Assignment 2
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Assignment 2: Research Design
M. Kemet Jones
Concordia University Chicago
Dr. Ann Frkovich
September 17, 2023
Rationale
In my experience, a problem that exists is the challenging behaviors or behavior difficulties
among special education students and how these behaviors are managed in general education
classrooms. The challenging behaviors of special education students are no longer the sole
responsibility of special education teachers as these students are included in the general
education setting to receive their instruction. However, these behaviors are often managed
primarily by the special education department. It is the special education teacher that is called
away from their duties to deal with the behaviors. This is somewhat understandable as these
behaviors can “compromise the ability of teachers to educate students due to their
incompatibility with engagement and academic oriented behavior… problem behavior can
interfere with instructional activities,” (Chitiyo, 2020, p.63). Additionally, students with
challenging behavior are often the most difficult population to work with in schools, dues to
noncompliance and/or aggressive, extreme disrespectful behavior,” (Sutherland & Signh, 2004,
as cited in Beam and Mueller, 2017, p. 1). Understanding how special education teachers
perceive and comprehend their experiences with education and educative processes can provide
insight into the training and ability to effectively manage these behaviors. Quinn (2017)
examined the perspectives of teachers regarding classroom management, focusing on teachers’
confidence levels and the strategies they use to manage their classrooms. She found that while
some teachers reported feeling confident and effective in classroom management, others
expressed a lack of confidence, particularly in handling challenging behavior. All teachers play a
pivotal role in shaping the educational outcomes and experiences of students with diverse
learning needs. Examining their perspectives can provide valuable insights into the educational
landscape's inclusivity and effectiveness.
Special education teachers' perceptions can also
influence their attitudes and behaviors towards students. Understanding these perceptions can
contribute to fostering positive teacher-student relationships, which are essential for effective
learning and development. When teachers are proactive and responsive to the needs of students
suffering from traumatic stress and make small changes in the classroom that foster a feeling of
safety, it makes a huge difference in their ability to learn (Minahan, 2019).
This research can inform teacher training programs. It can help teacher educators tailor their
training methods to better prepare teachers for working with special education students,
addressing specific challenges and needs.
Beam and Mueller (2017) found that special education
teachers felt more prepared, confident, and comfortable than the general education teachers to
work with students with challenging behaviors. However, nearly one quarter of these participants
did not have or did not know if they had the appropriate state licensure to work with students
who have challenging behaviors, even though 83% of the special education respondents reported
having students with challenging behaviors in the classroom. Additionally, most of the general
education teachers in the study did not have licensure to teach students with challenging
behaviors, while 70% of the general education respondents reported having students with
challenging behaviors in the classroom. Flower, et al. (2017, p.166), found that special education
teacher certification programs were most likely to address behavior and classroom management
content through their coursework and related experiences. College/university special education
teacher certification programs cover the most behavior and classroom management content,
followed by alternative certification programs in special education. This finding was
disappointing given that teachers in both general and special education settings encounter
behaviors that disrupt student learning (Conroy et al., 2008; McKenna et al., 2015 as cited in
Flower, et al., 2017, p.167). Without preparation, teachers may feel unprepared to prevent,
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manage or remediate disruptive behaviors in the classroom. Additionally, Forness, and McKenna
& Ciullo (as cited in Flower, et al. 2017) found that behavioral problems in the classroom and
poor classroom management may lead to decreased academic learning and achievement.
Oliver and Reschley (2010) examined one state’s preparation of special education teachers in
classroom management to establish if the lack of observed effective classroom procedures is
related to teacher preparation in classroom management. The results suggested a conspicuous
absence of comprehensive, classroom management procedures in course syllabi. Most of the
attention in course syllabi was placed on reactive procedures to reduce inappropriate behaviors
with little attention paid to prevention strategies. The most surprising result was that only 7 of the
26 universities had an entire course devoted to classroom management (p.195).
With the
increase of challenging behaviors over the years, especially post-Covid, it is crucial that special
educators have the training to be the experts in managing these behaviors and in turn, they can
more effectively support general education teachers in managing these behavior in the general
education setting.
Research Objective
The purpose of this research study is to investigate and analyze how general education
and special education teachers perceive and understand their experiences with education and
educative processes. The study aims to achieve the following objectives:
1.
To gain insights into the background, training and professional development of K-5
special education teachers and assess their impact on teachers' perceptions and
understanding of educative processes.
2.
To explore the perceptions and understandings of K-5 special education teachers
regarding the challenges and barriers they encounter in the educative processes for
students with disabilities.
3.
To analyze the role of collaboration and communication among K-5 special education
teachers, general education teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in shaping their
perceptions of the educative processes.
4.
To explore the unique challenges and rewards experienced by special education teachers,
including workload, classroom dynamics, collaboration with colleagues, and interactions
with students with diverse learning needs.
Research Sub-question
In what ways do K-5 special education teachers perceive and understand their experiences with
education and educative processes?
Desired Sample
A K-5 special education teacher with more than 10 years of experience currently employed in the
public school system, teaching in a Title I school, provides services to students in inclusive
classrooms, and resource rooms, and work with students with various disabilities (e.g., autism,
learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities).
I choose these criteria for the following reasons: I
am in my 13
th
year of teaching and have seen an increase over the years in challenging and
aggressive behaviors in students with disabilities. Additionally, all these experiences were in
Title I schools.
Sample Consent Letter
Dear _______________,
You are invited to participate in a study on the ways general education and special education
teachers perceive and understand their experiences with education and educative processes
conducted by Mariana Kemet Jones, a doctoral student in the department of Education at
Concordia University Chicago.
The goal of this study is to understand teacher’s perceptions and understanding of their
experiences with education and educative processes. Knowledge gained from this work will
contribute to our understanding of how teachers' perceptions influence their willingness and
ability to implement inclusive practices effectively, how these perceptions can contribute to
fostering positive teacher-student relationships and help teacher educators tailor training methods
to better prepare teachers for working with special education students.
You will sit down for one one-hour interview at a time and place of your choosing. This
interview will be audio-recorded.
No reasonably foreseeable risks are associated with participation in this study. Your participation
is completely voluntary, and you have a right to stop participation in the study at any moment.
No consequences of any kind will follow from refusal to participate. Audio-recordings,
recordings and transcripts will become the property of the researcher and will be kept by the
researcher indefinitely in a locked cabinet in her home to be used for future research. You and the
information you provide will remain confidential at all times; only pseudonyms will be used
when reporting the results.
This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Concordia University
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Chicago. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can contact my instructor, Dr.
Ann Frkovich, Associate Professor in the department of Research at Concordia University
Chicago at ann.frkovich@cuchicago.edu. Further, should you have any questions or concerns
about your rights as a research participant you can contact Dr. Pam Konkol, Chair of the
Concordia University Chicago Institutional Review Board by e-mail at
irb@cuchicago.edu
.
I agree to participate in the study, and I have read and received a copy of this consent.
(signature).
I give permission to audio-record the interview
(signature).
(name printed)
(date).
References
Beam, H.D. & Mueller, T. G. (2017). What do educators know, do, and think about behavior? An
analysis of special and general educators’ knowledge of evidence-based behavioral
interventions.
Preventing School Failure, 61
(1), 1–13.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2016.1164118
Chitiyo, J., Chitiyo, A. & Dombek, D. (2020). Pre-service teachers of understanding problem
behavior.
International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 12
(2). 63-74
Flower, A., McKenna, J. W., & Haring, C. D. (2017). Behavior and classroom management: Are
teacher preparation programs really preparing our teachers?
Preventing School Failure,
61
(2), 163–169.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2016.1231109
Minahan, J. (2019). Trauma-informed teaching strategies.
Educational Leadership
,
77
(2), 30-
35
Oliver, R. M., & Reschly, D. J. (2010). Special education teacher preparation in
classroom management: Implications for students with emotional and behavioral
disorders.
Behavioral Disorders, 35
(3), 188–199.
https://doi.org/10.1177/019874291003500301
Quinn, L. (2017). Teachers’ Perspectives on Classroom Management: Confidence, Strategies and
Professional Development.
Kairaranga
,
18
(1), 40-46.
https://doi.org/10.54322/kairaranga.v18i1.221
Rosado-Castellano, F., Sánchez-Herrera, S., Pérez-Vera, L., & Fernández-Sánchez, M. J.
(2022). Inclusive Education as a Tool of Promoting Quality in Education: Teachers’
Perception of the Educational Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.
Education
Sciences
,
12
(7), 471.
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070471