A critical issue in the preparation of special education teachers working with students with significant disabilities is the lack of commonality in what preparation programs should include in their academic plans of study. As such, some special education teachers enter the workforce unprepared for the expectations of their role responsibilities.…

This brief article addresses the question of whether the Individuals with Disabilities Act or Section 504 and its sister statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act, provides for the liability of special educators and other public school personnel for money damages. The analysis synthesizes the applicable case law under these federal disability…

The study uses teachers' interview narratives to explore the relationship between childhood disability and bullying. Drawing insights from literature on childhood, critical disability studies and stigma-based perspectives on bullying, the latter is reconceptualised as being a socially mediated phenomenon, which is not only experienced by children…

Given the importance of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for improving outcomes for students with disabilities, it is key that preservice special education teachers have the opportunity to implement EBPs with high levels of fidelity during their teacher preparation program. For this reason, the authors conducted a systematic review of the…

There is a growing body of research that supports the use of performance feedback as a method of increasing teachers' use of effective practices (Cornelius & Nagro, 2014; Sweigart et al., 2016). Put simply, performance feedback involves a colleague or coach observing a teacher and providing specific feedback about the instruction to increase a…

In this study, the authors examine the impact of a community service learning course on undergraduate students' decisions to pursue careers as special education teachers or related service providers. Participants (N = 134) completed a course involving volunteer service with persons with disabilities in the local community and were surveyed as to…

Regarding the growing frequency of crisis situations in society, an improvement of special educators' skills in providing psychosocial first aid (PFA) to people with disability in crisis situations needs to be taken into account. The goal of the study was to ascertain the special educator`s role when providing PFA in selected crisis situations, as…

Ten high school special education teachers were interviewed on their perceptions of the process in place for transitioning students with mild to moderate autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In many cases, it was determined that although through individual education plans (IEP), students with mild to moderate ASD were provided accommodations and…

The aim of the present study was to elucidate Mexicans teachers' attitudes toward school inclusion and disability. To achieve this goal, 119 regular education and 88 special education teachers answered The Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities scale. Subsequent analyses revealed that attitudes to both groups were similar…

Federal laws require teachers to understand the special needs of their students and provide the best possible education for them. However, many teachers have completed their preservice education without the requisite skills to implement assistive technology to support exceptional students. These teachers have become dependent upon professional…

Purpose: This study aims to selects a teacher training program located in China's rural area and focus on its preservice teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in China and their expectations of teacher training programs. Design/methodology/approach: The selected teacher training program is in School of Education of a comprehensive…

School administrators are often responsible for observing and evaluating special education teachers. The current study examined the training school administrators received, their needed knowledge and supports, and their confidence in performing job functions related to special education teacher evaluation. A total of 929 school administrators in…

Although access to formal education has improved internationally for children with disabilities, concerns remain about education quality for this student population. Using data on 121 173 teachers from 38 countries in the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), this study examined the qualifications and professional development…

"Inclusion" refers to the practice of educating students with disabilities in the general education setting. This concept stems from the seminal United States Congressional legislation PL 94-142, and its subsequent reauthorised amendments, which mandate that students with disabilities be educated in the general education setting with…

Special educators are urged to use research findings to inform their instruction in order to improve student outcomes. However, it can be difficult to tell whether and how research findings apply to one's own students. In this article, we discuss how special educators can consider the samples and the sampling methods in studies to examine the…