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Full-Text Articles in Education

Professional Development And Training For The Inclusion Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Pre-Kindergarten: A Phenomenological Study, Melinda K. Parsons- Shadid Apr 2024

Professional Development And Training For The Inclusion Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Pre-Kindergarten: A Phenomenological Study, Melinda K. Parsons- Shadid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences utilizing professional resources to aid in the early childhood education development of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder for teachers at charter schools in a large city in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The problem is that there are limited professional resources to reduce early childhood education teachers' ability to educate students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder within the general classroom. One central research question and three sub-questions explored the purpose and problem of this study, which were guided by social cognitive theory. The central research question …


The Inclusive Music Classroom For Elementary Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Benjamin Bartow Harrison Apr 2024

The Inclusive Music Classroom For Elementary Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Benjamin Bartow Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Even though considerable research has been conducted regarding the inclusion of self-contained students in regular education settings, little research has been conducted specifically on elementary, self-contained students with EBDs in music classes. Given the fact that there are increasing numbers of students with EBDs, suggestions for empirically supported techniques specific to this demographic, as well as evaluation of unique challenges with educating this population, will prove beneficial to the overall classroom environment. Considering the negative impact of emotional outbursts on mainstream students, deciding when it is appropriate to exclude self-contained students from the inclusive classroom is crucial. Identifying proper utilization …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Educators And Service Providers In The Identification Process Of Minority Students For Special Education In East Tennessee Elementary Schools, Paula R. Jones Apr 2024

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Educators And Service Providers In The Identification Process Of Minority Students For Special Education In East Tennessee Elementary Schools, Paula R. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of educators and service providers in identifying minority students in special education in Tennessee elementary schools. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. This theory emphasizes cultural tools and their functions in understanding a different culture. It also provides a framework for researchers to investigate how education links individuals to their culture. The study’s sample consisted of ten participants, including general education teachers of core content areas, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and ELL teachers from three elementary schools in Tennessee. I used the triangulated research strategy …


A Phenomenological Study Of Females With Adhd Who Experienced Non-Cognitive Academic Difficulty In High School, Monika M. Woods Jul 2023

A Phenomenological Study Of Females With Adhd Who Experienced Non-Cognitive Academic Difficulty In High School, Monika M. Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experience of women with ADHD who encountered non-cognitive difficulties in the academic environment while attending a U.S. public high school. At this stage in the research, non-cognitive difficulties in the academic environment will be generally defined as academic difficulties not related to academic ability. Non-cognitive characteristics are described as soft skills such as learning strategies, motivation, and personality traits that cannot be identified in scholastic aptitude tests. The application of the hermeneutic phenomenological method was guided using Maslow’s theory of hierarchal needs. Maslow’s theory provided a framework of reflective …


The Lived Experience Of Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers Collaborating With Special Education Teachers: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Padro L. Gould Jul 2023

The Lived Experience Of Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers Collaborating With Special Education Teachers: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Padro L. Gould

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aims to describe the lived experiences of secondary career and technical education (CTE) teachers in a Michigan public school district who collaborate with special education teachers to meet the instructional needs of students with special needs. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as it is used to assess CTE teacher confidence levels, and how those levels directly and indirectly affect their capacity to offer adequate instruction to CTE students with special needs through collaborative efforts. This research intended to answer this central research question: What are the experiences of CTE teachers who collaborate …


The Experiences Of Co-Teachers Who Co-Taught Virtually During Covid-19: A Qualitative Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Carmean Deona Matthews Jul 2023

The Experiences Of Co-Teachers Who Co-Taught Virtually During Covid-19: A Qualitative Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Carmean Deona Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to describe and understand the experiences of online co-teaching through the perspectives of general education and special education co-teachers at the middle school level during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study followed Bandura’s social cognitive theory, emphasizing self-efficacy and reciprocal determinism as it explains how people think, feel, motivate themselves, and behave. The study answered the following overarching research question: How do co-teachers perceive their ability to implement all-online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? The school setting for this study is Sunny County Public Schools (pseudonym), a suburban public school district in East Georgia. The researcher …


Impact Of School Closures And Virtual Instruction On Sixth Grade Reading And Math Achievement Of Student Subgroups, Crystal Michelle Pope Jan 2023

Impact Of School Closures And Virtual Instruction On Sixth Grade Reading And Math Achievement Of Student Subgroups, Crystal Michelle Pope

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative design study was to determine whether differences existed between the reading and math achievement of sixth grade general education students and students with disabilities who have been identified with a specific learning disability or other health impairment. This study was important because achievement gaps exist between subgroups of students (Farkas et al., 2020). The sample included scores from 144 students in a school division in Southeastern Virginia. The instrument used was the Grade 6 Reading and Math Standards of Learning assessments administered in the spring of 2021. Two one-way ANOVAs were used to compare …


Music Education Of Korean-American Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Living In Los Angeles County And Orange County, Hyoungjik Kim Jan 2023

Music Education Of Korean-American Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Living In Los Angeles County And Orange County, Hyoungjik Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students with special needs are legally guaranteed comprehensive educational support, but some school districts do not provide education support for students with special needs because they do not know the laws and regulations. Also, some local school districts do not provide adequate educational support for special-needs students, even though they know the law. Therefore, this qualitative study investigates the current state of music education for Korean-American students with special needs living in Los Angeles County and Orange County through surveys and statistical data on local school districts. In particular, most schools have already implemented inclusive music classes. Therefore, music teachers …


Factors Which Facilitate The Successful Inclusion Of Students With Learning Disabilities And Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Mackenzie Gabrielle Nadeau Dec 2022

Factors Which Facilitate The Successful Inclusion Of Students With Learning Disabilities And Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Mackenzie Gabrielle Nadeau

Senior Honors Theses

This paper examines the different types of strategies, supports, and technologies available to students who are classified with a learning disability (LD) or emotional and behavioral disability (EBD) in an inclusive setting. As the number of students with LD and EBD in a general, inclusive classroom setting is rising, it is necessary to find ways to maximize their educational performance. In an inclusive setting, children with disabilities receive instruction with support and accommodations alongside their non-disabled peers in their neighborhood school. The practice of inclusion promotes social interaction and peer-acceptance among students with and without disabilities, therefore providing opportunities for …


Using Artificial Intelligence To Circumvent The Teacher Shortage In Special Education: A Phenomenological Investigation, Kirt Elliot Hale Nov 2022

Using Artificial Intelligence To Circumvent The Teacher Shortage In Special Education: A Phenomenological Investigation, Kirt Elliot Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to understand district technology leaders’ receptivity to employing artificial co-teachers, based on their lived experiences with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Facing a problematic teacher shortage in special education, the Jade County School District was not readily employing available AI technologies such as IBM’s WATSON and MIT Media Lab’s TEGA, to aide in filling the instructional voids caused by special education teacher attrition. Veblen’s theory of technological determinism provided the necessary framework for this study, which focused on how district technology leaders described their willingness or apprehension to employ autonomous machines to independently …


Measuring Teachers' Knowledge Of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury In The Classroom, Alana C. Moser Jul 2022

Measuring Teachers' Knowledge Of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury In The Classroom, Alana C. Moser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As more children reintegrate into the educational classrooms with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), educational teams must know the best ways to assist these students as they return to school. This predictive correlational study used multiple regression to analyze the linear relationship between the need for additional training of classroom teachers in the area of traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on the number of hours of TBI training teachers have received and their years of teaching experience. The sample included 74 elementary, middle, and high school general and special education classroom teachers throughout Texas. In this non-experimental study, participants submitted their …


A Phenomenological Study Of One-To-One Paraeducators' Self-Efficacy In Self-Contained Special Education Programs, Deborah Schloemer-Frazer Jun 2022

A Phenomenological Study Of One-To-One Paraeducators' Self-Efficacy In Self-Contained Special Education Programs, Deborah Schloemer-Frazer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences and self-efficacy of one-to-one paraeducators assisting high school students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms. The theory guiding this study is Bandura's social cognitive theory, which describes self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a person's belief in their ability to complete a designated task (Bandura, 1997a). Bandura purports that there are four elements that contribute to one's self-efficacy: performance outcomes, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological and affective state (Bandura, 1997b). In this phenomenological study, eleven one-to-one paraeducators within one school district in western Washington participated in interviews, focus groups, …


The Effects Of Demographics, Training, And Experience On The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Online Special Education Teachers, Jeanette Huff May 2022

The Effects Of Demographics, Training, And Experience On The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Online Special Education Teachers, Jeanette Huff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-efficacy beliefs have been shown to be indicators of student outcomes. They have been extensively studied in the brick and mortar setting and in online schools as well, but they have not been studied by special education teachers in the online setting. A key duty of special education teachers is delivering Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI). This study is a quantitative, predictive, correlational, and causal comparative, study and extends the understanding of the self-efficacy beliefs of special education teachers who deliver SAI in the online setting by using Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy’s (2001) Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale to measure self-efficacy …


Be Who You Are: Social Identity And Social Disability As Experienced By 6th Grade Students With Learning Disabilities Educated In The Least Restrictive Environment: A Phenomenological Study, Kimberly P. Johnson Apr 2022

Be Who You Are: Social Identity And Social Disability As Experienced By 6th Grade Students With Learning Disabilities Educated In The Least Restrictive Environment: A Phenomenological Study, Kimberly P. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of 6th grade students with learning disabilities educated in their least restrictive environment (LRE) to the maximum extent appropriate sitting next to their non-disabled peers. Two theories guided this study, social identity theory and the social model of disability. Social identity (Tajfel, 1970) addresses individuals' self-worth and self-esteem based on the group they associate with and their rank in the group. Oliver's (1990) social model of disability addresses disability as a social problem rather than a personal problem. The central research question is as follows: what are the …


Case Study: Exploration Into Principal's Educational Leadership Training And Their Preparation To Lead Special Education Programs In Schools, Tyriq D'Shon Simmons Apr 2022

Case Study: Exploration Into Principal's Educational Leadership Training And Their Preparation To Lead Special Education Programs In Schools, Tyriq D'Shon Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the educational leadership training experiences in special education for school principals of public charter schools in Washington D.C. Guiding this study, is the theory of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), contributed by Shulman (1986), and the social constructivist theory contributed by Lev Vygotsky (1978). These theories seek to explain the relationship between what principals are expected to know and do based on leadership content knowledge and practical application, specifically in terms of leading special education programs in schools. The central question of this study is: What are the experiences of school principals …


The Attitude Of Staff Members With Regards To Trauma-Informed Care In A High School In Arizona, Deanna Aljean Iverson Dec 2021

The Attitude Of Staff Members With Regards To Trauma-Informed Care In A High School In Arizona, Deanna Aljean Iverson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzes the attitudes and beliefs with regards to trauma-informed care, of certified staff members at one public high school, in a public school district, in the southeast valley of Phoenix, Arizona. Previous studies have demonstrated that the attitudes of certified staff members have had a large impact on the implication and effectiveness of trauma-informed care within schools. The certified staff members went through several trainings to increase their trauma-informed readiness, help them identify struggling students, and build trauma-informed strategies when working with students. The relationship between these trainings and the overall attitude of certified staff requires further research …


Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Job Satisfaction In Youth Development Centers: A Quantitative Correlational Study, Kimberley Kerchelle Simmons Nov 2021

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Job Satisfaction In Youth Development Centers: A Quantitative Correlational Study, Kimberley Kerchelle Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of students with disabilities entering youth development centers is increasing exponentially. The youth development center schools that are responsible for providing academic services to these students are inadequately staffed with special education teachers to meet the behavioral and academic needs of juvenile offenders with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore the relationship between special education teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction in teachers within the twenty-five youth development center schools located throughout the Georgia DJJ System. The participants completed the Teachers' Sense of Self-Efficacy Survey (TSES) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). TSES was …


The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences In A Special Education Music Classroom, Daniel Passadino Sep 2021

The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences In A Special Education Music Classroom, Daniel Passadino

Masters Theses

Special education students involved in music classes currently face a lack of inclusivity. Various methods have been used to promote inclusivity in the music classroom. This paper focuses on how Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory promotes inclusivity in the special education music classroom. The multiple intelligence theory streamlines a special education music curriculum by highlighting each child’s strongest intelligence. To assess a child’s intelligences, they must participate in music-related tests. The tests include mini lessons which cater to the multiple intelligences. For example, when children are taught using visuals, some will not be able to learn as effectively if they …


High School Teachers' Experiences In Addressing The Challenges Of Written Expression Among Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kevin James Hasinger Jul 2021

High School Teachers' Experiences In Addressing The Challenges Of Written Expression Among Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kevin James Hasinger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe high school special education teachers’ experiences in teaching written expression to students with autism spectrum disorder in Parker County School District, located near the mid-eastern seaboard of the United States. At the onset of the study, written expression instruction was defined as instruction that facilitates the expression of feelings, thoughts, and ideas on paper to convey meaning to and/or persuade the reader (Flowers & Hayes, 1981). The theory guiding this study was Flower and Hayes’ (1981) cognitive process theory of writing which defined three essential elements of writing: the task …


Mothers Of Students With A Disability: A Phenomenological Study Of Experiences With School Discipline, Mary Jane Harris Jun 2021

Mothers Of Students With A Disability: A Phenomenological Study Of Experiences With School Discipline, Mary Jane Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand what school discipline means to mothers of students with a disability at various school districts in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. School discipline was defined as the policies and procedures schools use to manage student behavior. This study was supported by Oliver’s social model theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The purpose of data collection in this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to gather data so an empirical analysis could be completed of how mothers of students with a disability define school discipline. Interviews, focus groups, and …


A Comparison Of Special And General Educators' Perceptions Of Collegiality, Jessica Brower May 2021

A Comparison Of Special And General Educators' Perceptions Of Collegiality, Jessica Brower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The move to an inclusive model has placed additional strain on educators in both general and special education. Collegiality, an identified factor of educator attrition, could serve to reduce that strain. However, little is known about collegiality in education. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined the differences in perceptions of collegiality among special and general educators from six Mid-Atlantic school districts, using the Teacher Collegiality Scale (TCS). Participants were drawn from a sample population of teachers representing (n = 234) special and (n = 234) general educators. This sample included participants from four states and approximately 235 schools. This sample is …


The Effects Of Using An Online Reading Program To Improve Learning For Special Education Students, Ryan Scott Saxe May 2021

The Effects Of Using An Online Reading Program To Improve Learning For Special Education Students, Ryan Scott Saxe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern day instructional tools, such as technology and digital learning programs, have been created to assist teachers in differentiating instruction for struggling students and catching students up who are not proficient in reading. The Coronavirus 2020 Global Pandemic forced schools and classrooms across the world to move to remote and virtual forms of learning which potentially exacerbates the achievement gap between all students and students with identified learning disabilities. The purpose of this casual-comparative quantitative research study was to determine the extent to which a digital learning program improves learning outcomes in reading for 4th grade special education students from …


An Applied Study Examining Inclusion Models In An All-Girls Rhode Island Catholic High School, Shannon Mcmahon Apr 2021

An Applied Study Examining Inclusion Models In An All-Girls Rhode Island Catholic High School, Shannon Mcmahon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to seek to solve the problem of a lack of comprehensive special education programming in an all-girls, Catholic school in Rhode Island, that addresses the students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and to design a proposal of recommendations, using a multi-method approach. Particular attention was given to the merits of peer mentoring as an effective inclusion strategy. The central research question was “How can the problem of lack of comprehensive special education programs for girls be solved at St. Teresa’s Catholic School in Rhode Island?” Data were collected using both quantitative and qualitative …


A Description Of The Factors Contributing To Parents Choosing Christian Elementary School For Children With Special Needs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Andrea L. Cook Apr 2021

A Description Of The Factors Contributing To Parents Choosing Christian Elementary School For Children With Special Needs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Andrea L. Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Education professionals have expressed concern that parents’ decisions to enroll students with special needs in Christian schools are ill-informed due to lack of data surrounding student outcomes in such environments and lack of teacher qualifications (Cheng et al., 2016; Lane, 2017). There has been very little research on why parents choose Christian elementary school for their students with special needs. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the factors contributing to parents choosing a Christian elementary school for children with special needs. Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory framed this study, as it states that one’s knowledge …


An Analysis Of Opinions About Special Education Inclusion Among Virginia Elementary And Middle School Administrators, Pattye Keeling Leslie Apr 2021

An Analysis Of Opinions About Special Education Inclusion Among Virginia Elementary And Middle School Administrators, Pattye Keeling Leslie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Past research has shown a relationship between individuals’ attitudes and their intentions to act. The attitudes of principals and assistant principals can impact the implementation of inclusion in the public school setting. This predictive correlational study used multiple regression to analyze the linear relationship between the opinions about inclusion and the factors of administrative assignment, school level, administrative experience, special education endorsement, gender, percentage of minority students served, percentage of students served identified as economically disadvantaged, and percentage of students served identified with a disability. The sample included 104 elementary and middle school principals and assistant principals representing 26 Virginia …


Practitioner Perception Of The Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In The Special Education Classroom: A Case Study, Jolene G. Swezey Mar 2021

Practitioner Perception Of The Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In The Special Education Classroom: A Case Study, Jolene G. Swezey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to identify factors that inform the decision-making process of 11 special education practitioners for the implementation of evidence-based practices in the classroom at Central Combined School (pseudonym). The theoretical framework for this study is Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory. Street-level bureaucracy theory states that social services workers use discretion to administer required policies. Understanding how special educators act as street-level bureaucrats will provide new insights into teacher perception of the decision-making process for implementing evidence-based practices. The central research question asked, What are the factors that inform the decision-making process for special …


Music Participation And Achievement Scores Among Middle School Students With Disabilities: A Causal-Comparative Study, Ashley Anne Gonzalez Dec 2020

Music Participation And Achievement Scores Among Middle School Students With Disabilities: A Causal-Comparative Study, Ashley Anne Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined the differences in reading and math achievement between students with disabilities who participated in music for two or more years and those who did not. This study’s purpose was to show if participating in music can impact the academic achievement of middle school students as measured by the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). The covariate in the study was the reading and math STAAR scores from fifth-grade students in the 2015–2016 school year before they participated in middle school music. These students’ eighth-grade 2018–2019 math and reading scores were used to show …


A Qualitative Study Of American Sign Language Interpreting For Deaf Individuals With Disabilities, Emily A. Mason Sep 2020

A Qualitative Study Of American Sign Language Interpreting For Deaf Individuals With Disabilities, Emily A. Mason

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

There are complexities involved in American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting for the unique population of Deaf individuals with disabilities (DWD), particularly in educational settings, that must be considered. Based on the foundation of existing literature regarding the field of ASL interpreting, educational interpreting, and strategies of working with DWD individuals, the researcher created a theoretical conceptual framework that combined the frameworks of ASL Interpreting and Special Education. The current primary research is aimed at addressing another portion of the gap, that is, research regarding practical experiences in working with this population. This study was conducted through questionnaires sent out through …


Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Responsible For Training Novice Paraeducators In The Inclusive Setting: A Phenomenological Study, Rachel Lyn Wilbur-Carlyle Sep 2020

Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Responsible For Training Novice Paraeducators In The Inclusive Setting: A Phenomenological Study, Rachel Lyn Wilbur-Carlyle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study, as outlined by Moustakas, was to describe the experiences of special education teachers serving as trainers of novice paraeducators in the inclusion setting. It occured within the metro-Atlanta area. The theory guiding this study was Lave and Wenger’s theory of situativity. This theory focused upon social practices occurring within relationships amongst communities and supported the inquiry of special education teachers. The central research question that guided the study was: “How do special education teachers who work in the elementary school inclusive settings describe their experiences supervising special education paraeducators?” To support the focus …


A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of High School Students With A Reading Disability, Ellen R. Ziegler Aug 2020

A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of High School Students With A Reading Disability, Ellen R. Ziegler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Reading is an essential skill for all students. However, students who do not grasp the basic reading skills during elementary school struggle through school. Without basic skills, many of these students are at risk for behavioral issues and a low self-concept. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of high school students with a specific learning disability in reading. The theory that guided this study was the social identity theory as it relates to high school students with a disability in reading to their identity to self and others. The central research question for this …