Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Shernaz B. García. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Washington State University, May 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 6, 2010). "College of Education." Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-113).

Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2006 / "Publication number AAT 3251808."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 309-327). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / The unique and lived problems of beginner teachers in special education have not been adequately addressed in past research in this country. A need was therefore identified for an in-service training course catering specifically for beginner teachers in special education. A qualitative research approach was used to conduct a study in which problems of beginner teachers in special education were identified by means of focus interviews. The teachers who partook in this inquiry were also required to write naive sketches on their lived experiences related to the problems identified. The target groups consisted of beginner teachers from schools. in the Johannesburg and East Rand areas. Data obtained was analysed according to a specific protocol. From information obtained, guidelines for the design of an in-service training programme for beginner teachers in special education were formulated. Finally recommendations are made concerning various aspects related to the design and implementation of the abovementioned in-service training programme. Recommendations concerning future research are also included.

No description available.

Since the mid-1980s several forces have brought about changes in the delivery of special education services to students with disabilities: the Regular Education Initiative and inclusive education movements; increase in parent advocacy for including students with disabilities in general education classes; increases in student diversity in terms ofrace, language, income, exceptionality, and culture; and a trend toward heterogeneous grouping in special education classes. As a consequence, the new California Standards for teacher credentials in special education require competencies and skills to implement inclusive service delivery models. Current holders of Learning Handicapped (LH) and Severely Handicapped (SH) credentials, trained under previous standards, may not have all of these skills. The purpose of this study was to determine training needs of veteran special education teachers in California, as perceived by those teachers and their school site administrators. Specifically, this study sought to determine the extent to which these teachers and administrators perceive that (a) the teachers possess 31 skills in eight new Level I standards and (b) the teachers need additional training in these skills. Responses to 167 questionnaires completed by LH teachers, SH teachers, and school site administrators, and two follow-up interview sessions with a selected subsarnple of each group were analyzed. Overall, the teachers perceived themselves to be competent in the examined skills and indicated little need for further training. Responses to follow-up interview questions showed that they have a balanced awareness of their competencies and need for training. Administrators rated the teachers lower in skills and in greater need of training than the teachers rated themselves, but the administrators expressed (a) a high level of regard for the abilities of the teachers and (b) a high level of expectation for the teachers as they take on new roles in the inclusive system. Based on the findings, it was recommended that (a) districts implement pragmatic inservice training, rather than university coursework; (b) administrators formally state their expectations for these teachers in the general education setting and provide system-level support and training to facilitate the teachers' assumption of their new role; and (c) administrators form a closer alliance with these teachers to better understand their performance and their needs.

No description available.

My dissertation is comprised of two manuscripts on preparing educators to address the needs of students with disabilities. The first manuscript is a systematic review of 23 empirical studies published over the last two decades, addressing how traditional teacher preparation programs prepared preservice educators to learn about teaching students with disabilities in inclusive settings. A conceptual model was developed to synthesize the findings. Better outcomes in dispositions, knowledge, and skills were associated with preservice educators placements in inclusive classrooms where supportive supervising teachers modeled effective collaboration and provided opportunities for developing specific teaching skills. Although student disability type and teacher education program type are not directly related to preparation, researchers suggest that they mediate preservice educators' dispositions. The second manuscript examines the demographic, preparation, and school poverty level of a nationally representative sample of 51,340 early career special educators and the extent to which more and less preparation predicted their perceived preparedness for eight instructional practices. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, cross tabulations, and multiple linear regression. Findings indicated that more preparation significantly predicted educators' feelings of preparedness as they began teaching. The majority of educators with more preparation entered teaching through traditional routes while those who were less prepared tended to enter through alternative routes. Additionally, the majority of all educators felt least prepared to use student data to inform instruction and most prepared to differentiate instruction. Implications for education policy, teacher preparation, and future research are considered in both manuscripts. / Ph. D.