Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Accessibility And Usage Of Cultural Heritage By The Disabled Users: Understanding Of Parents’ Points Of View, Valentina Perciavalle, Elisabetta Sagone

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Background: Italian educational system express a growing attention toward the strategies utilized for improving the accessibility and participation for all individuals, but not always for the disabled users’ needs, underestimating the value of inclusive education in various contexts of everyday life. Method: A preliminary study with 82 parents of children and preadolescents with intellectual disability, sensory impairments, and physical disability was carried out adopting the “inclusive research paradigm” to investigate parents’ perceptions, levels of satisfaction, and attitudes toward obstacles/facilitators to accessibility and usage of cultural heritage sites in Sicilian context. Results: Using an online questionnaire, parental satisfaction degree …

Syrian Children’S Perceived Integration Into Turkish National Education System, Nurgul Bekdemir, Gulce Kalayci, Nuray Alagozlu

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study is conducted to analyze Syrian children’s educational life from the perspective of the teachers and explore their acculturation process, and adaptation into the Turkish culture with reference to the difficulties. Moreover, the study will take into account their academic attainment as well as the implemented bilingual education model. Grounded theory was utilized to analyze the data as it enables a scrupulous analysis when there is not much detailed information on the topic. Thematic analysis was conducted as the qualitative research design is required to explore and identify the academic achievement and social adaptation process of Syrian students in …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Autistic Adults, Sneha Kohli Mathur

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Although there is a plethora of autism-related research, research related to transition and support needs for autistic adults remains limited. The purpose of this study was to understand the hopes, dreams, aspirations, challenges, and lived experiences of autistic adults. Academic literature has largely emphasized autism as a medical deficit, and use of first-person narratives to understand needs of people on the autism spectrum is rare. To fill this gap, I conducted a narrative study through a social model of disability lens and centered voices of autistic individuals. The narrative component of this research allowed readers to understand the subjective experiences …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 4, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu, Muhittin Cavusoglu

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This is the fourth 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: Educational Technology
• Part 4: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 5: English as a Second Language
• Part 6: Global Competence
• Part 7: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: PreK-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-955833-04-2

Adult Education

• Teaching for knowledge transfer: Best practices from a graduate-level educational psychology distance learning program
  • Bobby Hoffman
• A study on the …

A Deconstructive Reading Of Intercultural Education Of Teachers’ And School Leaders’ Narrative In Italy, Giambattista Bufalino, Gabriella D’Aprile

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

As a result of the recent influx of immigrant students, intercultural education has become a significant field of interest in Italy. Despite the fact that many educational projects have a well-established rhetorical and ideological approach, the term “intercultural” has become a generic term that has been loosely defined and poorly implemented. On that basis, this article offers a deconstructive reading of a qualitative study conducted in Sicilian schools as part of a European intercultural education project. The study sought to learn more about how cultural diversity representations influence teachers' educational and ethical actions when working with migrant students. We used …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Co-Teaching Through The Lens Of Special Education And General Education Teachers., Erin Seale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching has become one of the most popular service-delivery models that school districts use to incorporate students with disabilities in the general education settings. This phenomenological study reports how special education teachers and general education teachers at one Central Kentucky high school describes their perceptions and experiences with co-teaching. This study uses semi-structured interview to explore general education and special education teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with co-teaching and being a part of a co-teaching team.

Repensando La Discapacidad En España Y Latinoamérica: La Producción Cultural Hispánica De Autores/As Con Diversidad Funcional En Los Siglos Xx Y Xxi, Montserrat Fuente-Camacho

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Esta tesis se centra en el análisis de la producción cultural hispánica contemporánea de autores/as con diversidad funcional para investigar cómo se representan a sí mismos en sus obras y qué medios utilizan cuando cuestionan el discurso capacitista que los margina. Además, se comparan las semejanzas y diferencias que existen entre dichas representaciones y se señala cuál es su valor temático y estético. Mediante el análisis de la interconexión de la diversidad funcional con múltiples categorías como género, sexualidad, raza, edad y clase social, exploro varios tipos de obras –documental, poesía, diario, novela gráfica y ficción juvenil– creadas por un …

Iep Implementation Fidelity: Literature Review And Handbook, Kiah Love-Latzke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The use of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student with a disability is mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 and is used to determine the educational needs of that child. IDEA defines an IEP as a “written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with section 1414(d) of this title” (2004). This also ensures that students receiving these services through the IEP must have them available in their least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment according to IDEA states that “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with …

“Does Your Arm Hurt?” A Content Analysis Of Upper Limb Differences In Children's Books, Amber Meyer, Vince Genareo

Michigan Reading Journal

Approximately 1,500 children are born with upper limb differences (ULDs) each year in the United States. Recently, public media attention has brought a greater awareness of individuals with upper limb differences (ULDs), but educational research on the PreK-12 experiences, available curricular materials, and effective educational strategies are lacking for this group of people. Researchers in this study identified and performed a content analysis of 24 children’s books with characters with ULDs. Findings indicated more of these books were being published recently, that they represented a number of genres, and were largely informative about experiences of people with ULDs. Most were …

Spaces And Societal Interactions: Foundations Of The Critical Disabled Cultural Lens Of A Child Of Disabled Adults, Amelia-Marie Altstadt

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

CoDisA are present on our campuses, but not present within research. This autoethnographic study focuses on providing the foundation of the critical disabled cultural lens of a Child of Disabled Adults (CoDisA) for future study of CoDisA within higher education research. The findings of spaces and societal interactions are presented through the accessible format of autoethnodrama. This two act show is a fun and immersive way to take you on a college tour trip “up the 5," from San Diego, California to Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Act 1, the findings chapter with thorough scene descriptions, helps frame where …

Executive Function: What It Is And How It Affects Reading Comprehension, Abegail Harthun

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Executive function is a very key component of development. Awareness of executive function has become more prominent in education. Research has been able to determine how the executive function develops in children versus adults. Specific areas of executive function have been identified. When the area was identified and how they influence behavior, interventions and strategies could be developed to counter the deficit. In the education world, assessing students with the purpose of identifying the deficits was difficult. Administering assessment naturally took care of the need for EF skills. New assessments needed to be developed. Companies have made those developments. Affective …

Peer-Led-Team Learning In Introductory Engineering Courses: An Analysis Of An Interventional Method Of Support For Underrepresented Students At A Two-Year, Hispanic-Serving Public Institution, Kimberly T. Luthi, Lisa Macon, Mohua Kar

Publications

The three-year project entitled Engagement in Engineering Pathways funded by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM education grant explored the conditions that led to increased academic outcomes and non-cognitive factors related to persistence of nontraditional undergraduate students in engineering education. The study was conducted at a multicampus, federally-designated, Hispanic-serving, public, two-year college in the southeast United States. This paper presents one aspect of the effects of peer-led team learning (PLTL) on academic success through the inclusion of active learning modules in introductory undergraduate engineering course. The researchers found that PLTL introduced in engineering courses, to include statics and dynamics, …

Watch Your Language! A Foundational Course Exploring Language Of Gender And Sexuality, Raeann Risko

Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Summer Fellows

How do language and word choice influence the way people think about gender and sexuality? This question is addressed through a syllabus for an entry level college course, which includes suggested readings and activities along with explanations and advice for instructors. This course provides a foundation for understanding the power of language and the impact that the vocabulary used to describe people in relation to their gender and sexuality has. The purpose of the course is to offer an interactive guide for students to consider the many different ways that words may be used or misused, understood or misunderstood. This …

3. 2021 Diversity Climate Survey: Summary Of Findings, Adrienne Coleman, Hannah Anderson

Equity and Excellence Scorecard

In March 2021, a survey regarding diversity and school climate was administered by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and inclusion. This survey was adapted from the National Climate Survey developed by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). There were a total of 551 survey responses, 48 of which were removed due to incomplete survey responses. Of the remaining 503 authentic responses, there were 182 Sophomores, 156 Juniors, 147 Seniors, and 18 that did not indicate their grade level. Below is a summary of the major results from the survey.

Documenting The Journey Towards Becoming An Anti-Racist White Educator, Heather Mccord

Dissertations

As a White teacher in public education, I have had the great pleasure of educating students from all over the globe. My career began in a district that served predominantly White students from middle class families. The only Black students I interacted with were those bused in from the city while participating in the desegregation program. There were noticeable biases and beliefs teachers held toward those students. However, since I was early on in my career with little experience, I was unaware of damage being done to these students. Once I began working for an extremely diverse district, in a …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives On Family-Centered Practices In Early Intervention, Irma J. Pereira, Francine M. Seruya

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Early intervention (EI) requires service provision in natural settings while incorporating interventions based on family-centered practice (FCP). This study sought to understand (a) how occupational therapists define and implement FCP in their daily interventions and (b) therapists’ perspectives on using this model of practice in EI.

Method: This study used a qualitative, phenomenological approach. Nine licensed occupational therapists from six states with a minimum of 3 years of working experience in the area of EI participated. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subsequently coded and analyzed for emergent themes.

Results: The therapists had an average of …

Disability Injustice: A Latino’S Creative Autoethnographic Testimonio On The Organizational Culture Of Higher Education, Leonel A. Diaz Jr.

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

Using creative autoethnographic testimonio (CAT), a story is told about the injustices within the learning environment and work environment of higher education toward a person with disabilities: sleep apnea, learning disabilities, negative mental health. The author explores the health difficulties of addressing sleep deprivation while attending graduate school and working full-time as a professional. With sleep apnea impacting his health, his mental health declines. As his health declines, there is an increase in discrimination, hostility, oppression, bullying, and toxic masculinity. Initially, the medical system dismisses his declining health and refuses to look further into it. Once he receives medical care …

Growing Capacity In Gifted And Talented Education Through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, And Mathematics (Steam), Sheron Mark, Chin-Wen Jean Lee, Peter A. Azmani

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

A graduate-level gifted and talented education (GTE) course for in-service teachers was revised aiming to prepare teachers to integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education into existing curricula to create challenging learning experiences for students identified as gifted and talented. Two university-based teacher educators in science education and GTE, respectively, engaged in action research in order to develop and refine a semester-long STEAM project in the GTE course to accomplish this goal. In all, two elementary, one Music, and one World History teacher participated. Case study analysis explored the teachers’ approaches to developing STEAM-based lessons to expand their …

Inclusion, Engagement, And Nearpod: Providing A Digital Alternative To Traditional Instruction, Kristina Buttrey

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Unfortunately, the onset of Covid-19 and the ensuing pandemic led to a shift in the structure of classrooms across all levels of the educational spectrum. The resulting move to more social distancing methods, including a combination of face-to-face and online formats, led to a need for innovative uses of technology. In this article, Nearpod is explored as an alternative way to present information while increasing engagement and inclusivity in the classroom. Research studies and reviews are scrutinized on the use of Nearpod as tool for teachers and pre-service teachers in K-12.

A Systematic Review Of The Quality Of Reporting In Mathematics Meta-Analyses For Students With Or At Risk Of Disabilities Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at-risk of disabilities. The purpose of the systematic review was to evaluate reporting quality in meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at risk of disabilities. To identify meta-analyses for inclusion, we considered peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2020; we searched five education-focused electronic databases, scanned the table of contents of six special education journals, reviewed the curriculum vitae of researchers who frequently publish meta-analyses in mathematics and special …

Discrit At The Margins Of Teacher Education: Informing Curriculum, Visibilization, And Disciplinary Integration, Saili Kulkarni, Emily Nusbaum, Phillip Boda

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Forty Years After The Larry P. Decision: School Psychologists’ Perceptions Of The Assessment Of African American Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Shara Cabreros

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the assessment models school psychologists use to identify African American students with SLDs in three of the K-12 school districts in Riverside County. A second purpose of this study was to determine how school psychologists within three districts of Riverside County perceive the assessment model used in their school district affects the identification of SLDs in African American students. A third purpose of this study was to determine the assessment model school psychologists in three districts in Riverside County believe most accurately identifies SLDs in African American students. …

Handwriting Correction System Using Wearable Sleeve With Optimal Tactor Configuration, Dhanya Nair, Grant Stankaitis, Sean Duback, Robert Geoffrion, Justin B. Jackson

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Handwriting remains an elusive skill with practice worksheets being the common method of learning. Since these worksheets provide only visual feedback and no quantitative feedback, it can often be a challenge to improve. For children with learning disabilities, learning handwriting skills is one of the most difficult tasks. We propose a handwriting training system that uses off-the-shelf webcam, a pen tracking software and a haptic sleeve which provides active feedback to the user based on their deviation from the original pattern. The sleeve has 4 individual motors that vibrate at different intensities based on the direction (right, left, up or …

Using Transcendental Phenomenology To Explore Elementary Teachers’ Experiences With Struggling Readers During The Social Restrictions Precipitated By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Wyann C. Stanton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a window into the experiences of elementary teachers with their struggling readers during the largest world-wide interruption to education that has ever been seen. This study gives insight to educational leaders and educators as they assist their struggling readers in rebounding from the disruption to school caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and as they work to improve the quality of schooling for struggling readers. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there had been a growing body of educational literature in pandemic-related information, practice, and research. Yet, there was a need to bring to light the phenomenon of …

Discipline Disproportionality Of Black Students With Disabilities: Principals' Perspectives, Wanda L. Van Dyke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the problem of practice found in discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities in an urban school district with a majority Black student and teacher population. Through personal interviews with building level administrators, data was gained to determine common themes that impact discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities. A qualitative inquiry approach, in the form of a case study was used to determine principals’ perspectives about factors that may impact discipline disproportionality. Student disciplinary records were examined to verify disproportionality and investigate patterns and categories related to students with and without …

Collaborative Inquiry To Support Critically Reading Children’S Literature, Laurie Rabinowitz, Amy Tondreau

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article provides an overview of a qualitative study investigating how K-5 classroom teachers describe their beliefs, concerns, and planning process for enacting read alouds featuring characters with disabilities. The study explored educators' close reading of picture books to elicit the unpacking of beliefs about individuals with disabilities conveyed by children’s literature. Through dialogue about social issues in picture books with colleagues, teachers sharpened their own critical literacy skills to bring into the classroom. Based on our findings, we offer a collaborative inquiry cycle that teacher groups can replicate to critically read children’s literature for different social justice issues.

End-Line Evaluation Zambian Girls 2030 Program (2016-2018). Final Evaluation Report, Sanjay Tripathi, Oscar Mutinda, Linda Banji Siamuzyulu, Jagbeer Kaur

Program monitoring and evaluation

The Realising My Potential Programme (2016–2018) programme was implemented in Northern and Southern Provinces targeting four districts in each province: Mungwi, Luwingu, Mbala and Mpulungu in the Northern Province and Pemba, Sinazongwe, Namwala and Monze in the Southern province. The focus of the programme was to empower girls through career and skills mentoring, guidance, entrepreneurship skills development, financial literacy education and an internship opportunity, and to provide girls with the professional training and networks to succeed. Restless Development was the implementing partner, and financial and technical assistance and guidance were provided by Ministry of General Education and UNICEF. The Australian …

A Secondary Transition Planning Tool To Enhance The Needs Of Students With Disabilities Beyond High School: Case Study, Kamyka Glenn

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Youth with disabilities such autism, emotional disorder, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities are less likely to exit high school with a diploma, more likely to drop out of school and be unemployed, and less likely to enroll in postsecondary education and to live independently (Department of Education, 2011; Labor of Statistics, 2016). “The percentage of students with disabilities who spend at least 80% of each school day in general education has increased from 34% in 1990 to 63.5% in 2017, their levels of academic achievement, rates of school exit, and post school outcomes still fall well below those of their …

Examining Teacher Advocacy For Full Inclusion, Jill Bradley-Levine

Journal of Catholic Education

This critical ethnography examined the motivations of, and processes used by teachers to advocate for the inclusion of students with exceptionalities in their Catholic school. Because students with exceptionalities have been marginalized in K-12 Catholic schools, learning more about teachers who have been successful advocates on their behalf is essential to building more inclusive schools, as well as inclusive local and global communities. The findings of this study help to identify some key elements for teacher-led advocacy including practices that align with ethical leadership and that encourage teachers to take risks and pursue passions when there is potential for positive …

How Can Early Childhood Educators Promote Equitable Outcomes Through Trauma-Informed Practice?, Elizabeth Terry

Graduate Teacher Education

An abundance of research acknowledges the effects of trauma on children from an early age. Prolonged and severe trauma in early childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in important areas of development, such as one’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being (Morsy and Rothstein, 2019). Children present school systems and educators with the task of addressing this important, but infrequently considered issue. Trauma has lasting effects regardless of age, but the impacts of trauma during childhood are especially profound during such formative years. Children require safe spaces to learn and flourish as individuals, therefore it is important that early childhood educators …