The issue of teacher shortages has long been a concern in schools across the nation. Currently, the majority of states have reported persistent shortages, with special education experiencing the most severe gaps. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of school climate on teacher retention in special education schools. Special…

Is there a shortage of special education teachers in America's public schools? If so, why? And how can policymakers fix it? The first question sounds like an easy one. Yes, there is a shortage of special education teachers. In 2023-24, more than half of districts and 80 percent of states reported such a shortage. If you doubt the self-reported…

The ongoing teacher shortage has created major concern across the nation. While much research has sought to understand sources of teacher dissatisfaction, less attention has been paid to how general education (GE) and special education (SE) teachers differentially experience workplace challenges. To construct a more detailed and domain specific…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of special educators in the pivot from in-person to virtual learning during COVID-19. A national sample of 46 participants participated in the study. Individual recorded interviews were conducted with each participant by the primary researcher. Two…

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…

There has been a shortage of teachers in the field of special education for over 4 decades. Recently, this shortage is reaching a critical stage causing schools and districts to be unable to meet the federal and state mandates to provide a Free and Appropriate Education to all students ages 3-21 in the Least Restrictive Environment. This shortage…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of interdependent and independent group contingencies on pre-service teachers' performance on class quizzes that reflected their knowledge of evidence-based practices for students with extensive support needs. In the interdependent condition, the course instructor awarded extra credit…

Students with disabilities such as visual impairment (VI) face challenges in accessing education, mainly owing to their inability to participate in learning activities in the classroom. While experts in special education have discussed the deployment of assistive technology (AT) to support the learning of students with VI, research on its impact…

Teachers are expected to have sufficient knowledge and skills on assistive technologies in order to use assistive technologies, which are defined as various technological tools and methods that facilitate the lives of individuals with special needs, in the field of education. Considering that this is related to undergraduate education programme in…

A sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted to determine special education teachers' (SETs) pandemic experiences in the U.S. state of Georgia. We distributed a survey, held focus groups, and analyzed both data for complementarity. We found that SETs experienced challenges, benefits, and concerns when they returned to their…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to assess if and to what extent the Big Five Personality Traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), individually and combined, predict Perceived Job Stress among K-12 special education teachers in US. The study was guided by the theoretical…

The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers engaged in data use for instructional decision making. A grounded theory research design was used to analyze interviews of 10 special education teachers. Special education teachers were asked to complete an online survey and were interviewed with questions to reveal their experiences with…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how novice special education teachers describe the influence of collegial emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support in public charter schools on their career decisions in the southwestern region of the United States. House's theory of social support and Vygotsky's…

This qualitative case study investigates teachers' perceptions of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) intervention within the context of a special education school. The primary research question guiding this study is: What are school staff's perceptions of the Good Behavior Game in a special education school? The study employs a qualitative approach,…

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a fundamental skill for school and life. Much is known about how to effectively teach and support it in a classroom, though teachers often retreat to more structured, external learning regulation. Experts have identified the important role of pedagogical knowledge and personal self-regulated learning in helping…