Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Parental Attitudes Towards Using Medication To Regulate Behavioral Problems Among Children With Autism Spectrum, Amna Abdulla Alneyadi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Medication is increasingly being used to manage behaviour among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, teachers and parents continue to raise concerns about behavioural problems demonstrated by children with ASD. This raises questions about the efficacy of psychotropic medication used in managing behavioural problems among children with ASD. However, there is limited research on stakeholders’ attitudes towards the usage of medication to manage behavioural problems among children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ attitudes towards using medication to manage behavioural problems among children with ASD. The attitude domain of Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour …

Consequences Of Time Poverty Due To Work Intensification: Lived Experiences Of High School Teachers, John Manning, Lisa Reason

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This qualitative study sought to explore teachers’ lived experiences with work intensification in a public high school. Apple’s teacher work intensification thesis was used as a framework to evaluate how organizational conditions, time poverty, and job demands contribute to increasing complexity in teachers’ work as well as how they mediate their own responses to it. The research explored the lived experiences of 10 public high school teachers as they managed their perceived feelings of time poverty alongside increasing job demands. Data was collected through interviews, reflective journals, and a qualitative survey. Analysis strategies included in vivo coding, horizontalization, triangulation, and …

A Reset For Virginia: Systemizing Leadership And Resource Support For Alternatively Prepared Special Education Teachers, Nicholas E. Olson Dr., Rebecca W. Harmon Dr., Elizabeth H. Morris Dr., Michael-Jon Rodney Dr., Matthew Seidita Dr.

Doctor of Education Capstones

Virginia continues to face the impacts of the national teacher shortage, particularly in special education. The scarcity of licensed special education teachers has led to an increasing number of educators entering the profession through alternative routes with limited classroom experience. These alternatively prepared special education teachers (ARSETs) require sustained, targeted support to implement high-leverage practices (HLPs) that improve student outcomes. Although numerous professional learning opportunities exist, the current system of support is fragmented, and resources are inconsistently applied. Compounding this challenge, many schools lack enough experienced educators to provide in-field mentors for every new hire.

To assist the Virginia Department …

Internationally Trained Teachers: Filipinos Working With Children With Disabilities In The U.S.: A Multiple Case Study, Joseph C. Abueg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States (U.S.) is a major destination for teacher migration, with teachers being hired to fill shortages in math, science, and special education. In fact, the nation’s shortage of special education teachers has hit critical levels, further exacerbated by high levels of attrition. For these reasons, some school districts hire teachers from outside the United States on J-1 visas, including the Philippines.

To ascertain the experiences of special education teachers from the Philippines working in the U.S. on J-1 visas, a multiple case study was conducted. The study was anchored in the transnationalism tenet of AsianCrit, allowing participants to …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of North Carolina's General Pre-Kindergarten Teachers' Attitudes And Perceived Self-Efficacy Toward Inclusion, Susanne Williamson Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate and describe North Carolina’s general Pre-Kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences concerning their attitudes and perceived self-efficacy towards inclusion. The theories guiding this research study were Bandura’s social learning theory and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior. The social learning theory laid the foundation for the importance of positive attitudes and a high sense of self-efficacy toward inclusion. The theory of planned behavior grounded the idea that teachers’ attitudes influence their behaviors and actions. Therefore, negative attitudes can cause teachers to be negative towards including special needs children. Ten general NC Pre-K teachers …

Self-Care Techniques To Decrease Special Education Teacher Burnout, Carrie Frost

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic of my capstone project is special education teacher burnout and how self-care techniques can reduce the likelihood of chronic stress and burnout. The challenges of being a special education teacher include but are not limited to, various disabilities and behaviors, lack of classroom and administration support, and overall management. Research conducted by Emery and Vandenberg (2010) stated that special education teachers often experience burnout, which commonly leads to employee attrition. Burnout and the personal stress that comes with it are the biggest contributors to the shortage of qualified special educators throughout the United States. Their challenges involve …

Investigating Teachers’ Sensemaking Process And Experiences Of Working With Students With Labels Of Autism In Saudi Arabian Public Schools: A Qualitative Collective Case Study, Hind Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I conducted a collective qualitative case study to understand the personal experiences and sensemaking processes that teachers developed to educate students with labels of autism in inclusion settings in Riyadh public schools. Specifically, I aimed to understand how teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge regarding the inclusion of autistic students explained why teachers did what they did in their school context. In three rounds of semistructured interviews with eight teachers, participants explained their experiences and process of teaching students with autism. Participants also shared documents and artifacts to provide a deeper understanding of the nature of inclusion offered …

Development Of The Preschool Autism Checklist (Pac) For Teachers, Omniah Gharib Alqahtani

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The study aims to develop a new assessment tool for teachers to identify the early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in preschool children in the UAE. There are limited instruments available to assess Autism in preschool children based on reports from their teachers. The Preschool Autism Checklist (PAC) was developed with special consideration to the Gulf culture. The main objective of this dissertation is to help preschool teachers assess their Emirati students to indicate the cases at risk of ASD. The study investigates previous research on ASD in the UAE and other countries in the Gulf region for more …

Healing Racial Trauma From Public School Systems, Lisa Y. Collins

Journal of Research Initiatives

Oregon needs Black educators in the K-12 public school system. In 35 school districts throughout the state, the number of students of color has risen by over 40% in recent years (Oregon Chief Education Office, 2019). The number of educators of color in the state is under 10%. The number of Black educators is even lower. Research has shown that Black educators improve all students' academic, cultural, and social aspects, especially Black students. Nationally, Black educators were impacted by the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. At that time in history, Black communities fought for civil rights as they experienced …

Football Connections Impact On High School Graduation: A Qualitative Study, Devin Rakin Allison Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the influences that playing high school football has on graduation. The theories guiding this study were the theory of connectedness and the theory of attachment and how students' connections to football helped them achieve the goal of graduation. Ainsworth and Bowlby and their theories of attachment were used to tie football as an extracurricular activity to graduation and why educators push for students to be involved. I attempted to show the benefits that involvement in football helps a student succeed in high school. Themes like connections, support, and academics were revealed …

Teacher’View About Dual Enrolment Of Student With Disabilities In Special And Inclusive Private School, Mahra Saeed Ismaeil

Theses

The education of children with disabilities is challenging. Special and inclusive schools cannot offer meaningful access to education to children with disabilities. Currently, schools strive to provide access to education in a dual context: a certain number of days at inclusive schools and others at special schools. However, information on how teachers are contending with such practices is limited. This study explored teachers’ views on the education of students with disabilities in the dual enrolment education system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The social education model was conceptualised to understand teachers’ perceptions, collaborative efforts, resources and challenges to dual …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Connective Experiences Between Elementary Teachers And Parents In A Virtual Setting, Amy J. R. Truett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how connective experiences are built between elementary teachers and parents in a virtual setting at the ABC school district in the southeastern region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was Siemens’ connectiveness theory, as it explored the students' knowledge impacted by the connective experiences of the network of elementary teachers and parents in accessing their learning and success in the virtual school setting. Three essential research questions focused on the connective experiences between elementary teachers and parents in the virtual setting in the southeastern part of the …

The Extent Of Implementing Evidence-Based Practices In Teaching Mathematics To Students With Learning Disabilities From The Viewpoint Of Their Teachers, Thamer Dakhel Alah Alrfai, Sultan S. Al-Zahrani Phd

International Journal for Research in Education

The goal of this study was to examine to what extent learning disabilities teachers, in Jeddah governorate, use evidence-based approaches in teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities, and to see whether there were any differences according to sex, education level, teaching level, training courses, and experience. The researchers employed a descriptive methodology using a survey questionnaire. The study population consisted of all elementary and middle school teachers who teach students learning disabilities. The study participants included 248 teachers of students with learning disabilities. The findings of the study showed that the level of implementing evidence-based techniques in teaching mathematics …

A Multi-Site Case Study Of Christian School Leaders And Teachers Who Provide A Welcoming And Inclusive Environment For Students From Low Ses Backgrounds And/Or With Learning Differences, Amanda Blake Champion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multi-site case study was to examine the intentional practices of Christian school leaders and teachers who strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for students from low-socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds and/or with learning differences. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory. It connects the beliefs of self-efficacy held by school leaders and teachers to their values and philosophies, and their capability to include and welcome students from low SES backgrounds and/or with learning differences. This study investigated how school leaders and teachers welcome and include students from low SES backgrounds and/or with learning …

Teachers Of General Education: Perceptions And Experiences Teaching Inclusion In U.S. Schools, Ann C. Sander

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of a group of U.S. public schools, kindergarten through fifth grade teachers, certified in general education with experience teaching inclusion--a federally mandated practice requiring schools to educate students both with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Much of the literature surrounding inclusion focuses on the perceived benefits of the program and children with disabilities' legal rights. The literature has a limited number of references describing the perceptions and experiences of teachers who are required to provide the educational services necessary for inclusion in the classroom.

In this study, 35 participants …

Elementary Special Education Teachers’ Attitudes Regarding Inclusion, Tara Ridarick, Ravic Ringlaben

LC Journal of Special Education

This study looked at the attitudes of elementary special education teachers in a school district in the Southeastern United States that has been regularly including students with disabilities in general education classrooms for the past ten years. Teacher attitude has been shown to be an important indicator of the success of inclusion. However, students with disabilities as a group continue to not meet expectations on state standardized testing. Clearly, even though schools are practicing inclusion, they may not be experiencing success. The success of inclusion has been linked to the support of the special education teachers (Cook et al., 1999). …

Measuring Teachers' Knowledge Of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury In The Classroom, Alana C. Moser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As more children reintegrate into the educational classrooms with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), educational teams must know the best ways to assist these students as they return to school. This predictive correlational study used multiple regression to analyze the linear relationship between the need for additional training of classroom teachers in the area of traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on the number of hours of TBI training teachers have received and their years of teaching experience. The sample included 74 elementary, middle, and high school general and special education classroom teachers throughout Texas. In this non-experimental study, participants submitted their …

Taking Flight: Giving Up The Things That Weigh Me Down, Karina Malik

Occasional Paper Series

From the perspective of a Latinx, dual-language, special education, public school teacher, I explore and detail what an equitable and just education could look like in our future. I begin by envisioning a future that:

• Values collaboration in teaching and learning

• Allows for spaces of ongoing teacher learning where we teachers decide where we want to grow and how we want to learn.

• Invests in our growth and development as educators.

• Consists of a solid understanding that there is more expertise across communities than in any one person.

I continue by explaining that in order for this to be a …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Augmentative And Alternative Communication Technology Use, Tamara Therese Parks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students identified with disabilities and complex communication needs (CCN) add a unique aspect to teaching practice and pedagogy. Both special education and general education teachers play a vital role in providing opportunities for students to learn and succeed. Using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices is one way for students with CCN to access the general curriculum as well as become active participants in the classroom. Research has indicated that teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy using AAC may affect how well the devices are used in the classroom. Though teachers are expected to provide the necessary supports required by students with …

A Review Of Integrated Embodied Therapies And Racial Healing In Public Schools, Grace Fosler

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Anti-Black racism lies in the social, political, and economic foundations of the United States of America. Race and racism are manifestations of unhealed generational trauma that negatively impact the minds and bodies of all Americans. Black children are exposed to institutional and interpersonal racism upon entering the public school system, leading many Black students to experience discrimination and segregation, exclusionary discipline, and juvenile entry into the Prison-Industrial Complex. Educators have a unique opportunity to engage in individual and collective racial healing while fostering social change and collective healing in students. An integrated approach of individualized coaching and group embodiment, dance/movement …

Uncommon And Non-Traditional Urban Relationship Strategies: From Relationship Loss To Relationship Recovery, Lasonya L. Moore

Journal of English Learner Education

With increasing student diversity across our nation, there is a growing need to scale up educational innovations related to building holistic relationships. Many students in K-12 public schools enter educational settings with uncommon and nontraditional ways of building and developing longitudinal relationships that allow students to thrive and not just survive. Specifically, teachers/educators feel ill-equipped and ill-trained to adequately support the increasing number of English learners(ELs) and Exceptional education students (specifically Students of Color (SOC) with emotional and behavioral disorders) identified in inclusive classrooms. Thus, there remains an urgent need to share uncommon and non-traditional strategies to develop and build …

Investigating Teachers’ Perspectives Of Gifted Students With Specific Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Aladsani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perspectives of gifted students with SLD in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, this study aimed at examining the relationships between teachers’ perspectives and background factors, including years of teaching experience and gender, that might affect the teachers’ perspectives. In addition, it investigated the teachers’ perspectives about the existence, identification, and education of gifted students with SLD in different regions in Saudi Arabia. This study used statistical analysis of quantitative data collected from an online survey that was adopted and modified specifically for this study. The study participants included 936 teachers with various backgrounds …

Teacher And Problem In Student With Adhd In Indonesia : A Case Study, Iriani Indri Hapsari, Aulia Iskandarsyah, Poeti Joefiani, Juke R Siregar

The Qualitative Report

Students with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) often experience academic and social problems at school because of their behavior problems. The teacher becomes one of the main figures who can help students with ADHD in the school. However, research about problem in students with ADHD from teachers’ perspective has limited empirical evidence in Indonesia. In the study, we explored the perception and experiences of teacher towards problem in students with ADHD and how teachers handle the problem in school. We conducted case study using semi-structured interview with purposive sampling technique for 38 elementary school teachers in Indonesia. We found that …

Stories We Carry Into Classrooms: The Literacy Narratives Of Teachers Of Students With Complex Support Needs, Sharon L. Head

Special Education ETDs

In this study, I used a case-based narrative inquiry to investigate the literacy narratives and the thinking about instructional practices of four teachers of students with complex support needs (CSN) from a small, rural school district in the Southwestern United States. I conducted initial and follow-up interviews and facilitated two focus groups across an eight-week period using a process designed to look at teacher narratives across time and after interactions with peers. My data were in the form of transcripts of all interviews and focus groups that I analyzed using two analytic processes: thematic and narrative (Polkinghorne, 1995). I described …

Special Education In China: Viewing Special Education Through A Cultural Lens, Melissa Hosek

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the cultural perceptions of disabilities and the impact on special education for teachers at schools in China. Teacher education and knowledge of disabilities was studied through surveys and interviews with Chinese national teachers (N = 12). The two main themes found were the shift in view of those with disabilities from disgrace to honor and the need to use the values in collectivism to continue the positive changes in China. Many teachers were found to have a desire to help students with disabilities but felt they did not have enough knowledge. …

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …

An Investigation Of The Qualities, Knowledge, And Skills Of Effective Teachers For Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: The Teacher Perspective, Joseph C. Leggio Ph.D., Katherine L. Terras Ed.D.

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study investigated the qualities, knowledge, and skills of effective teachers for students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) from the perspective of six special education teachers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a focus group. An analysis of the data yielded three themes. First, effective EBD teachers develop unconditional teacher- student relationships. No matter how many setbacks a student with EBD may experience, the effective EBD teacher relentlessly affirms his or her belief in the student’s ability to succeed. Second, effective EBD teachers create positive classroom environments. When students with EBD are removed from the general education setting or experience …

You Must Know Them Before You Can Grow Them, Beatrice "Bea" Lewis

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

It is an inescapable truth that schools must learn as much about their students and their experiences in order to create a culture built on relationships, which is the cornerstone to student learning. The dynamics and complexities of building positive relationships with students are impacted when teachers’ attitudes, values, and biases conflict with school culture. In this interactive “real talk” session, participants will examine their own biases and attitudes that may be hindering the cultivation of positive relationships. Participants will be introduced to a variety of approaches that can be used to evaluate the values, beliefs, and attitudes that are …

Head, Hand And Heart: An Investigation Of Attitude Change In Pre-Service Teachers Towards Students With Disabilities., Marion J. Shields, David Bolton

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This paper reports on a research project conducted over a period of five years, with final-year pre-service students at a small Australian Christian tertiary education college. The study examined the students’ attitudes towards children with special needs, as measured before and after a mandatory special education course. This course focused on three aspects: the head, which constituted knowledge of characteristics of students with disabilities; the hand, which referred to knowledge of current research-based educational and supportive strategies matched to student needs; and the heart, which were attitudes of empathy, compassion, and support within a Christian framework. Strategies used by the …

Effects Of Teacher Training In Trial-Based Functional Analysis Via Video Modeling, Mary Haspel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) is an efficient strategy for assessing challenging behavior in the classroom and a necessary step in developing effective functional assessment- based interventions (FABI). However, researchers have identified several barriers limiting the applicability of this practice in schools, including difficulty in (a) training teachers to mastery; (b) assessing whether teachers can implement this practice independently, with fidelity, in natural settings; and (c) determining whether teachers can use functional analysis (FA) to identify functions of problem behavior and develop effective interventions. This study will address these gaps in the literature by using a novel approach for training teachers …