Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Special Educators' Perceptions on Effective Preparation and Practice for Student Success Anne Brackney Liese Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons, Special Education Administration Commons, and the Special Education and Teaching Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Aerial Anne Liese has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. Barry Birnbaum, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Asoka Jayasena, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Danielle Hedegard, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.
Walden University 2017 Abstract Special Educators’ Perceptions on Effective Preparation and Practice for Student Success by Aerial Anne Liese MA, New Mexico Highlands University, 2005 BA, University of New Mexico, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University November 2017 Abstract Alternative school settings are success prospects for students at risk of school failure. However, research on the daily experiences of the special educators in alternate school settings tasked with educating the at-risk population, is limited. The purpose of this phenomenological study was (a) to recognize the perceptions of special educators concerning their preparation to advance the success of SEN students who are at risk of school failure; (b) to determine how to improve special educator preparation programs in alternative school settings. Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, focused on student success provided the study’s framework.
Twelve semistructured interviews were conducted to examine special educators’ perceptions on preparation and practice for student success. Data were analyzed through block coding, code comparison and thematic searches. The study’s results included accounts of special educators’ perceptions and challenges related to preparation and practice for student success in alternate school settings. Emergent themes included applying classroom structure and technology, as well as individualized student instruction.
Participants cited a need for rich teacher/student relationships to advance student success. Included are inferences regarding the development of teacher/student relationships. Also included are suggestions for educational leaders to consider while preparing preparatory methods for special educators who teach within the alternative school setting such as administrator knowledge of what special educators require to teach in the alternate classroom. This study may lead to social change by providing information on special educator preparation coursework meant to develop student success for the alternative school student population.
Special Educators’ Perceptions on Effective Preparation and Practice for Student Success by Aerial Anne Liese MA, New Mexico Highlands University, 2005 BA, University of New Mexico, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University November 2017 Table of Contents List of Tables. vii List of Figures. viii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.3 Additional Background Information. 6 A Call for Social Change .16 Nature of the Study .23 Significance of the Study .26 Chapter 2: Literature Review .28 Literature Search Strategy.29 Student Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbances Are Disproportionate.
31 Special Educator as Teacher and Motivator. 32 Psychological Needs within the SDT Framework. 35 ACE Impact on Student Learning, Motivation, and School Engagement .41 Vocalizing the Need for Effective Special Education Teacher Preparation. 43 Defining Alternative Education.
45 Demographics of the Alternative School Setting. 51 The Current State of Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs. 53 A Need for 21st-Century Classroom Policies and Practices. 54 Traditional Versus Alternative Routes to Special Education Teacher Licensure.
57 The Significance of Effective Special Education Teacher Preparation. 62 Preparing Special Educators to Know the Laws of Their Profession. 63 Preparing Special Educators to Understand Their Student Population. 65 Effective Special Education Teacher Preparatory Practices .77 Chapter 3: Research Method .79 Research Design and Rationale .80 The Role of the Researcher .82 Participant Selection Logic.
85 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .86 Data Analysis Plan. 87 NVivo Software Use. 88 Emerging Patterns and Themes. 88 Patterns and Themes Analysis.
89 Issues of Trustworthiness. 91 Institutional Review Board Documents .92 Treatment of Data .92 iii Chapter 4: Results .98 Evidence of Trustworthiness.100 Emergent Theme 1: The Importance of Collaborating with Colleagues. 103 Emergent Subtheme 1(a): Collaborating Weekly with Colleagues is Ideal. 105 Emergent Subtheme 1(b): Coteach as Much as Possible.
107 Emergent Theme 2: Make a Connection with Students. 108 Emergent Subtheme 2(a): While Connecting to Students Target Their Self-Esteem. 110 Emergent Subtheme 2(b): While Connecting to Students Promote Independence. 112 Emergent Theme 3: Create a Healthy School Climate.
113 iv Emergent Theme 4: Set High Expectations. 115 Emergent Theme 5: Focus on Language Development Challenges. 116 Emergent Theme 6: Structure is Necessary for Student Success. 117 Emergent Theme 7: Avoid Unrelated Work as Students Sense its Irrelevancy.
119 Emergent Theme 8: Work Towards Transitions Using Community Resources. 120 Emergent Theme 9: Use Individualized Instruction. 121 Emergent Subtheme 9(a): Consider the Influence of a Student’s Background. 123 Emergent Theme 10: Use Technology.
124 Emergent Subtheme 10(a): Use Technology to Engage Students .126 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations .129 Interpretation of the Findings.130 Limitations of the Study.136 Recommendations for Further Research .143 v Appendix A: Interview Guide (Protocol/Questions) .205 Appendix B: Demographics of Participants .207 Appendix C: Participant Responses with Visual Representation .208 vi List of Tables Table 1. Special Education Services Categorized According to IDEA (as cited in Lee, 2016). Participant Age and Educational Pathway. Responses to Themes and Subthemes.
Frequency of Themes for Achieving Student Success. Frequency of Subthemes for Achieving Student Success. 136 vii List of Figures Figure 1. Framed definition of the term perceptions.
Framed definition of the term perceptions. Standards for the NCTQ (2013) teacher prep review as pertaining to special education. Effective program features according to Darling-Hamond (2014). Maslow’s hierarchy theory vs.
self-determination theory (SDT) .135 viii 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Introduction U. education reform efforts, including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), have placed pressure on education stakeholders and their accountability systems to meet expectations to prepare students for postgraduation (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015; Shin, Lee, & McKenna, 2016; Sledge & Pazey, 2014). Learning institutions across the United States are being challenged to raise student success rates by implementing effective instructional strategies—evidence-based practices (EBPs)—that are grounded in research and proven to yield successful results (Cornelius & Nagro, 2014; Detrich & Lewis, 2013; McLaughlin, Smith, & Wilkinson, 2012). In this research study, student success was defined as the academic achievement by a student that leads to obtaining a traditional high school diploma or general education diploma (GED; Roberson, 2015; Smith & Thomson, 2014; Sullivan & Downey, 2015).
schools expect that special education teachers effectively use EBPs in their classrooms, as directed by the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA; Broughal, 2015; Cook et al. IDEA requires that every student with special educational needs has an individual education plan (IEP) and dictates that "a statement of the special education and related services… based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child" (Sec. However, the availability of EBPs for the instructional purposes of special education teachers is limited (Cook et al. education reform efforts, schools nationwide must engage in new initiatives and methods to increase the availability of EBPs for students 2 with special needs.
Educators can use these academic initiatives and methods in the alternative school setting (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015; IDEA, 2004; Kruse, 2012). In this study, an alternative school setting was defined as a public high school that works to address the needs of students that “typically cannot be met in a traditional school, provides a nontraditional education, serves as an adjunct to a regular school, or falls outside the categories of regular, special, or vocational education” (Porowski, O'Conner & Luo, 2014, p. An example of these initiatives includes supportive socioemotional EBPs for students who are at risk of school failure and have diagnosed special educational needs (SEN; Edwards, 2013; Kronholz, 2012). SEN refers to students whose classroom learning is challenging, irregular, slow, or otherwise problematic in comparison to their peers (Edwards, 2013; Kruse, 2012).
SEN is legally defined under IDEA as when a student is clinically diagnosed with one or more of the disabilities classified in IDEA who requires special education services to learn because of the disability (IDEA, 2004; Lee, 2016). SEN students, requiring an IEP and authorized under IDEA, present challenges to special education teachers in alternative school settings (Bottom, 2016; Cannon, Gregory, & Waterstone, 2013). A large percentage of the students in alternative schools have behavioral and emotional problems and receive special education services under one or more disability categories (Johnson & Semmelroth, 2014b; Major, 2012; Smith, 2012). The development and implementation of EBPs meant to meet the needs of this population can be a daunting task for special educators if not well-prepared (Shady, Luther, & Richman, 2013).
This is due to limited research alternative education program practices, 3 definitions, and instructional standards that special education teachers are expected to use (Porowski et al. Furthermore, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2012, 2013); U. Department of Education (2012-2013); Greenberg, McKee, and Walsh (2013); and Hoxby (2014) all mentioned that teacher accountability reports and teaching guidelines for alternative education programs lack purpose because the collected data underscore program inputs instead of program outcomes. Background Since the 1990s, stakeholders in the field of special education have created a knowledge base concerning the application of effective EBPs for SEN students.
However, the profession’s progression to exercise them is slow because of inadequate preparation and training (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015; Johnson & Semmelroth, 2014b). Scholars have used the terms preparation and training interchangeably. In this study, I separated the terms. Walsh (2013) explained that teacher education programs are tasked not with training the next generation of teachers but preparing them “for the diverse population with 21st-century challenges” (p.
According to the American Educational Research Association (AERA), training an educator is “an oversimplification of teaching and learning, ignoring its dynamic. social aspects” (as cited in Walsh, 2013, p. Because of this study’s conceptual framework, self-determination theory (SDT), I focused on several aspects including (a) how special educators can motivate SEN students to succeed in the classroom by supporting their basic psychological needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy (Haerens et al. Moreover, SDT includes a focus on students and how teacher education programs can best prepare their student candidates to meet their students’ needs.
Justisfication as to why SDT was chosen for the study’s framework instead of a theory of teacher preparation and/or perceptions includes (a) continued inconsistencies in teacher preparation policies and practices, (b) SDT practice in the classroom is considered an effective EBP, and (c) a growing disproportionality in special education programs. Inconsistencies in teacher preparation policies and practices. Special education services, accommodations, and instructional methods differ from state to state and are frequently contingent on state laws, Common Core practices, and the percentages of SEN students within individual school districts (Samson & Collins, 2012). Because of such variances and irregularities in services, accommodations, and teaching methods, inconsistencies in educator preparation program policies and practices result (Samson & Collins, 2012).
Additionally, although educators have confidence in the practice of teaching students that being self-determined is central to student success, contradicting curricular and teaching models exist (Samson & Collins, 2012).