Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

An Examination Of Inclusive Practices For Junior Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities In Gaborone, Botswana, Samantha Mrstik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The country of Botswana has passed laws to support the human rights of their citizens. In accordance with the UN's guidelines, Botswana's human rights initiatives, and the international movement towards inclusive education, inclusive educational reform is taking place. In this ethnographic study, the researcher has examined the inclusive practices currently in place to support junior secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) in Gaborone, Botswana over a four-month period. Participants included administrators, general and special education teachers, and students with LD. The themes of routine, academic activities, classroom life, and accommodations for students with LD emerged upon analysis and are discussed …

Role Ambiguity: Defining The Elusive Role Of The Special Education Teacher Who Works In Inclusive Settings, Dena Slanda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of special education teachers who worked in inclusive settings. Given the increasing number of students with disabilities receiving special education services in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education, 2016), there is a critical need to understand the dynamic role of a special education teacher who works in inclusive settings. Federal mandates have required special education teachers working in inclusive settings to rethink their roles (McLeskey, Landers, Hoppey, & Williamson, 2011) and restructure their approach to providing specially-designed services. Further, these roles are dependent on those who interpret and implement policy and …

An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Student Awareness In Expressing Emotions And Identifying The Emotions Of Others: Through The Mirror Looking Glass, Christine K. Duff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to determine how the self-awareness process of expressing emotions and identifying emotions of others was impacted during a mirror-based intervention for first grade students from inclusive classrooms. The study investigated the extent that a two-way mirror display helped eight students increase their level of awareness when expressing emotions and identifying the emotions of others. Traditional assessment measures for assessing empathy and accuracy in perception of emotions of others have relied on binary, forced choice responses that have not addressed a student's level of awareness, or increased awareness in identifying the emotions of others. Further, …

Middle School And High School Students Who Stutter: A Qualitative Investigation Of School Experiences, Tiffany Cobb

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO STUTTER: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCES

by

TIFFANY COBB

MAY 2017

Advisor: Dr. Derek Daniels

Major: Speech-Language Pathology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and further understand the ways in which middle school and high school students perceive their school experiences within the school environment.

School has an important impact on the social development of children (Milsom, 2006). Learning is not done individually as classrooms are inherently social places. This suggests that students do not learn alone, but rather in the presence of many …

The Effectivness Of Advisory Pograms With Teachers And Learning Disabled African-American Students In Urban High Schools, Camelia Ramona Gligor

Wayne State University Dissertations

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVISORY PROGRAMS WITH TEACHERS AND LEARNING DISABLED AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS IN URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS

By

Camelia Ramona Gligor

ABSTRACT

This is a study that investigated the effects of Advisory program on African American high school students with specific learning disabilities. In this qualitative study the advisory program is examined through the lenses of teachers and students from a Mid East Metropolitan Area (MEMA).

Three research questions guided this dissertation: (1) How do secondary school teachers perceive inclusive advisory in urban schools; (2) How do African-American SLD students value their experiences in advisory; (3) What are the secondary teachers’ …

Inclusion In Jamaican Primary Schools: Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Attitudes, And Concerns, Jillian Samms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusive education has become an international phenomenon; however, many developing countries struggle with its implementation. At last assessment of the Jamaican educational system in 2004, findings revealed exclusionary practices which are in contrast to international standards on education. Many children with special needs may not be receiving adequate support for education. Using Bandura's social learning theory as a foundation, this study examined whether there is a predictive relationship between grade level, type of school, location of school, access to support resources, perceived school climate, pedagogical beliefs, extent of inclusion training, attitudes to inclusion, and teachers' ratings of self-efficacy for inclusive …

Examining High School Placement Methodology With Strategies To Improve Students With Autism Outcomes, Elaine Martin

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graduation statistics indicate that students with disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are now completing high school at an average rate of about 60 percent. The purpose of this literature examination and application is to analyze the methodologies and criteria for the placement of high school students with ASD, to explore the present best practices in the assessment and placement of these students, and to suggest strategies to improve individual outcomes. High schools across America follow clearly defined academic and legal parameters that rely on careful assessment, consistent accommodations, community support, and self-regulation but students are still being placed in …

Success For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Julie J. Soderlund

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Special education students with emotional and behavioral disorders have the right to receive an education that addresses their specific, individual needs. There are many challenges that accompany these students. It is beneficial for teachers to take a positive perspective of support and value collaboration with team members when working with these students. Teachers must also accept a mindset and perspective of the importance of inclusion for all students, regardless of disability or behavioral challenges. All students deserve the opportunity to access general education curriculum with their peers. This is how E/BD students will achieve future success.

Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students with Intellectual Disability (ID) is a relatively new endeavor. Beginning in 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the general education curriculum integrated algebra across the K-12 curriculum (Kendall, 2011; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), and expansion of the curriculum included five intertwined skills (productive disposition, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and conceptual understanding) (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). Researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of students with ID with algebra (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris & Wakeman, 2008; Creech-Galloway, Collins, Knight, …

Using Classroom Social Dynamics To Understand Classroom Adjustment By Students With Disabilities, Meera Mehtaji

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand constructs related to classroom social dynamics in a sample (n = 1863) of rural middle school students. First, it used latent profile analysis to classify classrooms based on classroom norm salience. Next, the study used the Hierarchical Linear Model to study the influence of classroom norm salience on the social roles and reputations, social network centrality, bullying involvement, and school belonging of students with disabilities. There were four major findings. First, classrooms were classified into two distinct categories based on students’ social reputations, which were positively associated with peer-nominated popularity: High Aggression Norm Salience …

Educational Predictors For Postsecondary Living Status, Irina Cain

Theses and Dissertations

This study was performed as the result of gaps in the literature in the area of transition to independent living (IL) using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS-2). Its findings identify individual, skills, family, and school factors that predict postsecondary living status and moderators of the relationships between predictors and the outcome. Specifically, results indicated the following factors as predicting postsecondary living status: individual factors (ethnicity and disability label), skills (self-care, functional mental, personal autonomy, self-realization, and social), family factors (parental expectations and parental involvement in school), and school factors (student’s role in transition planning and …

The Effects Of Adapted Physical Education On Students With Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis, Christopher Ij Bolt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from physical activity interventions on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Design: The present study employed a quantitative research synthesis design. The overall conclusions of past research highlight important issues related to physical activity interventions performed on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Methods: Standard meta-analytic procedures incorporating inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize 24 studies with 258 independent samples. Cohen’s (1988) criteria for effect sizes were used to interpret and evaluate results.

Results: The average treatment effect for …

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 …

The Influence Of Physical Activity Participation And Externalizing Behaviors Among Children With And Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nikander Jonte

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

BACKGROUND: ADHD is brain disorder described by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. One in every 20 children is affected by ADHD. PURPOSE: To examine the effect between physical activity participation and externalizing behaviors (conduct and hyperactivity) among children with and without ADHD. METHODS: The Growing Up in Ireland National Data set was used for analysis, only children with a diagnosis of ADHD were included (n = 77), and a gender-matched, random sample of children without ADHD for comparison purposes (n= 77). A Factorial ANOVA was conducted to compare the main effects of …

Evidence-Based Assessment In Adapted Physical Education On Psychomotor Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis, Sam R. Diskin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

There is little data to show evidence-based practices in adapted physical education and whether it is working or not. There is a lack of information currently on the frequency that assessments are being done, on the disabilities that are being assessed or should be assessed with each test, and on the uses of the assessments that are being done. The aim of this paper is to assess and synthesize all evidence-based practices on psychomotor outcomes in adapted physical education using a meta-analysis. Data was sourced from computerized searches using the following databases: SPORT Discus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Pub Med (Medline), Cochrane …

The Effect Of Online Education On Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge Of Peer Tutoring, Dominic S. Ratto

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of online education compared to text-based education when teaching pre-service educators about peer tutoring in physical education. As students with disabilities are being more regularly included in general education classes, it is important that pre-service teachers have ample and quality opportunities to learn about important topics and strategies within education, such as peer tutoring. This study compared knowledge scores between the experimental group (online education) and the control group (text-based education). The online education group received the knowledge through podcasts that were created using Mayer’s principles for multimedia learning. No …

Examining The Supportive Employment Practices Used By Project Search: A Descriptive Study, Saeed A. Almalki

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Project SEARCH is a unique high school transition program from school-to-work for young adults with intellectual disabilities. This program teaches individuals with disabilities (interns) job skills in an inclusive work environment, such as a hospital. Therefore, the overall goal of this study was to examine Project SEARCH as a transition program that has data indicating positive outcomes regarding supportive employment for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) examine the ways in which Project SEARCH enacts its transition supported employment services for individuals with disabilities, and (2) examine the experiences and perceptions of Project SEARCH employees and coworkers …

The Power Of Team In Iep Meetings, Caroline Elser

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine school-family collaboration for students with disabilities by exploring how communication during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings supports or limits parental participation. Research has indicated strong school-family partnerships lead to better educational outcomes for students. The IEP meeting is a critical component of the educational process for a child with a disability. The interactions between parents and school personnel during IEP meetings are complex events that can leave parents feeling frustrated or uninvolved in their child’s education. This qualitative study examined one IEP team meeting through in-depth interviews, participant observation of an IEP …

Food Insecurity And The Elder Male: Exploring The Gap From Needing Food To The Utilization Of Assistance Programs, Gale Carlson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the relationship between the male elder’s experience of food insecurity and the utilization of food assistance programs. Particular emphasis was placed on the meaning the men ascribe to their experiences in accessing food. In the review of the literature, the determinants of food insecurity, especially for the elder male population, were identified as having important implications for fulfilling food needs. Additionally, distinct characteristics of men, along with how they view their needs, surfaced as impacting their food insecurity. This study utilized participant observation and in-depth interviews with five elder men who …

Effects Of Language For Learning On Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Diana M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Language for Learning (LL) is an oral language curriculum that uses Direct Instruction (DI) methodology. DI is well researched, but only limited studies exists on the use of LL with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used a multiple baseline research design, across four, four-year-old participants, to measure the effects of LL on the language development of young children with ASD. This study also measured the generalization of learned skills to the narrative language of the participants. Finally, changes in the participants language microstructure were analyzed throughout the study. A researcher-created acquisition probe was used to measure language …

Reducing Adolescent Anger And Aggression With Biofeedback: A Mixed-Methods Multiple Case Study, Jedidiah S. Savard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Adolescent anger, aggression, and violent outbursts are social problems significantly affecting each of us. Individual therapeutic management of pathological anger is treated in various ways depending on practitioners’ theoretical orientations and competency levels. Popular psychological individual and group therapies addressing anger and aggression in adolescents focus primarily on cognitive-behavioral techniques that manage anger’s symptoms. Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapies often require clients to self-identify emerging antecedents of anger without assistance; such therapies employ predetermined strategies to assist the client to emotionally de-escalate prior to an angry or aggressive episode. However, cognitive responses to an emotional upheaval stemming from an emergence of anger …

Classroom Readiness For Successful Inclusion: Teacher Factors And Preschool Children’S Experience With And Attitudes Toward Peers With Disabilities, Kyong-Ah Kwon, Soo-Young Hong, Hyun-Joo Jeon

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The current study examined (1) associations among teachers’ experiences regarding children with disabilities (i.e., education, specialized training, years of work experience), their attitudes toward disabilities, and their classroom practices in relation to inclusion and (2) associations among children’s attitudes toward peers with disabilities and child and teacher factors. Ninety-one 4- and 5-year-old children participated in an interview, and their teachers completed a survey. Teachers’ specialized training and bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (ECE) were positively associated with their inclusive practices in the classroom; teachers’ bachelor’s degree in ECE and experiences working with children with disabilities were positively associated with …

Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions And Use Of Service Delivery Methods And Models In School-Based Practice, Burgandy Deann Henderson

Online Theses and Dissertations

ASHA (1991c) identifies the value of consultation and collaboration across disciplines in the public school setting. Historically, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have pulled children out of the classroom to provide therapy in individual or small group settings. However, evidence continues to show the merit of consulting and collaborating with other professionals in the school in order to fully integrate classroom curriculum and support service goals (ASHA, 1991c; ASHA, 2010f; Mecrow, Beckwith, & Klee, 2010; Ritzman, Sanger, & Coufal, 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore SLPs' perspectives and use of consultation and collaboration in the public schools. A survey …

An Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Of Jamaican Preservice Teachers For Working In Inclusive Classrooms, Sharon A. Anderson Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this applied dissertation was to examine changes in the self-efficacy of preservice teachers on completion of a special needs course and to determine whether there is a correlation between self-efficacy and several demographic variables. Studies conducted in several countries revealed that, despite participation in a special needs course, preservice teachers often expressed low levels of confidence for the inclusion of students with special needs in their general education classrooms. Because there is not much research in the Caribbean on this subject, this study sought to further explore this issue within a different cultural context. The case study, …

Puzzled Representations: Popular Media And How Educators Come To Know Autism, Vanessa N. Keener

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People learn about the world through popular culture. Popular culture media representations of autism can be found in TV, film, literature, Internet media, advertisements, and more. This study employed a quantitative correlational design to survey 273 Georgia educators regarding their perceptions of autism, including knowledge about autism, best practices for teaching students labeled as having autism, perceived positivity and accuracy of popular media representations of autism, as well as participant identification with popular media representations of autism and personal characteristics (i.e., age, sex, level of education, type of degree, years of teaching experience, professional and personal experiences). Six major findings …

Preparing Teachers With Core Content Expertise To Support Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Robert C. Pennington Phd, Ginevra Courtade, Best Newberry Gurney

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

In this paper, the authors describe a teacher preparation program in the area of moderate to severe disabilities with an emphasis in academic instruction. They present a rationale for their increased focus on academics, a description of the program’s design, and several challenges associated with its implementation. Further, they offer several considerations for iterative improvement of the program.

Closing The Achievement Gap In Mathematics For Students With Learning Disabilities Utilizing The Resource Room As An Intervention, Esta H. Brownstein

Theses and Dissertations

Students with learning disabilities are placed in general education classrooms in increasing numbers. Many of these students receive additional services in Resource Room programs taught by a special education teacher. The intent of this study was to determine if students with disabilities, who were struggling in mathematics, increased achievement utilizing Resource Room instruction as an intervention. Students in the study were in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades and performed at least one grade level below expectations for that grade in mathematics. All of the students had a specific learning disability. This study investigated the correlation, if any, between the amounts …

Number Pattern, Hui Fang Huang Su, Denise Gates, Janice Haramis, Farrah Bell, Claude Manigat, Kristin Hierpe, Lourivaldo Da Silva

Transformations

In this manuscript, we study the purpose of number patterns, a brief history of number patterns, and classroom uses for number patterns and magic squares. We investigate and summarize number patterns and magic squares in various charts: 6 x 6, 7 x 7, 13 x 13, 21 x 21, and 37 x 37. The results are established by each number pattern along with narrative conjectures about primes and multiples of six from each pattern. Numerical charting examples are provided as an illustration of the theoretical results.

Study Skills Self Monitoring For Adolescents With Adhd, Rachel Michelle Lesse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see how self-monitoring affected academic progress among high school aged students with ADHD. Students were monitored throughout their study skills class period, where they learned to monitor themselves by assessing a variety of factors, such as personal grades, missing assignments, and personal reflection. Of the three students monitored, two increased grades in most of their academic subjects, and all increased their homework production post intervention. The study did not go without various limitations, however future implications are discussed as to the importance of this study.

Parents' Perceptions Regarding The Special Education Classification Of Other Health Impairment (Ohi), Michael C. Norman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Students identified by the special education classification Other Health Impairment (OHI) represent the third largest group of students receiving special education services in the United States. The special education services offered these students include both academic and health related supports. The delivery of these services is enhanced when a partnership exits between the primary stakeholders; the student, parents, the school personnel, and the medical personnel. The use of Family Centered Care principles in the delivery of these services supports and maintains the partnership.

Following the qualitative analysis of a series of interviews of parents whose children were classified as OHI, …