The Benefits and Challenges of Special Education Positions in Rural Settings: Listening to the Teachers

Ann B Berry,Maggie Gravelle

doi:10.35608/ruraled.v34i2.400

Abstract

Special education teachers, through a national survey conducted in 55 rural districts, provided information on the positive and negative aspects of teaching in rural schools. The 203 special educators were asked what they liked best about their position and what they found challenging. Some of the themes identified in the analysis centered on positive features of working in rural areas. Characteristics of the rural community fostered family-like relationships with others in their school and in-depth relationships with parents and students. Half of the teachers also reported they shared the responsibility or took a team approach to delivering special education services, a factor related to teacher satisfaction. The majority of teachers were satisfied with the instructional aspects of their position but dissatisfied with non-instructional role responsibilities. Challenges of the position also included role confusion and a lack of resources. Related implications for rural administrators interested in the satisfaction of special education teachers are provided.

Highlights

Special education teachers, through a national survey conducted in 55 rural districts, provided information on the positive and negative aspects of teaching in rural schools
For example, often report positive relationships with their students and parents, as well as an appreciation of the rural lifestyle (Davis, 2002). Provasnik and her colleagues (2007), using data provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), found that compared to teachers working in urban locales, a larger percentage of teachers working in rural areas, were satisfied with their class size, their students’ behavior, and the support they received from parents
Special educators in 55 rural districts conveyed to researchers what they liked best and what they found challenging about teaching in special education

Summary

Introduction

Through a national survey conducted in 55 rural districts, provided information on the positive and negative aspects of teaching in rural schools. The shortage of highly qualified special educators in rural areas is reported to be as high as 35% (Brownell, Bishop, & Sindelar, 2005) Despite these challenges, research has highlighted work-related benefits to teaching in rural settings (e.g., smaller class size, greater parent involvement), which may contribute to teacher satisfaction (Provasnik et al.). This study seeks to identify features of the special education position related to teacher satisfaction To this end, it examines the perceptions of special education teachers in rural areas related to: (a) what they like best about teaching in rural schools; (b) the challenges and reasons for dissatisfaction with their position; and (c) information on support variables, a shared responsibility for delivering services to students on their caseload. The presence of a cohesive school community was important for these teachers working in their small, rural school

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Conclusion