Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Utilizing The Universal Design For Learning Model To Improve Educational Environments In Secondary Inclusive Classrooms, Robyn A. Delahunt

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This purpose of this case study was to explore the potential reasons why secondary teachers are resistant to working in inclusive programs, as well as to discover barriers to inclusion so that those obstacles can be addressed and rectified by those who make meaningful, relevant, and holistic educational changes, leading to improved classroom experiences for all parties within inclusive settings. The pre-research prediction that barriers to inclusion revolve around instructional differentiation, increased responsibilities, and additional work load were correct as they relate to the teacher identified obstacles of lack of support and lack of training, with most participants agreeing that …

Inclusive Classrooms: From Access To Engagement

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Teacher Perception Of Inclusion: A Daunting Task Or Welcome Challenge, Anna Kirsten Gryskiewicz

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Approximately one-third of school-age children have been identified as students with learning disabilities. As a result, teachers are confronted with the challenge of providing quality instruction to students with diverse learning needs. Challenges and benefits abound in the inclusive classroom. Therefore, the study, considered quantitative, non-experimental, and survey research in nature, explored variables that influence teacher perception and participant-perceived satisfaction of inclusion. The cross-national study consisted of 112 participants hailing from public and private schools in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Differentiated instruction, social skills development, pre-service preparedness, and classroom culture represented the most statistically significant correlates in predicting …

Book It, Bullies: Using Children's Literature To Address Bullying In The Classroom, Kamryn Gottier

Senior Honors Theses

Bullying is an ever-present issue rampant in schools and society today. It is incredibly eye-opening to consider the striking rates, harmful effects, and possible coping mechanisms associated with bullying. When considering this heavy topic from an educator’s point of view, it is critical that children’s literature be discussed as a powerful weapon to combat bullying. Educators should utilize literature to address bullying and initiate discussions concerning this challenging subject within their classes; prepare their students for being in an inclusion classroom among peers with and without disabilities; inform their students about disabilities that some of their classmates may be diagnosed …

Autism And Inclusion In England’S Multi Academy Trust: A Case Study Of A Senior Leadership Team, Danielle Lane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explore how the senior leadership team at an Academy Trust in England understands and operationalizes inclusion, particularly for pupils whose learning profile includes autism. England’s policies regarding inclusion appear to focus on the placement of pupils with disabilities in the mainstream provision; however, the Academy Trust, a specialist provision, suggests their school is inclusive. Gaining insight into the senior leadership team’s understandings and operationalization of inclusion will provide further understandings of inclusion in Multi Academy Trusts that are specialist provisions. In this study, I examine the understandings of eight members of a senior leadership team at …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Mathematics Achievement Of Middle School General Education Students, Jarrod Bingham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To accommodate the presence of special education students in general education classrooms, many schools have implemented collaborative teaching or co-teaching, a model in which two or more teachers share responsibility for a group of students. While myriad research has demonstrated that this model benefits special education students, very little researchers have examined the effect of co-teaching upon the general education student, who often outnumber the special education students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate co-teaching’s impact upon the mathematic achievement of general education students. The independent variable in this study was students’ placement into either a) …

A Comparative Study Of Special Education Teachers’ Inclusion Perceptions: The Role Of Certification Routes, Dannette Taylor Estes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A primary goal of education is to increase student achievement. Many school districts are addressing increased student achievement by hiring and retaining effective teachers. Teacher effectiveness and student achievement are both influenced by teacher perception. Teachers with positive perceptions have been shown to contribute to increased student achievement and are perceived to be effective educators. Special education teachers hold both positive and negative perceptions about inclusion. In addition to varied perceptions of inclusion, teachers have taken different routes to obtain special education teacher certification. The purpose of this causal-comparative, quantitative study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference exists …

Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy As An Expression Of Educational Theory On Special Education Preschool Placement Options, Jennifer M. Dineen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study utilized a qualitative content analysis approach where the researcher collected policies and theories to analyze and interpret and to examine the relationship between developmental theories and Georgia preschool policies as they relate to inclusion using archived state policies found on the Georgia Department of Education and Department of Early Learning website. The theories of Vygotsky (1978), Piaget (1936), and Bronfenbrenner (1979) were examined, along with the public policies on Georgia preschool. These policies included Georgia Early Learning Development Standards, Bright from the Start operating guidelines, and Work Sampling System. The researcher found common themes and/or phrases in the …

Inclusion In International Schools: Achieving Academic Excellence And Education For All, Marla Starr Hall

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion of students with diverse learning profiles is a rapidly growing trend, yet no research exists on the implementation of inclusive programming in international schools. As diversity becomes more important in the globalized world and it becomes more important to equip all students with job skills for the modern age, international schools will need to provide effective and efficient programming for a wide variety of learning profiles. At the same time, international schools must provide students with a high-quality academic education that yields top measurable results in order to ensure that their students remain competitive in an ever more competitive …

Impacts Of Inclusion On The Academic And Social-Emotional Skills Of Students With Special Education Needs, Tara L. Wood

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examined studies focusing on how students with disabilities are benefited by receiving services in the general education classroom, or least restrictive environment. It also aims to determine the negative impacts of students with special education needs (SEN) receiving instruction alongside their nondisabled peers, regarding both academic and social-emotional outcomes. As the trend for inclusive practices continues to rise nationally, it is critical that educators have access to and are knowledgeable of the successfully implemented inclusional classroom, where students of all academic abilities are integrated into the classroom community. Inclusion is relevant to all educators who teach students …

Critical Elements Of Effective Co-Teaching In The K-12 Classroom, Julie M. Gaffney

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is a common and significant practice that pairs a special education teacher with a general education teacher for the purpose of enhancing the education of all students. In addition to giving students with special needs access to the content of general education classes, all students get the social benefits of being closer to their peers. Since the introduction of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) (1997), methods of inclusion for special education students have taken center stage. Teachers and administrators are experiencing the benefits and challenges of this relatively new but successful concept. Research is plentiful but there is …

Increasing Self-Efficacy In Providing Inclusive Practices To Students With Diverse Learning Needs, Teresa K. Nagy

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was designed to determine if teachers in an elementary school in South Suburban School District in Chicago, Illinois increased their self-efficacy as it relates to serving students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment after receiving professional development. The study began with a historical review of students with disabilities and the current requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Reauthorization Act of 2004. Educational systems within the United States are required to provide services to students with diverse learning needs in the least restrictive environment. These supports are most commonly referred to as inclusive practices. …

Designing University Courses To Improve Pre-Service Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Evidence-Based Inclusive Practice., Julie Lancaster, Alan Bain

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: The study described here is part of a program of research investigating the application of a theoretical course design approach to pre-service teacher education. In this study the focus was to establish the effects of the design approach on pre-service teachers' mastery of pedagogical content knowledge about inclusive education. A quasi-experimental comparison group design was employed to establish the differential effects of two course designs, one based on the theoretical principle of embedded design derived from self-organization and the other based on classroom instruction and practicum-type experience. The results indicated statistically significant findings in favour of the embedded design …

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 …

Teaching Evidence-Based Practices To Teachers, Jennifer M. Pena

Special Education ETDs

A convenience sample of 32 teachers (general and special education) and instructional coaches participated in professional development (PD) focused on finding, researching, and implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in a charter elementary/middle/high school that uses an inclusive model of special education services. Research questions addressed participants’ understandings and implementation of EBPs prior to and following the PD, as well as their reports about the PD model itself. Results indicated teachers had limited understanding of EBPs and knowledge of resources (i.e., where to find EBPs), and mixed reports of implementation prior to the PD. Throughout the study, participants reported a desire to …

Inclusive Service Delivery In Jesuit Secondary Education: A Case Study Of The Rodriguez Learning Services Program At Manresa Prep, Angelo Joseph Rizzo

Doctoral Dissertations

The documents and rhetoric of Jesuit Catholic education speak frequently of care for the individual (cura personalis) and caring for those most in need. Frequently, however, students with learning disabilities are admitted to Jesuit Catholic schools without any consideration as to whether the school can address a student’s individual learning needs. This study examined one particular program at one particular school – Rodriguez Learning Services at Manresa Prep -- that attempts to offer accommodations to students with learning disabilities. Through interviews and observations over a six-week period with students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni, the study sought to identify whether …

Inclusion For A Student With Vision Impairment: “They Accept Me, Like, As In I Am There, But They Just Won’T Talk To Me.”, Jill L. Opie, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

We explore the experiences of Nick, a secondary school student with vision impairment in an Australian mainstream school in this study, and we particularly focus on whether he perceived his education as inclusive. We have used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in this single individual case as this approach explores our participant’s understandings which may be revealed by close examination of mindful experiences. The “gem” spoken by Nick (pseudonym), our 16-year old participant, was “They accept me, like as in I am there, but they just won’t talk to me.” This statement summarises his sense of not belonging, of being other, and …

Adapted Aquatics For Children With Severe Motor Impairments, Phillip Conatser, Eric James, Ulku Karabulut

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Available research clearly shows that more children who have disabilities, including those with severe disabilities, are participating in swimming programs as well as wanting to be taught in a regular aquatic class without being segregated. Aquatic instructors need to prepare lessons that include children both with and without disabilities. This means that aquatics instructors need to understand and be willing to implement unique teaching and managerial techniques that foster the safe and successful learning environment for all children. While the task of teaching children who have severe disabilities may seem difficult at first, with a little knowledge and experience, instructors …

Responding To Interactive Troubles – Implications For School Culture, Gro E. Lund, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Responding to interactive troubles in schools can create processes of exclusion and marginalization. Certain basic assumptions can become knitted into school culture in ways that give rise to specific exclusionary practices. However, it does not have to be this way. Inclusionary ways of responding to interactive troubles can also be produced, given a school culture that nurtures relational ways of engagement. This article presents such relational practices and argues thoroughly for their use.

How A Humanizing Pedagogy Effects The Social/Emotional Needs Of Students With Adhd, Wendy Baker

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A quantitative study was conducted at a Monterey High School using a twelve question, cross-sectional survey using a likert scale to determine whether a relationship exists between teacher attitudes involving students with ADHD and their knowledge about the disorder. This study indicates teachers who have a negative experience hold negative attitudes, while teachers who have had positive experiences with students with ADHD had positive attitudes regarding the disorder. Thus, this capstone argues for an attitudinal and pedagogical shift in how teachers see ADHD and how they care about students, as their obligations as teachers to teach the whole child. Students …

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 …

Educators' Attitudes Towards Implementation Of Inclusive Education, Kimberly Evans Holmes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand educators’ attitudes toward implementation of inclusive education. The survey study investigated the collaborative efforts, responsibility, accommodations, and training these educators are working towards teaching students in an inclusive environment. This study adopted a descriptive survey design, where 59 educators completed the online survey regarding their attitudes towards implementation of inclusive education. The opinions regarding necessary accommodations for students with IEPs were extremely supportive; whereby 98% of educators feel that they are willing to make necessary accommodations for students. Overwhelmingly, the educators disagree that they are not provided with sufficient training opportunities in …

Parents’ Perspectives On Inclusive Schools For Students With Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Bader Alsulami

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

In recent decades, inclusion has gained increasing international currency. In the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia in particular has made a sustained commitment to leadership in the humane, equitable inclusion of individuals with disabilities in its communities and the provision of appropriate, free public education for students with disabilities. Despite these achievements, students with disabilities remain segregated from general education students in separate classrooms, regardless of degree of disability. This study examined the perspectives of parents of students with and without disabilities in Saudi Arabia on placing their children in general education classrooms that are comprised of children with and without …

The Inclusion Of Students With Significant Disabilities And Their Access To The General Education, Megan E. Freeman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with significant disabilities are continually placed in restrictive settings with a focus on functional and life skills becoming more excluded from their peers in the general education setting. This limits their access to the general education curriculum, requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLD, 2002), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). These mandates expect all students with disabilities to make progress on the grade-level content standards. They fail to explain to education professionals how they are to be implemented for students with significant disabilities. By defining the type of students who …

Effective Inclusion Practices For The Academic And Social Success Of Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Caitlin J. Siems

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper includes a comprehensive literature review of the research and best practice implications for providing effective inclusion in the general education setting to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Similarly, it reviews the relevant research regarding effective inclusive practices in adaptive sports, unified programs, and extracurricular activities. The review seeks to answer questions regarding the impact inclusion has on the self-concept and adaptive behaviors of individuals with intellectual; disabilities and their typical functioning peers. The paper provides insights for best practice for educators and information regarding effective frameworks for inclusion in the classroom. Instructional and whole school models that include the …

The Pros And Cons Of Inclusion For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) In The Mainstream Classroom, Benjamin Kwofie

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

General education placement are believed to offer innumerable benefits for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), however, decisions about including students with ASD remain controversial. This thesis highlights the benefits and challenges of including students with ASD in the mainstream setting. Inclusion represents the belief or philosophy that students with disabilities should be integrated into the regular education classroom with the relevant support to enable them to succeed. ASD is a very complicated disability; there are various levels of ability a student with ASD may have and there are also many types of this disorder. There are several effective strategies …

The Promise Of Postsecondary Education For Students With Intellectual Disability, Meg Grigal, Clare Papay

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

It is important to consider learners with intellectual disability when seeking to serve all students equitably; so this chapter identifies the ways in which these considerations are becoming increasingly impactful.

The Promise Of Postsecondary Education For Students With Intellectual Disability, Meg Grigal, Clare Papay

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

It is important to consider learners with intellectual disability when seeking to serve all students equitably; so this chapter identifies the ways in which these considerations are becoming increasingly impactful.

Including Students With Special Needs In A Mainstream Classroom In Cameroon, Elie Tcheimegni

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This qualitative study used a survey research design to collect perception data from ten general educators from Northern Cameroon to examine the attitudes and instructional efficacy of the regular education teacher towards the inclusion of learning disabled students in the Northern part of Cameroon in grades 9 to 12. The findings of this study indicated that there is a need to train general education teachers for inclusion. Participants believe general education teachers need supports, logistics, professional development and training in inclusion practices. They all mentioned teachers need training, support and resources. Teachers should possess the skills that facilitate all learning …

Attitudes And Effectiveness Of Teachers In Diverse Inclusive Classrooms, Pamela Moore-Mckinley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities who participate in a fully inclusive educational program have failed to meet district or state goals for adequate yearly progress. This student population is explicitly recognized in state and federal accountability systems. The purpose for this study was to determine how certain factors affected the implementation of inclusive services at one school. This study investigated how teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward inclusion, level of education, exposure to people/students with disabilities, level of support, and knowledge of laws governing the education of students with disabilities affected inclusive classrooms. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences was used as the theoretical …