-person format with pre- and post-survey measurements and an online “choose your own adventure” implementation utilizing post-survey measurements. Participants engaged in simulated cognitive and sensory activities that represented experiences associated with dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Although limited by a small sample size, reliance on self-report measures, lack of a pre-survey …

Listening To Those Who Stay: Support Systems Influencing Special Education Teacher Retention, Carol Jean Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention among special education teachers is a constant challenge across the country. Educators in these positions often have heavy workloads, emotionally demanding responsibilities, and complex caseloads leading to burnout and high turnover rates. Despite these challenges, most of them persevere in the field for extended periods, which indicate that robust and effective support systems are essential to aiding their commitment. In examining this phenomenon, this qualitative study focused on the lived experiences of six special education teachers who worked in the same school setting for a minimum of five years with the aim of identifying support structures that affect motivation, …

Strengthening Parent Participation In Iep Goal Development And Decision-Making, Jenny Chu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project examined how public-school districts support parent preparation and communication prior to Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Grounded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a special education law which identifies parents as equal members of the IEP team (IDEA, 2004), this project focused on how structured, open, and transparent communication practices can strengthen parent readiness to actively participate in IEP meetings and engage in collaborative decision-making. A document analysis was conducted using publicly available information from ten public school districts in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. District websites were systematically reviewed to identify the availability …

Perceptions Of Effective Co-Teaching Partnerships In High School Inclusive Classrooms, Korri-Lee S. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the characteristics and contextual factors that general education and special education teachers perceive as essential for effective co-teaching partnerships in high school inclusive classrooms. The study, which involved in-depth interviews with general and special education teachers in co-teaching partnerships, was conducted within a constructivist paradigm to shed light on interpersonal, communicative, and systemic variables that contribute to a positive, productive co-teaching experience. Purposeful sampling was employed to select general and special education teachers who were part of co-teaching partnerships. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from semi-structured interviews, and an …

The Influence Of Intervention Strategies On Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors In Rural Public Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Ben B. Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed rural teachers' perceptions of the influence of intervention strategies on students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the effect of intervention strategies on academic achievement, student behavior outcomes, and teacher self-efficacy through the lens of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. This theory is a complex, dynamic interaction among people, their behaviors, and their environments. Data collection included 14 individual interviews, conducted on Zoom with educators from one school district in Southern Virginia, including seven general education teachers and seven special education teachers. Data analysis strategies …

Perceptions Of Rural School Resource Officers On Training, Roles, And Interactions With Students In Special Populations, Mary Jane M. Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative inductive study was conducted with rural school districts located in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee. School Resource Officers' (SROs) and K–12 school administrators’ perceptions of their roles were assessed. Perceptions of school policing from both samples were assessed regarding SRO training, roles, and expectations for working with school law enforcement officials. This also included respondents' views on how students with disabilities are treated. The research conducted in rural Middle Tennessee counties examined SROs’ and K–12 administrators’ perceptions through data collected from in-depth open-ended interviews and a pre-written analysis. The proliferation of police officers assigned to schools beginning …

Inclusion And Equity In Early Childhood Special Education, Maranda Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study examined equity and inclusion in early childhood special education through the lived experiences of administrators, educators, and caregivers. Despite decades of legislation, preschool students of color with dis/abilities continue to experience disproportionate identification for special education, exclusionary discipline, and limited access to inclusive settings (DHHS & DE, 2023; NCD, 2018). Grounded in Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), this study explores how intersecting systems of racism and ableism shape early childhood educational access and opportunity.

Guided by a phenomenological approach with a transformative paradigm, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eighteen participants including administrators, early childhood special …

Empowering Futures: An Examination Of Educator Perceptions In Supporting Students With Disabilities In Post-Secondary Transition, Carlinda J. Spehar-Shaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine educators' perceptions of their roles in students' post-secondary transition. Federal mandates require special education teachers to be key components in supporting students during this process. The literature examines the multifaceted components of the transition process, including Kohler’s Taxonomy 2.0 and Schlossberg’s Transition Framework.

Data were collected using a one-on-one, semi-structured interview protocol to examine educators' perceptions of their roles in students' post-secondary transition. This strategy allowed the researcher to understand the participants' backgrounds and experiences while analyzing perceptions of their role in the post-secondary transition. A pre-designed set of interview …

The Phoenix Project: A Self-Regulation Approach To Improving Credit Recovery Outcomes, Janice Smith

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Graduation from high school is a critical milestone that leads to better job opportunities, higher education, and a lifetime of economic stability, which is why improving graduation rates is a critically important focus. However, many students who attend alternative schools face significant barriers to graduation, including inconsistent attendance, academic deficits, and personal challenges. The purpose of this creative project is to develop a self-determination intervention to support students when working on credit recovery. This creative project includes (1) a description of relevant research used to inform this project, (2) a description of the intervention and how it worked for students, …

Implementation Of Udl In Secondary Classrooms: A Capstone Project, Livia J. Mortensen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In today’s classrooms, students come from various backgrounds and may benefit from a variety of instructional approaches to meet their unique learning needs. Regardless of the need to tailor instruction for students, traditional teaching methods continue in classrooms but often fail to accommodate all the needs of our students. Many students, including students with disabilities, may struggle to engage with the standard curriculum that does not provide sufficient flexibility in instruction to reach all types of learners (Smith, 2012). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that seeks to address this specific issue by promoting inclusive teaching practices, …

Check-In/Check-Out Implementation Across Grade Levels For Improving Unexcused Absences In A High School Setting, Otis C. Bitsuie

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Chronic absenteeism may contribute to declining graduation rates for many students with disabilities. Students with disabilities face challenges with academic and emotional behaviors. Chronic absenteeism causes students to fall behind with classroom materials, and they are unable to utilize instructional supports, emotional supports, or assistance with transitions. Students with disabilities who miss class often tend to drop out of school, which leads to difficulties with navigating post-high school life. Students who do not obtain a school diploma often experience high unemployment rates, homelessness, and incarceration. Students facing chronic absenteeism need interventions that will improve problem behaviors amongst students. I will …

Effects Of Training And Self-Monitoring On Paraeducators' Use Of Behavior Specific Praise, Camille J. Lopez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Paraeducators support students with disabilities in special education classrooms but often receive limited training in effective behavior support strategies. This study examined whether training combined with self-monitoring increased paraeducators’ use of positive, specific praise and reduced the use of reprimands during instruction. Paraeducators were trained to use and track their own praise while working with students. Results showed increased use of positive praise and decreased reprimands following the intervention. These findings suggest that brief, low-cost training and self-monitoring can improve paraeducator instructional practices and support positive classroom environments for students with disabilities.

Enhancing Evidence-Based Practice Decision-Making Among Practitioners In Adult Disability Service Settings, Aubrey Vance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) working in adult disability services often face challenges such as high caseloads, limited oversight, and restricted resources, which can make it difficult to use individualized, research-supported interventions. Although evidence-based practice (EBP) is central to applied behavior analysis, many practitioners receive little training on how to integrate research evidence, client values, and clinical judgment into their decision-making. This study examined whether BCBAs could be effectively trained to use a structured decision-making framework based on the EBP model by Slocum et al. (2014). Using a multiple baseline design, we evaluated the effects of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) …

Decreasing Inappropriate Student Behavior Using Interdependent Group Contingency: Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Shelby Craig

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Students with intellectual disabilities have the right to participate in the same educational activities as their peers while receiving appropriate supports. Many schools implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to promote appropriate behavior through structured reinforcement systems, including group contingencies. This study examined the effectiveness of a group contingency intervention, the Caterpillar Game, in reducing inappropriate behaviors among six students with intellectual disabilities. Results indicated a consistent decrease in inappropriate behaviors following implementation of the intervention.

Breaking The Silence: Lifting The Voices Of Special Education Teachers In Co-Teaching Partnerships - A Study On The Impact Of Collaborative Practices And The Common Challenges Faced In An Inclusive Classroom, Marta Bronislawa Santiago

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Inclusive education increasingly positions co-teaching as a key model for supporting students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Although co-teaching is widely promoted as a way to improve access and participation, its effectiveness is shaped by how special education teachers experience collaboration, role clarity, and administrative support in practice. This qualitative study explored how special education teachers perceived their roles in co-teaching partnerships and the conditions that influenced their ability to collaborate effectively. Guided by a constructivist epistemological framework, this qualitative study explored the experiences of special education teachers working in co-teaching settings. Through semi-structured interviews, participants described how their …

Low-Vision Students’ Experiences With And Suggestions To Improve Desktop Virtual Reality: A Qualitative Study, Tanveer Mansur Syed

Theses and Dissertations

Visually impaired students have faced challenges in the field of education, particularly in science education. Not surprisingly, the unemployment rate for working-age visually impaired people has been above 70%. This persists despite federal laws to support the education and employment of visually impaired people,

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has evolved for several decades. Its use has proliferated in areas that include education. Today, VR science lab simulations are presented as a cost-effective alternative to traditional science labs. Research shows these to be viable substitutes to traditional science labs without a significant drop in learning outcomes. However, this researcher was unable …