This study examines the ethical challenges and dilemmas that teachers experience in their work with students who have special needs in inclusive classrooms. Moreover, it investigates the ways in which teachers cope with or resolve such difficulties, the supports currently available to assist them in managing ethical issues, and their recommendations for potential supports. Accounts of ethical challenges reported by 12 teacher participants working at the elementary and secondary level were interpreted from two stages of interviews. Data were analyzed qualitatively using a constant comparison method, with data analysis occurring during and after each stage. Emergent themes were coded and categorized to elicit major and sub-themes. The ethical challenges reported by the participants primarily dealt with issues of care, equity, and fairness, where participants felt that the best interests of students were not being met. Difficulties occurred in the context of accommodations and modifications, assessment and evaluation, discipline, distribution of time and resources, and the rights of the individual student versus the group. In the accounts provided, participants consistently raised concerns about ethical dilemmas they experienced as a result of colleagues. In all of the situations that dealt with colleagues, teachers were unwilling to confront the unethical behaviors of co-workers despite their potential to harm the student. All of the teachers faced ethical challenges in the context of inclusion. While most support the practice of inclusion, concerns were raised about existing inequities, specifically in regard to the degree of inclusivity and access to learning opportunities. Shortages in supports, resources, and training were the primary reasons attributed to the teachers’ struggles. The participants’ recommendations for supports consisted of collaborative professional development opportunities, specifically in special and inclusive education. This study contributes to the growing body of literature in the ethics of inclusive and special education. It has significant implications for policy makers, certifying bodies, teacher education programs, and teachers’ professional lives as it provides insights into the ethical challenges faced by teachers in inclusive classrooms. The results of the study have the potential to influence the development of policies and practices to support both teachers and students.

This thesis is a study into the lived educational experiences of selected individuals; administrators, teachers, Deaf students and community members, who are a large part of the Deaf education program in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. Currently, little is known about the experiences of Deaf refugees in a refugee camp. The objective of this thesis is to understand of the role(s) Deaf Units play in terms of opportunities and obstacles for those involved in the Deaf education community in the Dadaab refguee camp. This study focuses on qualitative data, collected through videotaped interviews with 65 participants to bring forth their experiences and perspectives. This study also links the school improvement change theoretical framework to help us better understand the opportunities and obstacles encountered by the involved stakeholders. Key factors affecting the opportunities and obstacles of the Deaf education program in a refugee camp are presented.

This thesis is a study into the lived educational experiences of selected individuals; administrators, teachers, Deaf students and community members, who are a large part of the Deaf education program in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. Currently, little is known about the experiences of Deaf refugees in a refugee camp. The objective of this thesis is to understand of the role(s) Deaf Units play in terms of opportunities and obstacles for those involved in the Deaf education community in the Dadaab refguee camp. This study focuses on qualitative data, collected through videotaped interviews with 65 participants to bring forth their experiences and perspectives. This study also links the school improvement change theoretical framework to help us better understand the opportunities and obstacles encountered by the involved stakeholders. Key factors affecting the opportunities and obstacles of the Deaf education program in a refugee camp are presented.

This study examines the ethical challenges and dilemmas that teachers experience in their work with students who have special needs in inclusive classrooms. Moreover, it investigates the ways in which teachers cope with or resolve such difficulties, the supports currently available to assist them in managing ethical issues, and their recommendations for potential supports. Accounts of ethical challenges reported by 12 teacher participants working at the elementary and secondary level were interpreted from two stages of interviews. Data were analyzed qualitatively using a constant comparison method, with data analysis occurring during and after each stage. Emergent themes were coded and categorized to elicit major and sub-themes. The ethical challenges reported by the participants primarily dealt with issues of care, equity, and fairness, where participants felt that the best interests of students were not being met. Difficulties occurred in the context of accommodations and modifications, assessment and evaluation, discipline, distribution of time and resources, and the rights of the individual student versus the group. In the accounts provided, participants consistently raised concerns about ethical dilemmas they experienced as a result of colleagues. In all of the situations that dealt with colleagues, teachers were unwilling to confront the unethical behaviors of co-workers despite their potential to harm the student. All of the teachers faced ethical challenges in the context of inclusion. While most support the practice of inclusion, concerns were raised about existing inequities, specifically in regard to the degree of inclusivity and access to learning opportunities. Shortages in supports, resources, and training were the primary reasons attributed to the teachers’ struggles. The participants’ recommendations for supports consisted of collaborative professional development opportunities, specifically in special and inclusive education. This study contributes to the growing body of literature in the ethics of inclusive and special education. It has significant implications for policy makers, certifying bodies, teacher education programs, and teachers’ professional lives as it provides insights into the ethical challenges faced by teachers in inclusive classrooms. The results of the study have the potential to influence the development of policies and practices to support both teachers and students.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / John A. Hortin / Secondary adolescents with disabilities (AWD) have been mandated participants in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Individual Transition Plan (ITP) meetings since 1990, yet overprotective and well-meaning adults have assumed their advocacy role (Janiga & Costenbader, 2002). This has weakened their (secondary AWD) ability to become self-determined. Secondary AWD should be involved with the development, implementation and execution of services and supports in their IEP/ITP in order to benefit from their participation in general education as well as develop self-determination skills. To improve transition outcomes, this study examined self-determination and socio-cultural factors (race/ethnic and gender groups) among secondary adolescents with disabilities by differentiating baseline skills among race and gender groups. The two independent variables were race/ethnicity and gender. The dependent variables were the self-determination total score and each of four domain total scores (Autonomy, Self-Regulation, Psychological Empowerment, and Self-Realization) of the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale. The literature revealed that there was not a standard for self-determination training programs for students with disabilities and teachers (Brunello-Prudencio, 2001). However, empirical data has emphasized that socio-cultural development (i.e. gender and race) could impact self-determination. Understanding the socio-cultural perspective of race/ethnicity and gender on self-determination has the potential to improve transition practices as well as highlight the importance for self-determination (Trainor, 2005). This study utilized information from the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale (Wehmeyer & Kelchner, 1995) score of secondary adolescents with disabilities to determine whether differences existed among race/ethnic and gender groups. Research findings from this study indicated significant differences in total scores among race/ethnic groups for: (1) the autonomy domain (the ability to express personal preferences or beliefs); (2) self-determination; and (3) there was no significant difference for gender on either domain score or self-determination total scores. This research revealed that a self-determination assessment instrument could be used to isolate essential abilities and behaviors by gender and race for secondary adolescents with disabilities. To promote positive outcomes among deficit areas of self-determination for secondary adolescents with disabilities, this researcher recommended differentiated strategies for educational practitioners. Differentiated strategies could focus on collaborative learning communities, experiential learning options, and reduced emphasis on competitive learning environments.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Socorro G. Herrera / Throughout the last several decades, rises in CLD student populations and teacher accountability have factored in the increased numbers of CLD students being referred for, and placed in, special education. Because traditional evaluation processes do not reliably distinguish student learning problems that result from culturally/linguistic difference from those associated with innate disability, once referred, most CLD students go on to be placed in special education. Since over-referral is a key factor in over-representation, the purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and examine the student and teacher factors associated with referral of bilingual CLD students for special education evaluation. The primary sources of data for this study were school records generated by classroom teachers, and semi-structured interviews with teachers who had referred bilingual CLD students for special education evaluation. Qualitative data garnered from these sources permitted identification and description of CLD student learning behaviors, and teacher interpretations thereof, which factored into referral of these students for special education. Results, obtained through review and analysis of 27 referral records and six teacher interview transcripts indicated that lack of teacher preparation was a significant factor in the teacher's ability to appropriately perceive and respond to CLD student learning behaviors. Most notably, grade-level teachers tended to overrate the CLD student's English language proficiency based upon observations made within the school setting. Once determined to have enough English, the CLD student's language needs were essentially disregarded throughout the pre-referral (intervention) process. Student failure with unaccommodative interventions appeared to reinforce teacher perceptions of prereferral as a confirmatory process rather than the means by which student learning problems could be resolved. These phenomena were compounded by the teacher's expressed deference for psychological test data and preference for special education placement. Teachers form observation-based opinions about CLD student language proficiencies which can derail the instructional and intervention process for CLD students and lead to inappropriate referrals for special education. Further research is needed to determine the reliability of such teacher impressions and methods by which these teachers can better identify and respond to CLD student's language assets and needs.

This dissertation study examined and gave voice to the experiences of a group of street involved youth, those who had received special education support and services during their school years. They are not spoken about in the literature. Special education is complex, diverse, and encompasses many exceptional pupils for whom services and supports are provided in the school system. Many street youth belong to this group with exceptionalities such as learning disability, mild intellectual disability or behaviour. Using narrative analysis and structuration theory frameworks, the life history narratives of fifteen street youth who were in special education classes were co-constructed and analysed. In addition, a survey question gathered how many new in-takes at a drop-in for street youth self-identify as youth who were in special education. Furthermore, data was gathered from service providers in education and social services through semi-structured interviews and two focus groups. Youth participants considered citizenship in special education as exclusionary and actively resisted it because of the social connotations such as ‘being stupid’ which were attached to it. Youth emphasized that teachers and support staff seemed unaware of the complex environmental factors that impacted on their ability to be successful in school. They reported that once they were formally identified and placed in special education, they were put in a holding pattern that often did not lead to graduation. Special education was focused on classifications according to deficit discourses rather than engaging these students in learning or in having their identified learning needs met. Although study participants dropped out of school a number of times, they kept returning either to complete secondary school or enroll in college, mostly without special education designation and supports. Service providers, educators and special services staff should mentor such youth, provide opportunities for addressing learning problems, and deliver quality instruction for students with identified learning difficulties and needs. There is a dearth of alternative and transitional post-secondary programs to meet the specific needs of these students.

Waves of education reform in Ontario since the 1960s have resulted in widespread changes to curriculum, governance, and policy directives. Despite these continual reforms the structures and the practices of special education have changed very little since the early twentieth century. This dissertation looks at special education policy historically (1965-1980) in Ontario and offers an explanation for this resistance to change. Policy archaeology is developed in this study to map policy texts backwards through time and to interpret the meaning of policy discourses in these texts. The discourses produced by various policy actors are interpreted within the historical context to illuminate the ideologically informed beliefs of society about children with disabilities and their education. The ideologies of conservatism, liberalism, and scientific rationalism continue to construct the identities of children with disabilities as deviant from “normal” children. These differences are scientifically measured and quantified by medical and psychological professionals. The hierarchical organization of schooling sorts students into homogeneous groups according to ability. The constructed identities and segregated placements marginalize children with disabilities from the opportunities available to children in the regular classroom. Ideologies are stable and enduring and contribute to the stability of beliefs about special education in spite of extensive and continuous reforms in other areas of education. This dissertation builds on the earlier theories of the policy web (Joshee & Johnson, 2005). The large policy web of special education is composed of individual webs of meaning that represent the condensation symbols of disability, education, professionalism, management, and equality in particular ways that support the marginalization of children with disabilities. These webs are internally cohesive and related to each other by shared discourses. These interconnections give the web an intricate, irregular design but also give the web strength. Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of capital, the members of the Ontario Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, and its members as individuals, held high forms of capital that were used as power. This association shaped policy discourses in particular ways that influenced beliefs about learning disabilities, acquired resources for children with learning disabilities, and reproduced privilege for the association.

Waves of education reform in Ontario since the 1960s have resulted in widespread changes to curriculum, governance, and policy directives. Despite these continual reforms the structures and the practices of special education have changed very little since the early twentieth century. This dissertation looks at special education policy historically (1965-1980) in Ontario and offers an explanation for this resistance to change. Policy archaeology is developed in this study to map policy texts backwards through time and to interpret the meaning of policy discourses in these texts. The discourses produced by various policy actors are interpreted within the historical context to illuminate the ideologically informed beliefs of society about children with disabilities and their education. The ideologies of conservatism, liberalism, and scientific rationalism continue to construct the identities of children with disabilities as deviant from “normal” children. These differences are scientifically measured and quantified by medical and psychological professionals. The hierarchical organization of schooling sorts students into homogeneous groups according to ability. The constructed identities and segregated placements marginalize children with disabilities from the opportunities available to children in the regular classroom. Ideologies are stable and enduring and contribute to the stability of beliefs about special education in spite of extensive and continuous reforms in other areas of education. This dissertation builds on the earlier theories of the policy web (Joshee & Johnson, 2005). The large policy web of special education is composed of individual webs of meaning that represent the condensation symbols of disability, education, professionalism, management, and equality in particular ways that support the marginalization of children with disabilities. These webs are internally cohesive and related to each other by shared discourses. These interconnections give the web an intricate, irregular design but also give the web strength. Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of capital, the members of the Ontario Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, and its members as individuals, held high forms of capital that were used as power. This association shaped policy discourses in particular ways that influenced beliefs about learning disabilities, acquired resources for children with learning disabilities, and reproduced privilege for the association.

Situated within Toronto's expanding and increasingly segregated educational marketplace, this study examines how parents of students at one elite publicly funded specialized arts high school make meaning of their school choice decision. Utilizing a Neo-Marxist framework, I explore the role that material and symbolic resources play in making this school choice both available and exclusive. I conduct a critical discourse analysis of parent narratives to expose how they mobilize dominant discourses of the arts in order to produce the school as a good choice, and themselves as good parents. This research challenges dominant conceptions of the arts in education by showing how the arts are used to reinforce, obscure, and justify existing social hierarchies in school settings and society at large. This study further serves as an example of how arts education research can move beyond positivist conceptions of the arts.