Special Education Student Teachers’ Reflections on Skills and Observed Practices

Abstract

Over the course of five consecutive fall and spring semesters, 119 undergraduate and graduate candidates in a special education initial teacher licensure program from a large Midwestern, public university participated in a study to examine their reflections of their student teaching experiences. Specifically, candidates reported their a) knowledge of and b) ability to effectively implement skills associated with their teacher education program and Council for Exceptional Children standards and c) the extent to which they observed the effective implementation of these skills during student teaching. Candidates reported highest scores in areas related to professionalism and collaboration and lower scores in designing functional behavioral assessments and interventions for students with low incidence disabilities. Conclusions for educators are included.