In this dissertation I explore the collaborative practices of three participants: two paraprofessionals and one music teacher. Using social capital as the theoretical framework, I analyzed the ways in which the participants networked with others to gain resources for expressive action. In order to more fully understand the social structures that exist in their elementary school environment, I examined participants’ perceptions of the issues that influenced their ability to access resources embedded in their social networks. Additionally, I examined if and how the paraprofessionals and music teacher used their gained resources in servicing students with Individualized Education Plans in inclusive music settings.
Data for this qualitative case study were gathered remotely over a period of one semester during the COVID-19 pandemic. I conducted three semi-structured interviews with each participant as well as had several informal conversations to gain insights about their experiences related to collaboration. Data collection also included analyzing school documents to triangulate the findings. As I reviewed the data, I looked at their levels of relational trust with others, organizational and personal characteristics, structural and choice constraints, and perceptions of fit and belonging. In addition, the role of the COVID-19 pandemic was considered. To facilitate organization of data analysis and to help organize the data into categories, I coded the data and created a master code list. From these codes themes were developed that included: (a) network structures, (b) technology, and (c) norms and expectations.
The findings suggest that the paraprofessionals in this study faced many challenges in gaining resources, such as high power differentials between them and their teaching colleagues, withdrawal from social engagement at a broader level, limited opportunities for collaborative planning, and low input in instructional delivery. These challenges meant that they provided inconsistent to no support in the inclusive music classroom. The music teacher in this study also lacked proper administrative support in order to promote consistent collaboration with the paraprofessionals and to facilitate inclusive practices that meet the needs of all learners. Implications from this research point to the importance of understanding power structures in the workplace, developing policies geared towards bridging the social distance between employees, as well as designing staff schedules that allow for collaboration and co-teaching. Recommendations are also made for future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/44266 |
| Date | 20 April 2022 |
| Creators | Nospal, Tina |
| Contributors | Goodrich, Andrew M. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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