ERIC Number: ED665108
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 110
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3468-0606-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Teachers' Perceptions of Content/Dual Certification, Special Educators' Roles, and Co-Teaching Partnerships in Inclusion Classes
Patricia Ann Rando
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Seton Hall University
To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion classes and the school organization. A qualitative research method with a narrative design was used to analyze teachers' perspectives. Special educators with experience in middle schools' inclusion classes in two counties in New Jersey were interviewed. The research questions elicited their perspective on the changes to their role and the impact on the school organization post content/dual certification mandate. The interviews revealed the current reality, 10 years into the mandate initiative. The participants with experience ranging from two through thirty-six years expressed a favorable attitude about the mandate. While it brought some stability to their roles as co-teachers in inclusive classrooms, participants also disclosed a continued experience in changes to their positions in response to student needs as written in their Individual Education Plans (IEP). The implications of the study are significant to policy makers, prompting them to decipher mandates' effects on the total organization prior to initiating into law. Administrators can use the study to focus on the efficacy of co-teaching partnerships in their schools. Universities can obtain a more realistic picture of inclusive classrooms and follow through training teachers in special and general education to be flexible, adaptable, and arm them with strategies for differentiating instruction for all students. [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: Special Education Teachers, Teacher Certification, Inclusion, Teacher Role, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Teacher Collaboration, Students with Disabilities, Middle School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Program Effectiveness, State Standards, Educational Policy
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: Administrators; Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Jersey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A