C226 Task 2

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Western Governors University *

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C226

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Sociology

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Jan 9, 2024

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Research Design and Analysis- C226 BFP2 Task 2: Kyle Clinedinst Student ID-001029234 Mentor: Shannon Hardiman June 17, 2022

Research Evaluation- “The First Year as Teachers Assigned to Elementary and Middle-School Special Education Classrooms” Research Proposal and Research Question The purpose of this research was to “examine the experiences and perceptions of 10 first-year teachers who had been trained to provide evidence-based practices including integrated services and supports, and subsequently took jobs in self-contained, special education elementary and middle-school classrooms designated for students with “moderate/severe disabilities.” (Gee & Gonsier-Geradin, 2018). These teachers were asked about the experiences, accomplishments, joys, and frustrations that come with being a first-year teacher. The research question was “what are the experiences of 10 first-year teachers who graduated from a teacher preparation program emphasizing evidence-based, inclusive practices, but took jobs in separate, special education classrooms designated for students with moderate/severe and/or multiple disabilities?” (Gee & Gonsier-Geradin, 2018). Table 2 goes into more detail asking the participants of this study questions about the students in their caseload. Alignment of Research Purpose and Research Questions The research purpose and research questions were directly aligned. Both were looking at the experiences of 10 first-year teachers who graduated from a teaching program that emphasized evidence-based, inclusive practices. Also, a main focus of the purpose and questions was how these teachers took jobs in special education classrooms that were self-contained.

Literature Review According to Gee & Gonsier-Geradin, there were very few studies that examined the experiences of new special education teachers that were qualified to teach students with disabilities. This helped lead to their research question. In fact, many studies have been conducted evaluating new special education teachers and their students' outcomes, but not the experiences of these new teachers. One study by Busch, Pederson, Espin, and Weissenburger did follow the experiences of a new special education teacher, but this study only focused on one teacher. A similar case study by Boyer and Lee, followed the experience of a kindergarten teacher who taught students with autism. Conderman and Stephens conducted a study examining the challenges and support programs in place for first- or second-year teachers who serve children with moderate/severe disabilities. Finally, a large-scale study was conducted surveying 156 first-year special education teachers who felt they received “significantly less assistance” in all areas compared to what they needed. These studies helped to lead to Gee’s & Gonsier-Geradin’s research question. Research Method This study used the qualitative research method. The researchers used case study and narrative reports design to get an in-depth understanding of the participants' perspectives. Gee’s & Gonsier-Geradin used open-ended questions, conversations, and focus groups as part of their qualitative research. This method was appropriate for this study because the researcher’s goal was to explain the experiences and perceptions of these 10 teachers. A qualitative study using open-ended questions,

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conversations, and focus groups allow the participants to express their personal feelings and beliefs. Data-Collection Methods This study used 3 forms of data-collection. The first was informal interviews done by a graduate student assistant so that the teachers did not feel they were being evaluated by a supervisor. This form is aligned with the research purpose and questions because it allows the participants to freely express their experiences and perceptions. The next form of data-collection used was informal monthly conversations that allowed the new teachers to “share their experiences.” The last form of data-collection used in this study was focus groups. These focus groups had many activities that all aligned with the research purpose and questions whose main goal was to find the teachers experiences and perceptions. Data Analysis Techniques There were three main data analysis techniques used in this study. First was the interim analysis approach where the researchers found a “mean percentage” of answers to the open-ended interview questions. The next form was the thematic analysis approach used in the focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data to find themes or patterns. The last form of data analysis was the comparative approach where the researchers organized the data into similar categories.

Results The results of this study were broken down into 2 main categories, “Program- Characteristics” and “First-Year Experiences.” Program-characteristics discussed the teacher’s classroom and students’ dynamics. One main finding from this section was how the student population varied. Though the students were listed as having moderate to severe disabilities, the students varied greatly. The teachers expressed concern about their lack of knowledge on how or why children were placed in their classrooms. The other main finding from this section was their accomplishments such as person-centered planning, the use of alternate communication systems for nonverbal students, and incorporating students with disabilities into the general classroom with their peers. First-year experiences were broken down into three themes. (a) “what I inherited with the job,” (b) relationships, and (c) professional experience. These 10 new teachers felt that they inherited some bad situations from the teachers before them. This includes norms that have been set, a lack of curriculum, useless materials, and low expectations from staff and parents. The participants did express that they made positive changes throughout the school year. The next theme of relationships was categorized by relationships with families, paraeducators, administrators, and colleagues. Several of the new teachers expressed concerns about working with families from very challenging backgrounds. Many teachers expressed that their paraeducators had some strengths, but also many weaknesses. These weaknesses include a lack of preparation, work ethic and an

unwillingness to be flexible. In terms of administration, many teachers felt that they were supportive, but had a lack of knowledge or background of special education. The last subtheme was their relationships with their colleagues, such as other special education teachers, general education teachers, and their mentors. Many teachers felt supported by the other special education teachers but did express some frustration with the general education teachers. By the end of the study, all the teachers expressed improvements in their relationships with their colleagues. Professional experience “ focused on use of time, confidence in their own skills, highlights of the year, and overwhelmed to frustrated with the continuum of placements.” All the participants expressed that there was not enough time to collaborate with their colleagues, plan lessons, assess students, and prepare material. It is noteworthy that by the end of the study, all the participants realized that there is never enough time to get everything done. Also, throughout the year, the teachers felt progressively more confident with their skills. The participants expressed their highlights and joys throughout the year. Most of these were student accomplishments. Finally, the teachers expressed their feelings of being overwhelmed, but this diminished as the year went on. Trustworthiness This qualitative research study is trustworthy for many reasons. First, the researchers used graduate student assistants to conduct the interviews to reduce bias and keep the process informal. Next, data was analyzed by multiple researchers. Finally, the researchers were aware of their own biases and beliefs because they were also

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educators. Because of this, they structured debriefings and meetings to check their biases. References Gee, K. & Gonsier-Gerdin, J. (2018). The first year as teachers assigned to elementary and middle-school special education classrooms. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 43(2), 94-110.

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