Elementary special education teachers are required to provide online learning instruction to students with disabilities as schools are navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic with a lack of information as to how to do so successfully. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of elementary special education…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore teachers' perception of the impact of the switch to emergency remote teaching on students with disabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the factors that helped or hindered their academic and social-emotional achievement levels and motivation. A secondary…

This dissertation in practice focuses on the cost of compassion in a classroom. It explores the secondary traumatic stress impacting special education teachers as they support middle and high school students daily. More specifically, this program evaluation examines how an intervention can increase teachers' understanding and awareness of their…

The research-to-practice gap in education has been well documented over the decades (e.g., Abbott et al., 1999; Burns & Ysseldyke, 2009; Cook & Odom, 2013; van Ingen & Ariew, 2015). To best benefit PreK-12 student outcomes, educators must understand and implement scientifically based practices in their teaching (Elementary and…

Special education teacher preparation programs are charged with providing preservice teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively implement reading interventions using evidence-based practices. Practicum experiences allow preservice teachers to practice implementing these teaching practices in authentic settings. Preservice…

This qualitative study uses the traditions of interpretive phenomenological analysis to identify the effective instructional practices of educators that address the social, emotional and academic achievement of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The guiding question that fuels the study is: What are the perceived effective…

Special education teacher burnout is a national struggle that affects many school districts. It is critical to study the factors of burnout and the support needed to deter burnout. The Maslach theory of burnout guided this research study, which was fundamentally important to the effects of an educator's perceptions on emotional exhaustion,…

This non-experimental study examined the relationship between perceived Authentic Leadership of his/her leader and special education educators' Job Satisfaction from the perception of the special education educator. The convenience sample consisted of 188 special education educators in the state of Texas. Participants completed a demographic…

In regard to preschool students with disabilities, teachers need support implementing assistive technology and there is little known about factors that influence teachers' perceptions of assistive technology benefits. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe how the perceptions of early childhood special education teachers…

Family engagement and home-school partnerships are a mutually-collaborative working relationship between the school and family that serves in the best interest of the student, across all settings, for the primary purpose of increasing student achievement (Grant & Ray, 2016). Family engagement is a crucial factor in student success (Kariabyeva…

The problem addressed is that special education teachers lack the professional development and awareness of EI to assist in learning outcomes for students receiving special education services. A qualitative narrative inquiry was completed to collect teachers' stories and perceptions. Research questions focused on teacher perceptions, experiences,…

A disproportionate number of Black students with disabilities experience exclusionary discipline practices (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) in K-12 public schools. This disparity persists, regardless of the severity of identified problem behavior, the school's average socio-economic status, or the type of public school attended. Given that…

Special education teachers play an integral role in the lives of students with autism spectrum disorder. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their skills were required as online teaching?necessitated new technology and strategies to aid students on a spectrum and often display symptoms affecting their school success. This study explored how high school…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive designed study was to explore how special education teachers from a private special education school with self-contained classrooms describe their experiences teaching and how they identify and select instructional strategies based on student's individual instructional and cognitive needs when teaching…

Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at all educational and developmental levels represents a fundamental challenge for special education teachers. Teaching social skills, particularly to students with ASD, is arduous for two reasons: first, barriers in communication are paramount deficits in autism, and second, impairment in…