Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Barriers When Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Chelsea R. Norton

All NMU Master's Theses

This mixed-methods study investigated the perceptions educators have during the initial stages of implementing the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) model. A survey and semi-structured interviews were collected to identify if the perceived barriers found in a rural context were consistent with prior research. Quantitative survey data indicated that participants felt confident about their practicing foundational skills of MTSS, and felt MTSS will benefit both staff and students. However, quantitative survey results also indicated a discrete difference in the data between the answers regarding participant confidence, knowledge, and the answers regarding attitude regarding time, resources, and leadership. Qualitative analysis from …

Goal Setting: Impacting Teacher Candidate Growth In Residency Practicum Prior To Student Teaching, Shantel Farnan, Victoria Seeger, Sue Wood, Greg Rich

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Educator preparation programs and school districts continue to strive to meet their commitment to better prepare future teachers for entry into the field of education. For more than 100 years, beginning as a normal school, a midwest university has had a strong reputation for the preparation of teachers. After a significant revision to the curriculum to one driven by competencies, this university increased field experiences for teacher candidates, including a culminating year out called Residency Practicum and Student Teaching. Over the course of the undergraduate program, candidates work toward achievement of competencies assigned throughout the coursework and aligned to state …

The Relationship Between School Architecture And Self-Efficacy Of Students With Special Needs In Some Schools In Lebanon - The Reciprocal Architectural Design Method, Hayat M. Itani

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

This study sought to develop a new architectural design methodology for educational facilities. The design factors of inclusive schools built environment affect the self-efficacy of students with special needs. Self-efficacy being defined by Albert Bandura as one's belief in one's ability to succeed completing specific tasks in a certain environmental action. This research is conducted by following the sequential explanatory research design, surveyed by a mixed method. Participants were a group of 35 special education teachers and 25 students with special needs, conveniently selected from some schools in Lebanon. The two questionnaires and the individual interviews administered by the researcher …

Meeting Them At "Tha" Crossroads: Examining General Education Teachers' Knowledge And Understanding Of Reaching And Teaching Black Boys With Disabilities, Benita Kluttz-Drye

Theses and Dissertations

Black boys with disabilities struggle in general education classrooms throughout the United States and face challenges and barriers regarding access, success, and equity. Educators must better understand how these students learn and create equitable opportunities by leveraging students' cultures, strengths, and knowledge. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study is to examine teachers' knowledge and understanding of enacting culturally responsive tenets. Four theoretical frameworks are used: Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2002b, 2018), Ethic of Care (Noddings, 2012), Differentiated Instruction (Tomlinson et al., 2003; Tomlinson, 2017), and Disability Studies and Critical Race Theory (Annamma et al., 2013). The …

A Study Of Dual-Language Preschoolers With Moderate To Severe Autism: Perspectives And Practices Of Professionals In Boston-Area Massachusetts School Districts, Susan Davison

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

The rate of autism continues to increase globally across cultures and languages. Inequities exist in early access to an autism diagnosis and necessary evidence-based education and related services for dual-language children in the U.S. This qualitative dissertation study investigated the perspectives and practices of 10 educators and therapists working in the Boston area of Massachusetts with dual-language preschoolers with moderate to severe autism. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews on Zoom. Practitioners described their commitment to their students and families. Using a social constructivist phenomenological approach, the data analysis of the practitioners’ responses resulted in seven main findings. Assessment …

Managing Student Misbehavior Through A Restorative Approach: A Phenomenological Study, Michael Preston Christie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of alternative education teachers in utilizing a restorative approach to managing student behaviors at a small, rural school district in north Florida. Gordon’s (1981) theory on Teacher Effectiveness Training (TET) steered this study in investigating the research questions central to this study: (1) What are the experiences of alternative education teachers in using a restorative approach for addressing student behaviors? (2) How have these experiences shaped the teacher-student relationship? (3) What are the professional development needs of alternative education teachers to improve the restorative practices experience? Through …

Improving Inattentiveness Through Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex Integration Exercises: A Quantitative, Quasi-Experimental Study, Arrin Christine Brummett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to understand the difference in the posttest detectability scores, as measured by the Conners Kiddie Continuous Performance Test 2nd edition, among early childhood students participating in various activity types, including ATNR integration exercises, running exercises, or sedentary work, when controlling for pretest detectability scores at schools in rural north Texas using a nonequivalent control-group, pretest-posttest design. This study built on the theory of structural cognitive modifiability and helped to expand research regarding the impact of a specific type of physical activity, namely asymmetric tonic neck reflex integration exercises, on focal inattentiveness, a …

Students’ Self-Efficacy In Self-Regulation Together With Behavioural And Emotional Strengths: Investigating Their Self-Perceptions, Minna Ikävalko, Erkko Sointu, Matthew C. Lambert, Jaana Viljaranta

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Students’ self-perceptions are a foundation for educational and psychosocial development. In order to investigate self-perceptions, we need to recognise the preconceptions (e.g. doubts and confidence) students hold about themselves. In this study, we examined 10–16-year-old students’ (N=599) self–perceptions from the viewpoints of the sources of self-efficacy in self-regulation and behavioural and emotional strengths. Specifically, we used descriptive analyses to examine whether students’ ages or received pedagogical support played a role in how they perceived themselves, and whether these viewpoints are related to each other. Our results indicate that, in general, primary school students perceived their sources of self-efficacy in self-regulation …

How Early Mathematics Interventions Support Mathematics Vocabulary Learning: A Content Analysis, Gena Nelson, Hannah Carter

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

While there is a strong research base that supports intervening early in mathematics, research investigating the importance of mathematics vocabulary is still emerging. Practitioners and researchers may benefit from understanding how mathematics interventions support mathematics vocabulary acquisition, particularly for students who struggle with learning mathematics. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a mathematics vocabulary content analysis across seven kindergarten and first-grade mathematics interventions. Across the intervention lessons, we recorded suggested teacher and student actions related to mathematics vocabulary instruction. The results indicated the most common instructional strategies used to teach mathematics vocabulary include: providing students with the …

Disrupting Inequitable Practices In Special Education: Privileging Student And Family Voices, Armineh E. Hallaran

Theses and Dissertations

Black, Latinx, and other minoritized students have long been overrepresented in the high-incidence, subjective, disability classifications including Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Emotional Disturbance, and Intellectual Impairment. Special education places these students on trajectories that deny them access to quality education and the same postschool outcomes and opportunities as their nondisabled peers. Using Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), and grounded theory analysis this study foregrounds the voices of minoritized middle school students receiving special education under high-incidence classifications. DisCrit allowed for an investigation of how student’s intersecting marginalized identities impacted their experiences as special education students. Further, Education Journey …

Synchronous Distance Language Learning And Critical Visual Literacy Practices In Greek Primary Education, Marianthi Oikonomakou, Emmanouil Sofos, Argyro Kontogianni

Journal of Research Initiatives

Our research, focusing on critical literacy practices in education, demonstrates the outcome of a teaching scenario applied in 2021 in a primary school e-class learning environment with the aid of distant learning tools. Having taken for granted that: (a) covid-19 pandemic has initiated important changes regarding our understanding of language teaching and (b) the extend we expose ourselves to modern multimodal environments, our teaching intervention attempts at displaying how the use of visual grammar can contribute to the critical understanding and production of multimodal texts by junior pupils in the language teaching framework. In the light of the above, through …

Developing A K-12 School Leadership Plan, Marian E. Truehill

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop a K-12 School Leadership plan for public, private, and parochial educational institutions. The K-12 School Leadership plan will help principals, teachers, staff and students focus on how to accurately operate a successful school culture, climate, and improve academic performance at their educational institutions. I used a pseudonym JFK for the high school examined in this paper. Themes represented in this paper will include assessment of ineffective leadership style, assessment of school culture, climate and performance, school improvement areas, explanation of leadership style, most effective style to improve school performance, research-based leadership …

Trauma-Informed Practices For Test-Taking Anxiety At The Elementary Grade Level, Kate Campbell, Shalini Mathew

Journal of Research Initiatives

Test -Taking Anxiety (TTA) is a challenging experience for children of all ages. Childhood exposure to trauma and adverse experience has been increasing. Fortunately, trauma-informed practices, such as mindfulness activities have become more widespread in schools throughout the last few years. Existing school counseling literature offers limited perspectives on how school counselors can support elementary students for TTA. This conceptual article explores the effects of trauma-informed practices on elementary-age students' test anxiety and overall academic success in schools and offers implications for practice.

Characteristics Of Emotional Disturbance Of Female And Male Students In Elementary, Middle, And High School, Douglas Cullinan, Matthew C. Lambert, Michael Epstein

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Provide data on the five characteristics of emotional disturbance (ED). For 503 students with ED and 2016 without disabilities, teachers rated the characteristics (Inability to Learn; Relationship Problems; Inappropriate Behavior; Unhappiness or Depression; Physical Symptoms or Fears), plus Socially Maladjusted. We applied a 2 (ED, without disabilities) × 2 (female, male) × 3 (elementary, middle, high school) covariance analysis, with follow‐up comparisons. Students with ED showed greater problems than students without disabilities on all five characteristics, and Socially Maladjusted. On Inability to Learn, among students with ED genders did not differ at elementary but males …

White Out: An Analysis Of Presentations Of Race And Ethnicity In U.S. Inclusive Education Textbooks, Phillandra Samantha Smith

Dissertations - ALL

Textbooks are heavily used in the United States and throughout the world as a medium between students and fields of knowledge. In the field of education, textbooks are a primary source through which pre-service teachers gain expert knowledge and develop their professional stature. Inclusive education textbooks used in introductory courses have a particular significance in that they help to shape the pre-service teacher’s understanding of the field by providing access to information and ideas at a time when prospective teachers are beginning to formulate their pedagogical and philosophical beliefs. The purpose of this study was to analyze engagement with race …

Critical Aspirations: Disability, Education, And Community Cultural Wealth In A Sanctuary City, Chelsea Stinson

Dissertations - ALL

This study explores the needs and experiences of refugee parents of emergent bilingual students labeled as disabled (EB/LADs) and their networks of interpreters and community-based educators. This investigation focuses on the relationships (and disconnects) within these networks related to language, migration, culture, race, disability, and special education experiences in formal and community-based schooling contexts. The bulk of extant scholarship regarding parental experiences in special education typically centers school-based experiences rather than community- and home-based experiences, such as daily acts of nurturing and communication (e.g., Cioè-Peña, 2018). However, school-based spaces, processes, and resources are in many ways inaccessible to EB/LAD families …

Five Steps To Teach Simple Sentence Writing To Students With Learning Disabilities, Shawn M. Datchuk, Leah M. Zimmermann, Kyle Wagner, Apryl L. Poch

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Many students with learning disabilities struggle with sentence writing fluency, the skill of quickly and accurately generating words that follow rules of semantics, spelling, syntax, and usage within sentence structures understandable to readers. Students who struggle with sentence writing fluency may face difficulty fully expressing their ideas while engaging in academic writing. In the present article, we describe how a combination of explicit instruction and fluency practice can improve the simple sentence writing fluency of students with learning disabilities. We detail how five design and delivery steps can help to create a supplemental writing intervention that addresses simple sentence structure, …

A Case Study Examining School Leadership And General Education Teachers' Perceived Preparedness For Inclusion Of Students With High-Functioning Autism, Melony Yvonne Marciniak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study in a Pre-K-12 Christian school environment was to understand the perceived preparedness and perceived efficacy of education professionals and general education middle- and high-school teachers for inclusion of students with high-functioning autism (HFA). The education professionals included a school nurse, one special education teacher, a director of special education and a religion teacher. Three theories guiding the research were self-fulfilling prophecies as defined by Merton (1948), Gilbert and Wilson’s (2007) theory of prospection, and Bandura’s (1995) theory of self-efficacy. The central research question was: How do education professionals and general education teachers in a …

Vivencias De Participación Y Exclusión Socio-Laboral En Jóvenes Con Discapacidad Intelectual, Nicolasa María Durán Palacio, Felipe Puerta Jaramillo, Magda Victoria Díaz Alzate

The Qualitative Report

Este artículo es el resultado de una investigación cualitativa cuyo objetivo fue la comprensión de las vivencias de participación y exclusión socio-laboral en jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual, mediante un acercamiento a sus narrativas. Se orientó a través de un diseño narrativo, para identificar los relatos de los participantes, las vivencias desde el punto de vista de sus protagonistas. Se realizaron entrevistas narrativas, que incluían, además de la conversación, otros textos como el dibujo y las historias. Para identificar las continuidades y discontinuidades en el análisis narrativo, se utilizó la triangulación de actores, aportando el nivel de validez requerido en los …

Leaders And Restraints: Investigating How Attitudes Of School Leaders Predict The Number Of Physical Restraints, Sarah S. Ulmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates how attitudes of school leaders predict the number of physical restraints that occur in schools that serve students under IDEA. This study focuses on the attitudes of school leaders from the geographical regions of Virginia in public and private schools. The “Educational Leadership and Behavioral Interventions” survey was used to gather research from 33 schools within Virginia. After collecting the data through the survey, the data was analyzed using a predictive correlation research design. The bivariate linear regression was used to analyze the predictor and criterion variables using SPSS. Based on the results of the data analysis, …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Parents As They Choose The Appropriate Classroom For Their Child With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lorie Michele Mick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the experiences and challenges of parents as they choose an appropriate classroom setting for their child with highfunctioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) at an elementary school. Parents of students with HFASD must grapple with this decision each year at their child’s annual IEP review meeting. The theory guiding this study is Knowles’ adult learning theory. Adult learning theory states that adults use both their personal experiences and intrinsic motivation to discover information that they need to make a decision. Ten parents of elementary-aged children diagnosed with HFASD were selected as …

Arkansas Secondary Administrators’ Perspectives Of Co-Teaching To Deliver Special Education Content: A Phenomenological Study, Anmity Gale Bruton

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the perspectives of Arkansas secondary school administrators regarding the use of co-teaching to deliver special education (SPED) content instruction. Individual interviews and a focus group discussion was used to collect data from nine Arkansas secondary administrators. The findings of this study suggest that Arkansas secondary administrators perceive co-teaching as a beneficial method to deliver SPED content instruction if the co-teaching pair has sufficient training and co-planning time. Additionally, these Arkansas administrators noted a variety of factors influencing the implementation of co-teaching, which include the following: budgets, teacher quality and …

Evaluating Phonemic Proficiency And Oral Reading Fluency In Middle School Students, Cara Mcquaid

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Research on reading performance in both public and private schools in the United States notes that students’ reading skills are declining compared to previous years, and there is a need for effective identification of skills and interventions to bridge the gap between current performance and the target skill level. While some research on reading instruction and reading skills primarily focuses on initial skills such as phonological awareness only in early grades, other research suggests that as reading skills develop and become more advanced, foundational skills such as phonological awareness also develop.

The purpose of the current study was to assess …

Inclusion Of Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Norm-Referenced Language Assessments, Susan J. Loveall, Marie Moore Channell, Laura J. Mattie, Alexandria E. Barkhimer

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Standardized, norm-referenced language assessment tools are used for a variety of purposes, including in education, clinical practice, and research. Unfortunately, normreferenced language assessment tools can demonstrate floor effects (i.e., a large percentage of individuals scoring at or near the lowest limit of the assessment tool) when used with some groups with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as individuals with intellectual disability and neurogenetic syndromes. Without variability at the lower end of these assessment tools, professionals cannot accurately measure language strengths and difficulties within or across individuals. This lack of variability may be tied to poor representation of individuals with NDDs in …

Perspectives Of Students With Asd And Their Parents: What Does It Truly Mean To Be Included?, Keara M. Browne

Theses and Dissertations

Though there are a number of practices identified by researchers and other professionals as inclusive, the question remains about whether the students themselves truly feel included. There has been limited research surrounding specific experiences in inclusive classrooms that students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perceive to be facilitators and barriers to being included in general education and co-teaching settings. The purpose of this study was to inform educational policies and school practices surrounding the inclusion of students with ASD in general education and co-teaching settings by analyzing the perceptions of students with ASD and their parents to determine what it …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Explaining How Families Homeschooling Learners With Special Educational Needs And Disabilities Mediate Learning Experiences, Melissa Delayne Dean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to extend Feuerstein et al.’s (2006, 2010, 2015) theories of structural cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experience to the homeschool context by constructing a grounded theory that explains how families create mediated learning experiences for learners with special educational needs and disabilities in a homeschool context. Feuerstein’s theories guided this study and provided the framework to answer the central research question: How do Feuerstein’s theories of structural cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experience extend to a homeschool context for learners with special educational needs and disabilities? Purposive sampling methods were used to identify 10 …

Implementing Tactile Learning To Aid Students Understanding Of The Bohr Model, Christin B. Monroe, Andrew B. Stein, Cindy Tolman

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

It is essential for introductory level chemistry students to understand atomic models and how atoms interact to form chemical bonds. The tactile model in this article utilizes marbles to represent subatomic particles, a cup to represent the nucleus and wooden rings to simulate the electron orbitals. These inexpensive items can be combined to construct models in which students can build foundational knowledge of atomic structure and how subatomic particles interact. Students were asked to provide feedback comparing the use of this tactile model to atomic computer simulations, videos and their textbook regarding the method they felt was most useful to …

Frequently Asked Questions About Receiving Tele-Intervention Services, Ronda Rufsvold, Betsy Moog Brooks, Amanda M. Rudge, National Center For Hearing Assessment And Management (Ncham) Tele-Intervention Learning Community

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

The purpose of this article is to provide resources related to parent perceptions and needs in receiving tele-intervention (TI) services.

Working With Families Of Young Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing Through Tele-Intervention, Amanda M. Rudge Phd, Betsy Moog Brooks Edd, Arlene Stredler-Brown Phd

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Tele-intervention services have been utilized for many years to serve families of young children, in addition to or in lieu of traditional in-person intervention services. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic cultivated urgent dependence on access to effective services via a distance connection. As such, the need for information, guidance, and resources related to tele-intervention as a primary service model has increased. This article serves as the introduction to a monographic series aiming to describe practices, circumstances, and perceptions surrounding tele-intervention services for families of children aged birth to five who are deaf or hard of hearing. Topics include: (a) a brief …

Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: Current Definitions, Terminology, And Prevalence, Edward A. Polloway, Rosel H. Schewel, James M. Kauffman, Antonia Charles, Tom E.C. Smith, James R. Patton, Lihua Yang

LC Journal of Special Education

This study provides an analysis of state guidelines with respect to terminology and definitions in emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) as well as demographic trends. The data were analyzed from the web-based state guidelines for terminology and definitions for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and then from mining data from the most recent reports of the United States Department of Education on IDEA (USDOE, 2015, 2016). Significant findings included current information on state-based terminology, state definitions, and school prevalence. Implications are made with special attention to these factors as identified above as they relate to educational programs …