Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Enhancing Teacher Efficacy And Pedagogical Practices Amongst General And Special Education Teachers, Michael E. Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to acquire information in teacher efficacy from the viewpoint of teachers themselves so that pedagogical practices could be enhanced to better serve the special needs student population. In this study, the relationship between teachers' perception of their pedagogical knowledge and beliefs and teachers' sense of self-efficacy was examined. This particular study was aimed at helping general and special education teachers understand, develop, and implement pedagogical practices that would increase their ability to educate students with special needs. The findings from this study revealed a substantial …

Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy And Social Interactions Within Families And Their Child With Autism, Christina Latterner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to answer the question, in what ways does ABA therapy impact social interactions between the parents and their child with autism? It also addresses past studies which focused on autism, ABA therapy and the family dynamics with a special needs child. The research included one family, with a five-year old child diagnosed with autism. Mixed method research was used, focusing on interviews with parents and data collection. Interviews were conducted with the mother and father which focused on their family’s social interactions before, during and after one year of therapy. Data collection tools …

Understanding The Impact Of The Student-Teacher Relationship In Relation To Special Education Needs, Kristina Marie Hall

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2012, more than six million students in the United States were identified as having an educational disability and receiving special education services. Students with disabilities are more likely than their general education peers to experience low grades, class failure, and suspensions. Positive student-teacher relationships have been associated with increased academic achievement and school connectedness, as well as associated with decreased negative behaviors. Research indicates that students value teachers who are caring, accessible to students, open and honest, and display a sense of humor. Through this literature review and application materials, the following reviews the impact of student-teacher relationships and …

Ace’S And Trauma In Education, Richard Santangelo

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The author of this paper has worked in special education since 1988, primarily with Emotional and Behavioral Disordered (EBD) students. Throughout the author's career there have been many conversations about why some students display EBD behaviors. Through many years of teaching and numerous professional conferences, it was not until January 2016 that the author heard about ACES. This piqued the author's curiosity. Dr. Felitti spear-headed a study in the mid-1990s out of a clinic in Southern California. As a practicing physician focusing on weight loss he began questioning clients about their social history. Felitti found that his clients experienced trauma …

Youth In Special Education: The Risks And Implications Of Entering The Juvenile Detention System, Natalie M. Sell

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students who are serviced under the umbrella of special education are disciplined more frequently and with more exclusionary methods compared to their general education peers. A higher numbers of minority students than represented in the general population are in special education, specifically, the Emotional and Behavior Disorder category. The differences in discipline and the disproportionate number of minority students in special education lead to a negative impact on learning and achievement, an increase in anti-social behavior, and ultimately a higher likelihood of entering the juvenile justice system. Systems such as an ecological approach to classroom management, tiered behavior support interventions, …

Effective Literacy Instruction For Struggling Readers And Students Receiving Special Education Services, Lauren S. Van Gomple

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small group interventions provide struggling readers and students who are learning- disabled with additional literacy instruction designed to facilitate literacy growth. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine if literacy group size directly affects the effectiveness of instruction relative to literacy growth for struggling readers. The participants studied in this literature review include students receiving special education services as well as students identified for Tier II interventions. Evidence-based practices gathered from empirical research studies, alongside qualitative and quantitative studies, seek to explore grouping and how group size affects literacy performance outcomes for special education and Tier II students. …

Perceptions Of The Paraprofessional’S Roles, Rachela Nicholls

All Capstone Projects

This action research project was designed to survey the perceptions of special educators and paraprofessionals on the various paraprofessional roles and levels of training offered. The most common paraprofessional roles and types and amounts of training opportunities available were analyzed so that school districts would have the essential data to make programming decisions regarding the effectiveness of the paraprofessional programs within their schools. By using a survey process, paraprofessionals and special educators were asked a series of questions pertaining to the frequency of participation in each paraprofessional role, levels of formal and/or on-the-job training provided, and how the paraprofessionals’ jobs …

Students With Specific Learning Disabilities; Perceptions Of Postsecondary Accommodations, Barriers, And Self-Advocacy, Jodi Elizabeth Stohl

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Once students graduate from public education, the supports for individuals with disabilities change significantly. The law requiring school districts to support students with disabilities no longer applies upon graduation. As the familiar support structure no longer exists, the transition for students with disabilities is very difficult. The purpose of this qualitative case study will be to learn the perceptions of students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in regard to accessing accommodations from the Office of Disability Services in a public community college setting, identifying barriers, and utilizing self-advocacy skills.

Parental Perceptions Of Effective Educators For Emotionally Impaired Students, Helane Marie Folske-Starlin

Wayne State University Dissertations

The voices of families with children identified as EBD needed to be heard. This dissertation study allowed those families to express their joys, needs and concerns. Included with the voices of families are the voices of educators that are teaching a struggling population of children and usually in an inclusive classroom.

This dissertation study was qualitatively driven and employed an ethnographic process with a case study format. Data was viewed in a naturalistic style to preserve the voices of the subjects.

Conclusions supported from the study were the need for more effective communication training provided educators and administrators. Educators need …

Social Participation In Schools: Developing The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kelly L. Leigers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). …

Effectiveness Of Teacher Training On The Use Of Universal Design Learning Strategies With Special Education Students In Middle School, Seanessy W. Gavin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In inclusive classrooms, the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) presents a viable schema to inform instructional materials, lesson design, and teaching practices to meet the needs of diverse groups of learners. UDL principles and guidelines emphasize using multiple means of representation, action, and engagement to employ different learning networks and address the multitude of learners in the classroom, with the hopeful outcome of benefiting all students. Current literature has yielded inconclusive results about the concrete effects of the UDL framework, including an ongoing challenge in defining UDL practice in the classroom. This quantitative study explored UDL practices in …

Teachers' Theories Of Teaching And Learning And The Use Of Math Interventions, Nicole P. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the academic gap between students with learning disabilities (LD) and their nondisabled peers, schools continue to educate students with LD in regular education classrooms. In secondary math classes, such as Algebra 1, students with LD have high percentages of failure. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between teachers' personal theories of teaching and learning and their use of math interventions. Fox's (1983) theoretical framework of teaching and learning was used as a conceptual lens. Surveys were administered to 20 high school math teachers in an urban Northeastern U.S. school district. An ordinal logistic regression …

An Alternative Program To Help Special Education Students Transition Back Into High School: A Program Evaluation, Janine E. Gruhn

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines the effectiveness of transitioning students from an alternative program (O’PLUS) back to a general high school setting. Research on effective alternative high schools for students with disabilities includes five components: broad academic courses, support structures that can be customized to a student’s needs, student-felt connection to the school and built in motivation, a caring adult community, and responsive school leadership (Brigharm, et. al. 2006). Students lacking these key components in an alternative setting often do not transition well, or at all, back into the high school general education environment. In this program evaluation it was found …

Transitioning Children With Autism From One-On-One Discrete-Trial Settings To Special Education Classrooms, Jennifer L. Freeman

Dissertations

The goal of an early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) program is to teach each child the skills necessary to make meaningful progress in less-restrictive environments (Fox, Dunlap & Crushing, 2002). However, few studies have detailed the steps necessary for a “successful” transition into these educational settings. We transitioned two children, who received 20 hours a week of one-on-one discrete-trial therapy and attended a half-day special education pre-school classroom, to a full-time educational setting. With the goal of aiding each during his/her transition, this study used the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) (Sundberg, 2008), particularly the barriers and …

Assessment Of The Impact Of Reading Mastery Implementation On A Group Of First To Third Grade Students Receiving Special Education Services, Christopher Martin Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Reading Mastery was instituted with a group of first to third grade students receiving special education services as a supplemental reading intervention to regular education reading instruction. The students were enrolled in a kindergarten through eighth grade rural, Title I school with a high Native American population. Student performance was assessed with the easyCBM reading measure and the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (Field Study, 2016).

Results showed that students who received the Reading Mastery intervention performed with mixed results on the easyCBM measure not making clear gains in all areas. The Fountas and Pinnell measure showed gains commensurate …

The Elusiveness Of Inclusiveness: A Discursive Analysis Of Inclusion In A District Level Exceptional Student Education Leadership Team, Karen Ramlackhan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This poststructural study utilizes Foucault’s theories of power/knowledge nexus and disciplinary power to explore the discursive formation of inclusion of a district level Exceptional Student Education leadership team in order to understand how the discourses are constructed, practices are normalized, and power relations are legitimized. This type of analysis interrogated the assumptive groundings of special education in the district, and how these have been taken-for-granted and normalized in the professional knowledge, policies, and practices of the field. Data from multiple sources: semi-structured interviews, observations, multimodal forms of communication, observation journal, and researcher reflexive journal produced findings within four dominant discourses---the …

Making All Students "Our" Students: Where To Start?, Frank E. Mullins Ph.D., Janice Murdock Ph.D., Phoebe A. Okungu Ph.D., Deann A. Lechtenberg Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The collaborative team approach is an approach in which general education and special education teachers work together in a single classroom to provide instruction to all students. Neither teacher has more authority than the other.

Education should not be compartments in which one has a mindset of “my students” and “your students”. The mindset must be changed to “our students”. This change in mindsets must begin in pre-service programs in order to carry on to PreK-12 classrooms. As inclusion becomes more and more accepted in public education, educators must be taught strategies that will enable them to work collaboratively with …

Estudio Acerca Del Apoyo Educacional Y Laboral Para Alumnos En Situación De Discapacidad Intelectual: El Caso De Cinco Instituciones De Educación Especial En Santiago, Viña Del Mar Y San Antonio / Study On Educational And Work Support For Students In Situations Of Intellectual Disability: The Case Of Five Special Education Institutions In Santiago, Viña Del Mar And San Antonio, Sophia Gomez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How effective are special education organizations and programs in helping students with intellectual disabilities with job pursuits, education, and independence?

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to describe the support that students with intellectual disabilities receive from the special education system and how this support promotes autonomy. The specific objectives are to investigate the teachers’ roles, discover the level of autonomy students have, and identify how the education system supports labor insertion.

Antecedents: Historically, job placement has been difficult for people with disabilities. Many people are misinformed regarding their true abilities. There also exists an ignorance …

A Case Study Of An Office Of Disability Support Services In Higher Education For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bunnie Loree Claxton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the factors that impact learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at a university in central Virginia. The theory guiding this study is disability theory as it seeks to explain the limitations placed on persons with disabilities. The central research question is: What factors of the disability support services impact learning in university students with ASD? The subquestions include: (a) How do students with ASD describe their experiences with the university’s disability support service offices? (b) How do university faculty describe their role in supporting students with ASD? (c) What factors …

Building Principals’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Their Ability To Supervise Special Education Programing And Staff, Candida J. Marek

Masters Theses

This study uses quantitative data analysis to reveal Michigan building principals’ selfefficacy dependent on number of years on the job and types of certification they hold. These findings reveal the need for principals to have more opportunities to better understand this special population they are leading and are responsible for. Albert Bandura has established much research on self-efficacy and cognitive theory. Applying that research to that of principal responsibility reveals a need for more knowledge and confidence in the area of Special Education. Principals report that this area is not addressed formally in their certification journey and the need to …

Inclusive Settings: Rti In The General Education Classroom, Brittany Graves

Honors Projects

The premise of this study was derived upon seeing a severe need for professional development in my current field work experience. I set out to determine a possible solution to the lack of cohesion among general and special educators evident in my local school district. This small town rural school is looking to expand RTI, and intervention technique, to decrease gaps in education for at risk students. With issues of cohesion and professional development evident, I collected and analyzed data in order to determine a way the school district can still incorporate and expand their Response to Intervention (RTI) practices. …

The Transfer Of Self-Regulation And Self-Monitoring From The Resource Room To The Science Classroom, Stacy Myers

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to determine if assignment attack strategy skills learned in the resource room setting of a middle school would transfer into the general education classroom, and if on-task behavior would increase in the general education setting as a result of the resource room instruction. The project was framed with mixed method, multiple-case study design of self-regulation across multiple settings in a middle school. The elements of the assignment attack strategy skills for my study were committing to an assignment, preparing materials, proceeding, and sustaining attention. For the study, data collection included general education teacher …

Teaching Special Education In The Es/Fl Classroom, Melinda Koerth

Senior Honors Theses

English language learners (ELLs) are growing in number in the United States school system. With this increase in population comes the task of providing quality and appropriate education for these students. A great part of this responsibility falls on instructors of English as a Second/Foreign Language (ES/FL) courses. As with every other content area, the possibility of having students with disabilities and disorders in the classroom exists. However, in the context of language acquisition unique obstacles and pitfalls exist which are particular to this field. Providing services for ELLs with special needs is a major concern in the realm of …

Planning For Transition In Special Education, Esther M. Crockett-Love

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate special educators’ perceptions of transition plans for students with disabilities. The research also investigated parents’ perception of transition plans for their students’ with special needs. The researcher examined the barriers that can effect transition planning. Previous research indicates that parents of diverse learners feel unprepared for this time period after post-secondary education. Educators may feel ill-equipped to prepare students for this time. Additionally, previous research indicated that the severity of the disability has a direct correlation to the success or lack thereof of student transition after post-secondary education. Furthermore, research indicated the …

Litigious Experiences Among Teachers Of Special Education Students: A Phenomenological Study, Shannon Madara

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore litigious experiences for special education teachers in South Central Pennsylvania. It was known that teachers are not typically required to have courses on school law, but they are required to abide by educational law. This study was guided by the following research question: How do special education teachers in South Central Pennsylvania describe their litigious experiences? It sought to fill a gap in the literature in the area of actual teacher experience with the problem of litigation. Background information was given to show why this issue was a current problem …

To Teach As Jesus Would: Inclusive Education In One Catholic Elementary School, Michelle Powell Wechsler

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the history of Catholic schools in Los Angeles, the mission of Catholic schools and the Archdiocese governing its schools has been clear: Catholic schools must strive to serve children with varied learning needs. However, despite calls for inclusion from the Vatican, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and efforts from trained administrators and professionals to help facilitate inclusion in schools, Catholic inclusive programs are not able to include all learners.

Using qualitative research with semi-structured interviews, focus group, and document review, this study uses the framework of ableism and disability studies to research and analyze the two questions …

Disability And Power: A Charter School Case Study Investigating Grade-Level Retention Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Esther Lorraine Perez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Students attending charter schools, including those with learning disabilities, are subject to policies set by individual charter management organizations. One practice used within some charter schools is grade-level retention, or having students repeat a grade level. Literature overwhelmingly indicates that retention is associated with negative outcomes, yet the practice continues to be used. One particular charter school that uses a strict retention policy and retains students with learning disabilities was studied to understand how the process unfolds. Using the conceptual frameworks of critical disability theory and critical pedagogy, the study draws inferences regarding how this phenomenon blends with ableism and …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students With Learning Disabilities: Using Mixed Methods To Examine Effectiveness Of Special Education Coursework, Renée A. Greenfield, Megan Mackey, Gretchen Nelson

The Qualitative Report

As the number of K-12 students with learning disabilities educated in general education classrooms grow, it is essential to examine the preparation and perceptions of pre-service teachers (N=15) who will educate students with learning disabilities. Within the context of an undergraduate learning disabilities method course, this study examined how pre-service teachers perceived students with learning disabilities as well as the effectiveness of particular course experiences, including fieldwork with students with learning disabilities, video vignettes, lesson planning, assigned reading, and center-based instruction, in shifting perceptions. Using a convergent, mixed method design, teacher educators at a university in the northeast used surveys, …

Professional Development Data: A Review Of Action Research And Data Analysis And Its Implications For Special Education, Jennifer Lee Suppo

Journal of Research Initiatives

In today’s world of accountability and budgeting constraints, schools are examining how they get the most “bang for their buck” in the area of professional development experiences. Professional development has traditionally been used to keep teachers and administrators abreast of current teaching strategies. In using the traditional model of professional development, typically the school or district would have a speaker, who was knowledgeable on a random topic of education, come in and conduct a one-day seminar. More often than not, there was little accountability to this traditional model; little if any data was taken to see if the knowledge obtained …

High School General Education Teachers' Perception Of Iep Accommodations For Students With Asperger Syndrome, Mary Patricia Krones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative design study was to better understand the experiences of high school general education English teachers who have students with Asperger Syndrome in their classes. More specifically, this researcher wanted to better understand the teacher's perception of the IEP-denoted accommodations the general education teachers are responsible for implementing. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, journal entries and collection of artifacts. Findings of this study include: the IEP document and IEP process from the lens of the general education teacher do not provide adequate information when considering the unique needs of students with Asperger Syndrome; …