Over 7 million students in the United States of America meet special education eligibilities and are serviced in public schools. Life skills teachers teach a specialized group of students with intellectual disabilities. Each of these students has their own Individual Education Plan (IEP). It is a legal requirement for each IEP to be implemented…

The primary purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether special education and general education teacher perceptions of collaboration, leadership, and efficacy beliefs influenced student performance on STAAR. Quantitative data were collected using a Qualtrics survey consisting of 56 items regarding special education and general…

The special education teacher shortage in the U.S. continues to grow and the implication of this shortage is multifaceted. First and foremost, students that are eligible for special education may not be receiving the educational supports and services that they deserve and legally require. Additionally, this shortage may cause great financial…

The well-being of special education teachers is paramount to ensuring a high-quality and sustainable education system for students with disabilities (Sawatske et al., 2024). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore, in a large, southeast Texas school district, the perceptions of secondary special education teachers…

Many special education teachers experience low self-efficacy when it comes to supporting the problematic behavior of their students. Low self-efficacy not only results in emotional exhaustion, burnout, and decreased retention, but also directly impacts the success of students in the classroom. The problem this qualitative descriptive study sought…

This research aims to examine current practices in gifted and talented educator professional learning, as well as teacher attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards gifted education in order to explore opportunities to further develop and improve professional learning structures. Through a qualitative methodology following the…

The last four years in special education have been challenging. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and what it did to special education teachers during the school closures, returning to campus, and in recent years has led to many of them leaving or retiring early. Burnout is often cited as one of the main reasons these teachers leave. Texas…

This quantitative study examined general and special education teachers' self-efficacy, attitudes, and teaching efficacy in implementing inclusive practices in Texas secondary schools. Grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, the research explored how teacher efficacy impacted the successful integration of students with disabilities into…

Special education teachers play a crucial role in supporting the academic and social development of students with disabilities. However, many states, including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana (the four states), have been experiencing a shortage of special education teachers in recent years, and retaining experienced teachers has become an…

The prevalence of Autism is increasing exponentially in today's classrooms, such that general education teachers face a broad range of challenges within inclusive settings (Leech, 2008). This study investigated the degree of teacher preparedness in teaching autistic students in general education and special education classrooms by examining the…

Teachers across the nation are leaving the profession at alarming rates. Teachers in specialized areas such as special education are leaving at higher rates than their peers in other certifications. School districts are constantly recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers which reduces the effectiveness of teaching and learning in the…

The purpose of this study was to describe charter school special education teachers' perceptions of their level of preparedness, satisfaction with training, and frequency of implementation of specific transition competencies. Additionally, the study examined administrators' perceptions of preparedness to support the transition process for students…

Despite extensive research on teacher self-efficacy, little has focused on certified itinerant teachers who work with students ages infancy through 22 identified as deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). During a U.S. shutdown and global pandemic, the researcher explored factors that influence itinerant teachers' sense of teacher self-efficacy and…

Kindergarten and first-grade students who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have additional learning needs impeding the learning of self and others. The purpose of the qualitative study was to investigate: (a) the successes, challenges, barriers, and needs of teachers working with students who have ADHD;…

This dissertation investigated the relationship between mindset and self-efficacy among special education teachers in Region 2 of Texas. While approximately 500,000 students are provided special education services in Texas public schools, special education students perform significantly lower on state assessments in reading and math than their…