ERIC Number: ED645157
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 112
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3813-8480-2
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Experiences of Principals to Establish an Inclusive Educational Environment for Students with Disabilities
Guadalupe Colon
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Capella University
This basic qualitative study was an exploration of the successful approaches that a sample of elementary school principals used to support collaboration between special education teachers and general education teachers to ensure an inclusive educational (IE) environment for students with disabilities (SWD). This study may help to close the gap in teacher preparation programs and provide school leaders with insight into ways to support IE practices. The primary problem addressed is school leaders' challenges to establish a collaborative IE environment. This study focused on the approaches that elementary principals promoted to support collaborative teaching and overcome barriers. Effective collaboration is fundamental to fostering an IE environment for SWD. The target population comprised elementary school principals, and the sample held 10 participants from the southcentral area of the United States. Snowball sampling was employed to recruit the participants, and an online interview protocol was used to obtain the data. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) fostering instructional leadership observation and teacher support, (b) promoting consistent and constant communication among stakeholders, (c) creating equitable learning environments, (d) leveraging intentional collaborative opportunities in the school community, and (e) responding to data and gap analyses. This research contributes to the extant body of knowledge by emphasizing the significance of the role of principals in establishing an IE environment. Practical implications include recommendations for administrators, teachers, policymakers, and professional development providers. The results indicated that fostering instructional leadership observation and teacher support, promoting consistent and specific communication among stakeholders, creating equitable learning environments, leveraging intentional collaborative opportunities in the school community, and responding to data and gap analyses will pave the way for improved IE instructional practices. The implications also extend to practical and theoretical applications that may guide future research into IE for SWD. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Principals, Students with Disabilities, Inclusion, Educational Change, Elementary Schools, Barriers, Cooperation, Educational Environment, Educational Practices, Administrator Role
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A