In this study, the authors present findings from a survey of 577 secondary special educators in a... more In this study, the authors present findings from a survey of 577 secondary special educators in a large Midwestern state regarding their reading pre-service and in-service teacher preparation and its effect on teachers’ sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. Six models were fitted using multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results demonstrate the importance of two factors in preparing special educators who have a high sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. The first is pre-service coursework that uses practice-based pedagogical approaches as opposed to passive lecture and the second is more extensive in-service professional development. The results are discussed in light of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its delegation of teacher preparation policy to state education agencies. Implications for future research and policy in special education teacher preparation are provided.
Teachers make numerous decisions each day, yet processes undergirding these decisions are elusive... more Teachers make numerous decisions each day, yet processes undergirding these decisions are elusive and have not been the subject of many in-depth investigations within special education. The purpose of this qualitative investigation, therefore, was to complete a micro-level analysis of the influence of curriculum on 11 middle school teachers’ decisions regarding reading instruction for middle school age struggling readers. Using the theoretical framework of teachers’ literacy related decision making proposed by Ruppar, Gaffney, and Dymond, the authors conducted interviews and observations during one school year to examine how teachers make curricular decisions based on their access to a prescribed, research-based reading intervention curriculum. Findings indicate the availability of such a curriculum facilitated teachers’ decision making around individualizing instruction and increased their self-efficacy, leading to the conclusion that a bidirectional relationship exists between curriculum and (a) beliefs, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) individualization. Implications for future research and practice in middle school teacher preparation are discussed.
In G. Biewer, E. T. Bohm, S. Schutz (Eds.), Inclusive Pädogogik in der Sekundarstufe (pp. 149 – ... more In G. Biewer, E. T. Bohm, S. Schutz (Eds.), Inclusive Pädogogik in der Sekundarstufe (pp. 149 – 163). Stuttgart, Germany: Kohlhammer Publishers.
In this study, the authors present findings from a survey of 577 secondary special educators in a... more In this study, the authors present findings from a survey of 577 secondary special educators in a large Midwestern state regarding their reading pre-service and in-service teacher preparation and its effect on teachers’ sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. Six models were fitted using multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results demonstrate the importance of two factors in preparing special educators who have a high sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. The first is pre-service coursework that uses practice-based pedagogical approaches as opposed to passive lecture and the second is more extensive in-service professional development. The results are discussed in light of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its delegation of teacher preparation policy to state education agencies. Implications for future research and policy in special education teacher preparation are provided.
Teachers make numerous decisions each day, yet processes undergirding these decisions are elusive... more Teachers make numerous decisions each day, yet processes undergirding these decisions are elusive and have not been the subject of many in-depth investigations within special education. The purpose of this qualitative investigation, therefore, was to complete a micro-level analysis of the influence of curriculum on 11 middle school teachers’ decisions regarding reading instruction for middle school age struggling readers. Using the theoretical framework of teachers’ literacy related decision making proposed by Ruppar, Gaffney, and Dymond, the authors conducted interviews and observations during one school year to examine how teachers make curricular decisions based on their access to a prescribed, research-based reading intervention curriculum. Findings indicate the availability of such a curriculum facilitated teachers’ decision making around individualizing instruction and increased their self-efficacy, leading to the conclusion that a bidirectional relationship exists between curriculum and (a) beliefs, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) individualization. Implications for future research and practice in middle school teacher preparation are discussed.
In G. Biewer, E. T. Bohm, S. Schutz (Eds.), Inclusive Pädogogik in der Sekundarstufe (pp. 149 – ... more In G. Biewer, E. T. Bohm, S. Schutz (Eds.), Inclusive Pädogogik in der Sekundarstufe (pp. 149 – 163). Stuttgart, Germany: Kohlhammer Publishers.
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