Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Middle School Teachers Regarding Differentiation Instruction, Karen Mclerran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of middle school teachers regarding differentiation of instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Although there has been little documentation in the literature regarding instructional differentiation five factors that facilitate change have been identified in the framework.

Data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Analysis of data occurred in three phases: (a) transcribing interviews, (b) member checking of the transcripts, (c) coding-recoding of the data. The analysis of data was based on the theoretical proposition that student achievement, positive behaviors, and increased learner motivation fosters …

An Examination Of The Working Relationships Between General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, And Paraprofessionals In General Education Settings, Rita Page Hosay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide an examination of the relationships between general education teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals and the influences of these relationships on students with disabilities. This study was conducted through the process of semi-structured interviews with general education teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals working in two Tennessee school districts. The researcher found that communication practices, training, perspectives, time, role expectations, development of partnerships, and the creation of supportive environments affect the development of working relationships among special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and general education teachers. The researcher found that these relationships influence the …

Phenomenological Study Of Positive Coteaching Dyads Perceptions Of Their Coteaching Relationship, Ashley Weber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how coteaching dyads perceive their coteaching relationships including how they implemented coteaching and how their school leaders supported them. Participants in this study were located in one county school system in East Tennessee. Data was collected through an online survey distributed to 40 teachers, of whom 28 responded. Then data was collected through in person one-on-one interviews. Coteachers who participated in the interview process all rated themselves high on the Coteaching Rating Scale. The overarching research question was What makes coteaching relationships effective? Three research questions were analyzed. From the data, …

Queer Students’ Perceptions Of Inclusion At Abc Community College: A Phenomenology, Francis Canedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of Queer students at ABC Community College. Using phenomenology as its guiding framework, transcribed interviews were analyzed in order to seek the phenomenon of the experience. Examination of the literature suggested that Queer students’ experiences of discrimination could have a negative impact on academic achievement and that inclusive and affirming spaces have the opposite effect.

Further, Queer students search for affirming spaces from their faculty and peers, and the engagement these spaces provide may be good prognosticator academic achievement. When students are provided with inclusive spaces, they may be more likely to come …

Teacher Perceptions Of Inclusion And Students With Autism, Nancy Keener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion is considered the least restrictive environment for most students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of inclusion in general education classrooms for students with autism. This included an examination of how schools determined placement for students with autism, the academic and social influences of placement in the general classroom, perceptions of teachers and administrators about inclusion for students with autism, teaching strategies that worked for students with autism in the general classroom, and the influence other students in the classroom have on students with autism. Participants in the study were from …

The Inclusive Classroom: Perceptions Of General And Special Educators’ Preparedness To Meet The Needs Of Students With Disabilities, Allecia Frizzell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine whether kindergarten through eighth grade general education teachers and special education teachers were prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Conducted in Northeast Tennessee, an online survey was used to collect responses from participants in six school districts. The survey focused on four dimensions including perceptions of preparedness, attitudes towards inclusion, perceptions of administrator support and perceptions of self-efficacy. Data collected from 180 respondents were analyzed and informed the results of this study.

Findings indicated that special education teachers reported significantly higher levels of preparedness to meet the needs …

Administrator And Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Heather N. Lemay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the attitudes of teachers and administrators toward inclusion in the classroom. Specifically this study analyzed grade level, years of teaching experience, and levels of education to examine the manner in which these factors relate to attitudes of teachers and administrators toward inclusion.

Participants in this study were located in 3 school districts in East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to prek-12 teachers by way of email from school principals. The analysis of data was based on the responses of 183 teachers and administrators from these 3 school districts. Findings …

Perceptions Of Elementary Educators Toward Inclusion, Laurel M. Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the late 1990s there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with disabilities who receive instruction in inclusive settings. The participation of students with disabilities in inclusion classrooms continued to grow with the passing of The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. While previous legislation called for students with disabilities to participate in all standardized testing, The No Child Left Behind Act called for the closing of the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. An accountability system with sanctions for individual schools and …

Learning-Disabled Students: A Comparison Of Achievement Scores Of Students Receiving Services In Pull-Out Classrooms And Inclusion Classrooms, Gerilyn T. Scalf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement scores in reading/language arts and math of fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students who received academic instruction in an inclusion classroom or a pull-out classroom. Student achievement scores from the 2012-2013 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and the Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) improvement scores were compared with regard to service location and analyzed for significant differences between the locations: inclusion and pull-out classrooms. A quantitative study was used to find the differences in reading/language arts and math achievement scores for fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students …

Inclusion And Autism: General Education Teachers’ Perceptions, Deborah B. Hayes Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate general education teachers’ perceptions of being prepared to work with students identified with autism, grade level assignments, time concerns, and the presence of an ancillary attendant in their classrooms. Participants in this study were located in one city school system in North East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to 230 teachers, of whom 79 responded. Four research questions were analyzed, 3 with single sample t tests and 1 with a one-way ANOVA. Results indicated no statistical significance regarding grade level assignments and general education teachers’ perceptions …

Students With Disabilities: Perspectives Of Regular Education Teachers Of Increased Inclusion, Mindy D. Myers Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion. The participants of this study were K-12 regular education teachers located in Tennessee’s First region. Specifically, this research explored (1) perceptions of the impact of inclusion on instructional strategies, (2) perceived level of preparedness to effectively teach students with disabilities (3) professional development needs of regular education teachers instructing students with disabilities, and (4) collaborative relationships between regular and special educators. The data sources analyzed consisted of a survey design using a 4-point Likert scale. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. Each research question …

Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives Of Inclusion In The Regular Education Classroom, Becky Lorraine Olinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine regular education and special education teacher perceptions of inclusion services in an elementary school setting. In this phenomenological study, purposeful sampling techniques and data were used to conduct a study of inclusion in the elementary schools. In-depth one-to-one interviews with 8 participants were conducted using semistructured format.

The 2 research questions were focused on perceptions regarding the practice of inclusion in an elementary school setting, the effectiveness of inclusion, the supports that facilitate inclusion programs, and barriers to successful incorporation of inclusion services. The findings suggest teacher recognition of barriers that …

Professional Development And Teacher Perception Of Efficacy For Inclusion, Susan E. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the significant elements of reform-based professional development and their relationship to teachers’ self-efficacies for inclusion. The theoretical frameworks for this study were drawn from Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy and social cognitive theory in addition to pre-existing research pertaining to professional development and teacher efficacy for inclusion.

A web based survey was developed and made available for voluntary participation to a total population of 385 elementary school teachers in one East Tennessee school district. Data were collected from 79 elementary school teachers in 14 of the district’s elementary schools.

Findings included no …

A Comparison Of Inclusion And Pullout Programs On Student Achievement For Students With Disabilities, James Matthew Hurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have traditionally achieved to a lesser degree than have their nondisabled peers. Since the 1950s the federal government has enacted laws to provide free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. In the first decade of the 21st Century the government has produced legislation requiring schools to be responsible for improving instruction for students with disabilities. One of the major trends in accomplishing this task is a move toward inclusive education. This study determined the relationships of assessment type (Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments versus Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) assessments) and models of service delivery (general …

Perspectives Of Special Education Teachers On Implementation Of Inclusion In Four High Schools In East Tennessee., Lori Bellar Goodin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terminology found in state educational policies coupled with congressional intent provides a supportive framework for integration of inclusion into public education (Duhaney, 1999; Heumann, 1994). The U.S. Department of Education declared that the required continuum of alternative placements reinforces the importance of the consideration of the individual versus programming for the masses in determining what placement is the LRE for each student with a disability (Heumann, 1994). This disagreement of what constitutes the best educational model affects political agendas and funding issues (Idol, 2006).

The purpose of this study was to examine special education teacher perceptions through a qualitative …

Evaluating Special Education Teachers: Do We Get The Job Done? A Regional Perspective., Robert Edward Widener Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legislation enacted by federal and state governments has created a transition in the service delivery model of instruction provided to many students identified as having an educational disability. As a result of this transition, more emphasis is being placed on educating these students in the least restrictive environment, which moves these students from a self-contained model into a collaborative or inclusive setting. This transition has also created a situation where building level administrators are now evaluating and observing special education teachers in a variety of instructional settings.

This qualitative study was conducted in order to examine perceptions of a group …

Where Do They Fit In?: The Perceptions Of High School Students, Parents, And Teachers Regarding Appropriate Educational Placements For Children With High Incidence Disabilities., Annette Marie Tudor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) calls for the education of children with special needs in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Interpretation of what constitutes the Least Restrictive Environment has led to debate about how best to include children with disabilities into regular education environments. The process of inclusion has created an environment in which educators have conflicting feelings about the various types of special education placements. At one extreme are those who advocate all students belong in the general classroom all the time. At the other end of the continuum are those that contend …

Facilitators And Barriers To Incorporating Students With Disabilities In The General Education Classroom At The Secondary Level: A Study Of Teacher Perceptions., David L. Burgin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of incorporating students with disabilities in the general education classroom is driven by parents and advocates of children with disabilities. The push has been to educate all children in the least restrictive environment (LRE), changing the role of general education teacher from a subject matter specialist to include the responsibility of educating students with a wide range of special needs. While most agree that educating children with disabilities in the general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers is better than excluding them from academic and social opportunities, general educators have been a noticeably absent voice in regards to …

Identifying Catalysts For Sustained Innovation Of Inclusion Teachers, Laura J. Switzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher examined nine areas of support that can be of assistance to sustaining innovative methodology in four school systems in Upper East Tennessee. Five types of innovation were examined. This study looked at nine supports as well as years of involvement by the practicing educator. The research design was a comparative study with forty hypotheses used to test differences in perceived degree of assistance to commitment. Teachers were surveyed and asked to rate supports for sustained innovation. Teachers also rated actual and ideal involvement. The research questions were tested and statistically analyzed using t-test and analysis of variance. Significant …