This dissertation investigates the adaptation of a research-based professional development approach, Innovating Instruction, for special education teachers. This adapted approach uses assistive technology (AT) as a catalyst for helping teachers acquire design skills needed to include more inquiry-based practices. The adapted approach introduces effective teaching practices based on the learning sciences and demonstrates multiple ways to use AT to meet the needs of students. To address the “unexamined link between the use of design practices and the introduction of technology within a learning science framework,” (Meier, 2018, p.142), the Innovating Instruction© professional development framework (2018) at the Center for Technology and School Change provides a three-part approach to implement these changes: design, situate, lead. Two recent National Science Foundation grants have established the model’s positive impact on teachers’ ability to design projects, to shift from disciplinary to transdisciplinary project design, and to shift instructional thinking to include inquiry-based approaches. This dissertation responds to an important challenge in special education: the limited opportunities to prepare special education teachers to provide high-quality instruction to support all students. It uses technology as a catalyst to help special education teachers learn about design practices that engage students in inquiry practices that are culturally relevant and build on student strengths. The intervention introduced teachers to inquiry-driven design practices and used technology that supported new ways of understanding the capacity of special needs students through a six-month professional development program. The research design used was a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to analyze both qualitative and qualitative data to capture how special education teachers used AT to design inquiry-based learning. The analysis revealed a statistically significant shift over the period of the professional development, implementation, and reflection phases in terms of teachers’ ability to design inquiry-based projects that integrated AT. Also, the findings showed the importance of “situating” teachers’ needs, encouraging collaborative learning with colleagues, and developing a shared knowledge base of inquiry-based teaching strategies in special education classrooms. Findings from teacher questionnaires and interviews showed emerging leadership activities: teachers took more initiative to design projects and collaborate with other teachers in the school community.

This study had a two-fold purpose. The first purpose was to compare the rankings of a set of knowledge/skills statements as reported by teachers of students with emotional behavioral disorders and teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings. A survey instrument designed to measure the importance, proficiency, and frequency of use of clusters of knowledge/skills statements was administered to 123 teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings in state institutions. Mann Whitney U analyses were calculated to compare the mean rankings of the two groups of teachers. The findings indicated that teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings and teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders were very similar as to which knowledge/skills clusters were important to their job performance, which clusters they were most proficient at using, and which clusters they utilized most frequently. The second purpose was to compare the teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings and to determine whether their mean rankings of the knowledge/skills clusters varied when analyzed by differing categories of age, type of certification held, years of teaching experience, and level of the teachers' education. Analysis of variance revealed no significant difference in the mean rankings in any of the comparison groups. Therefore teacher age, level of education, type of certification held, or years of teaching experience yielded no significant differences on the mean rankings of the knowledge/skills clusters.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2015, Texas special education programs were rated among the lowest in the nation. School districts in the state have a substantial need for effective and efficient staff training. In this study, researchers implemented TAPS: A Talk Aloud Problem Solving Approach Packet to teach active listener qualities to staff members in a life skills special education classroom. A multiple baseline across staff members was used to evaluate the effects of the TAPS training on the presence and absence of the staff members' active listener qualities during a pre-test, a post-test, and probes. The staff members that underwent TAPS training acquired all of the active listener qualities as a function of the TAPS training, and the effects of the training maintained during probe sessions. Additionally, TAPS training appeared to improve staff members' scores on the Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (WASI) Test and anecdotally improved the quality of staff and student tutoring interactions. Several areas of potential research and improvement are discussed.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2007. / The aim of this investigation was to establish the challenges facing educators in the implementation of inclusive education. From the literature study it emerges that inclusive education constitutes a challenge to the education system in South Africa, in particular to mainstream educators. Successful implementation of inclusive education requires educators to have a positive attitude, be flexible and critical, creative and innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Educators are expected to have the necessary knowledge, skills, competencies and support to accommodate a wide range of diversity among learners in an inclusive classroom. They must be able to select appropriate teaching strategies to achieve specific outcomes. Effective inclusion will only stay a dream if educators do not have the necessary training, support systems and appropriate resources. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire, to be completed by educators from primary schools, was utilised. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires were analysed and commented on by means of descriptive statistics. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the literature review and empirical investigation and the following are some of the recommendations that were made: > Opportunities for in-service training regarding inclusive education must be made available to mainstream educators. > The Department of Education must provide adequate support to educators concerning all aspects of inclusive education.

The question of which strategies for teaching daily living skills (DLS) are most effective for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires increased attention. Special education elementary teachers may not have the instructional strategies necessary to teach DLS to students with ASD. DLS instruction for students with ASD is important because these skills are essential to functioning in school as well as society. The aim of this study was to identify elementary special education teachers' perceptions about their ability to teach DLS to students with ASD. The study's conceptual framework was rooted in a synthesis of ideas from current refereed literature, along with Bandura's social cognitive theory. Purposeful sampling identified 10 participants for individual interviews. Findings indicated 2 themes that emerged from Bandura's (1993) self-efficacy theory: lack of competency to teach DLS and teachers' beliefs about DLS instruction. Thematic and open coding indicated the following themes: lack of time, lack of administrative support in formally addressing DLS deficits, and strategies influencing DLS acquisition. The results indicated that special education elementary teachers did not feel efficacious about their ability to teach DLS to students with ASD and did not feel that they had time and support to provide DLS instruction to students with ASD. This study suggests a need for ongoing, sustainable professional development opportunities for special education teachers related to teaching DLS to students with ASD. Social change implications include improved teacher practice focused on increasing DLS performance for students with ASD so that they will be able to independently perform DLS in various environments, along with increased awareness and comprehension of the value of teacher voice in DLS instructional practices for students with ASD. From ProQuest: https://search.proquest.com/docview/1964903175/.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a content and component analysis of evaluation instruments used to evaluate preservice teacher performance by special education teacher preparation programs. Direct observation (DO) and summative evaluation (SE) forms were collected from a random sample of Special Education teacher preparation programs that are recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The forms were then coded for content and components based on predetermined categories to identify similarities and differences. Variances among the DO and SE forms indicated possible methods for evaluating preservice teacher knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

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The purpose of this study is to gain increased knowledge on how three special education teachers include students with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in math lessons. Moreover, the study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and benefits of inclusive math education for NDD students. The study provides an overview of previous research on inclusion, inclusion in mathematics, and NDD. The investigation was conducted through semi-structured interviews with three special education teachers in math. The results of the study show that the special education teachers' view on inclusion aligns with the dilemma perspective, where students work with math borh in the classroom and in groups outside of it. Important factors for inclusive education for NDD students that are supported by research, include hands-on materials, structured teaching, adapted books, a permissive climate, personalized instruction, meaningful lessons and fostering a sense of context and belonging. The teachers in the study believe that the biggest challenges include difficulty keeping up with everything due to students' different needs and levels. They also mention challenges that arise over time, such as decreased student motivation and attendance. However, through observations in the regular classroom and their results, they also believe that students achieve higher levels of fulfillment and increased self-confidence in math, and, because of increased learning, they feel more included in the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of special education teachers regarding parent participation during the IEP conference. More specifically, teachers' perceptions of parent participation during the IEP conference, previous training, as well as specific training needs as it relates to the special education teachers' role in facilitating the IEP conference were explored. Additionally, teacher perceptions of recommendations to rectify poor parent participation during the IEP conference within inclusive education were assessed. METHOD. To achieve the purpose of this study, the researcher designed a Likert-type questionnaire. The population involved in this study was comprised of special education teachers from an intermediate school district in Southeast Michigan, who are participating in inclusive education. Subsequent to administrative and school board approval, the researcher collected completed questionnaires at the close of a special education meeting in person to enhance the return rate. Data obtained from the questionnaires were presented via percentages. Findings. 1. Special education teachers perceive that parents are not active and equal participants at the IEP conference. Parents do not participate in the decision making and writing of the IEP. 2. While special education teachers have received some training, there are missing components or "gaps" in specific areas of teacher training which are equally critical to effectively working with parents, communicating, and facilitating the IEP conference. 3. Special education teachers perceive a need for teacher training in all skill areas relevant to working with parents, communicating, and skills pertaining to the special education teachers' role as conference facilitator. 4. Special education teachers generally perceive that inclusive education has positively impacted the IEP process. While teachers perceive that inclusive education could be the juncture to improving the IEP process, teacher training is perceived as a more effective means to improve parent participation at the IEP conference. Conclusion 1. The issue of poor parent participation at the IEP conference has yet to be ameliorated and prevails within inclusive education. 2. Special education teachers lack training in specific skill areas related to their role as IEP conference facilitator within inclusive education, and recognize that teacher training is needed to enhance parent participation at the IEP conference. 3. The inclusive education reform movement provides a good opportunity to make needed changes in IEP conference procedures. / Ed. D.

Studiens syfte är att beskriva hur samarbetet upplevs mellan lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger i deras arbete med att anpassa och inkludera undervisningen till varje enskild elev. Mina frågeställningar som har legat till grund till min studie är: Hur beskriver läraren samarbetet med varandra? Hur beskriver lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger att de samarbetar kring den anpassade undervisningen? Hur upplever lärarna samarbetet med professionerna i skolan och vilken hjälp beskriver de att de får? Studien är relevant eftersom det finns behov av mer kunskap och svensk forskning som uppmärksammar samarbetet mellan lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger och hur de arbetar med anpassningar och inkludering så att alla elever ska kunna nå läroplanens mål. Studien är kvalitativ och empirin har samlats in genom semistrukturerande intervjuer med lärare, speciallärare och en specialpedagog. Jag använde mig av tematisk analys för att analysera intervjuerna. Resultatet visar att samarbetet mellan lärarna och professionerna bygger på tät kommunikation, gemensamma problemlösningar, att fördela resurserna rätt och att ge eleverna den trygghet de behöver både kunskapsmässigt och socialt. Det hinder som framkom var att tiden inte alltid fanns för att kunna samtala om enskilda elever. / The purpose of the study is to describe how the collaboration is perceived between teachers, special education teachers and special educational needs coordinators in their work to adapt and include teaching to each individual student. My questions that have formed the basis of my study are: How do teachers describe their collaboration with each other? How do teachers, special needs teachers and special educational needs coordinators describe that they collaborate around the adapted teaching? How do teachers perceive the cooperation with professionals in the school and what help do they describe that they receive? The study is relevant as there is a need for more knowledge and Swedish research that pays attention to the collaboration between teachers, special education teachers and special educational needs coordinators and how they work with adaptations and inclusion so that all students can achieve the curriculum goals. The study is qualitative and the empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers, special education teachers and one special educational needs coordinators. I used thematic analysis to analyze the interviews. The results show that the cooperation between the teachers and the professions is based on close communication, commonproblem solving, allocating resources correctly and giving the pupils the security they need both academically and socially. The obstacle that emerged was that there was not always time to discuss individual students.