Pre-service Special Education Teachers Research Articles

ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ СТАНДАРТІВ ПІДГОТОВКИ КВАЛІФІКОВАНОГО ВЧИТЕЛЯ СПЕЦІАЛЬНОЇ ОСВІТИ У США

The systemic transformation of educational forms for children with special educational needs in the United States is considered one of the basic categories of the evolution of American education system and the corresponding changes in the system of teacher training for such children. The public awareness of the need to teach all children resulted in changes in the federal and state legislation, which directly affects the development of the education system, especially the availability and quality of education for all children, training teachers to work with them and implemented in various forms of interaction between students and teachers. Educators should be able to interact effectively with students with special educational needs, to self-actualize in the profession, and at the same time to find jobs in the profession easily, as their qualifications meet the requirements of the labor market, so developing corresponding standards becomes extremely important. The study of the American experience in the training of special education teachers provides a historical and comparative analysis of relevant standards. As a result of the analysis, conclusions were made about the dependence of special education teachers’ training standards on social, political, economic and other factors that determined the characteristics of care and education for people with disabilities, and thus directly influenced the formation of special education teachers’ training system in the United States. The analysed standards were adopted in different eras of special education teachers’ preparation: categorical orientation era (until late 1970s), noncategorical (1980-1990), and inclusive ones. The current content and organization of special education teacher training and inclusive education in the United States comply with the special teacher code of ethics, professional standards, and standards for the training, retraining, and certification of special education teachers according to their specialization. The purpose of this work is to study the specifics of standards for preservice special education teachers’ preparation in the USA as well as comparing the experience in Ukraine and formulating proposals for the domestic educational system reformation.

They Do It for the Culture: Analyzing Why Black Men Enter the Field of Special Education

Abstract Using racial formation theory as the ballast of this study, I interviewed seven Black men who were in preservice special education teacher preparation programs about what motivated them to enter the field. Data collection methods and analysis focused on participants’ educational trajectories and introductions to the field of special education. I found that Black men in this study chose to enter special education as a result of varying influences, including prior experiences working with children or the suggestions of mentors. All participants indicated that they were “doing it for the culture”; that is, their career choices were in response to a pressing desire to be agents of change, primarily driven by an awareness of the needs of Black boys who are disproportionately represented in special education programs across the United States. Finally, I explore implications for future research and practice.

Special Education Teachers’ Preparedness for Teaching Emergent Bilingual Students with Disabilities

Abstract Throughout the United States, public school districts serve increasing numbers of students with disabilities who are in the process of developing proficiency in English as a new or additional language. As a result, the need persists for special education teacher preparation programs to cultivate competencies for meeting the needs of emergent bilingual students with disabilities. In this study, researchers gathered special education teachers’ perceptions of their current levels of competence for teaching emergent bilingual students with disabilities. Self-assessment ratings for 50 competencies within seven broad categories (i.e., language development, learner characteristics, assessment, instruction, environment, collaboration, and professional practices) were collected from 101 in-service and 19 preservice special education teachers in the Midwest. Overall, self-assessment ratings reflected emergent levels of competence across the seven broad categories, with similar scores reported by preservice and in-service special education teachers. Significant differences (i.e., generally higher ratings on the 4-point scale) were recorded by bi/multilingual special education teachers (with or without bilingual or English as a Second Language [ESL] credentials) as compared with monolingual special education teachers without ESL credentials. This finding reveals the need to reimagine ways to build essential competencies for special education teachers to meet students’ intersectional needs. Specific suggestions are provided in relation to redesigning the content of coursework and reexamining the formats used to design and deliver coursework and field experiences in special education teacher preparation.

Examining pre-service special education teachers’ biases and evolving understandings about families through a family as faculty approach

This paper centers on a participatory qualitative study in which 22 pre-service special education teachers (i.e., undergraduate students) experienced, wrote about, and reflected upon their perceptions of families of children with disabilities over a semester-long course built on a Family as Faculty (FAF) model adapted from the healthcare profession for special education, teacher education programs. The FAF approach used has been reconceptualized to include three essential understandings (E.U.s): a) families as experts, b) examining positionality, and c) analyzing power relations. In our iteration of FAF, parents of children with disabilities co-plan and teach specific classes within a teacher preparation course on families. The authors examine pre-service teacher responses to FAF-structured experiences. Though many pre-service teachers demonstrated growth in their understandings of family’s strengths and their participation in their child’s education, there were some who continued to view families through deficit lenses. Pre-service teachers’ reflections of families, though well-intended, often used cloaked language revealing underlying assumptions. FAF approaches that take a critical stance can unveil hidden assumptions and assist students with self-awareness and critical consciousness needed as foundations to transform individual and systemic biases.

Özel Eğitim Öğretmen Adaylarının Üstün Zekâ Kavramına Yönelik Algısı

Bu çalışmada özel eğitim öğretmen adaylarının üstün zekâ kavramına yönelik algıları incelenmiştir. Bulgular, üstün zekâ ile ilgili topluma, kültüre, zaman göre değişiklik gösterebilen kuramlar olarak sınıflandırılan örtük kuramlar temelinde değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenolojik desen ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcı grubunu 2017-2018 öğretim yılında Özel Eğitim Öğretmenliği birinci sınıf öğrencisi olan 9 kişi oluşturmaktadır. Öğrencilerin görüşleri yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sorularıyla alınmıştır. Veriler tümevarımsal yaklaşım ile analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin analizi sonucunda beş bulguya ulaşılmıştır. Bulguların dördü araştırma sorusuna yönelik iken bir diğer bulgu ise analiz sürecinde ortaya çıkan bulgudur. Katılımcıların tamamının üstün zekâya etki eden temel faktör olarak genetiği gösterdikleri ve birçoğunun da üstün zekâyı ileri düzey bilişsel özelliklerle ilişkilendirdikleri belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların güncel eğitim programlarının üstün zekâlılar için yeterli olmadığını düşündükleri ancak eğitimin nasıl olması gerektiği hakkında herhangi bir bilgiye sahip olmadıkları görülmüştür. Katılımcılar üstün zekâlıların sosyal özelliklerine ilişkin çoğunlukla olumsuz özellikler bildirmişlerdir. Çalışmanın ortaya çıkan bulgusu ise katılımcıların özel eğitim öğretmenliği bölümünü tercih etme nedenleri üzerinedir.

Special Education Program at Princess Nourah University: Evaluation of Program Alignment with the Standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

The research is financed by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia. Abstract This study evaluated the extent to which the special education program in the College of Education at Princess Nourah University (PNU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aligns with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The research utilized a mixed-method approach to examine the preparedness of pre-service special educators currently enrolled in their last year of the special education program . Surveys were used to explore the perceptions of five hundred pre-service teachers of their teacher preparation program as related to the seven standards from CEC’s initial special educator preparation standards. Keywords : pre-service special education teachers, and Council for Exceptional Children, CEC’s initial special educator preparation standards. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-14-01 Publication date: July 31 st 2020

Preservice Special Education Teachers’ Democratic Tendencies and Attitudes towards Children Rights

It is important for special education teachers to have sufficient levels of democratic tendencies in order to have respect for cultural values and have positive attitudes towards children rights to defend rights of children with special needs and their families. In this study, it is aimed to examine preservice special education teachers’ democratic tendencies and attitudes towards children's rights according to demographic characteristics. The sample of the study, which was prepared in accordance with the relational survey model, consisted of 251 preservice special education teachers. As a data collection tool, Attitude Scale towards Children Rights and Teacher Candidate Democratic Tendency Scale were used. The data obtained from the study were analyzed by using SPSS 22.0 statistical program using Mann Whitney U, Kruskall Wallis, Pearson Chi-Square, Phi and Cramer's V test techniques. Results were discussed with relevant literature and recommendations for further research and practics are presented.

EdTPA: Assisting Rural Special Education Teacher Candidates to Incorporate Self-Regulation Skills in Planning and Instruction

Forty-one states and 928 teacher preparation programs across the United States are using the Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA) as an evaluation tool to determine teacher readiness and/or meet licensure requirements. Nationwide, pre-service special education teachers struggle to demonstrate proficiency in specific areas of the edTPA (i.e., plan assessments to monitor and support student learning, analyze teaching effectiveness, and incorporate learner feedback into future learning goals). A commonality across these areas is the incorporation of self-determination skills (e.g., self-regulation) into student learning. Assisting pre-service special education teachers to help students become more self-determined may increase these lower scores on the edTPA. More importantly, increasing self-determination is particularly important for students with disabilities in rural areas who often face challenges related to poverty, decreased opportunities for post-school employment, and underemployment due to geographic location and isolation. This article provides a description of how a special education department sought to assist pre-service special educators in embedding self-regulatory behaviors within lesson plans to better promote self-determination for their students in rural communities across eastern North Carolina.

Factors influencing the decision to major in special education in Saudi Arabia

The study reported on here examined the factors influencing the decision to major in special education in Saudi Arabia. The sample was composed of 394 preservice special education (SE) teacher participants of which 141 were female and 253 were male. Three different statistical analyses were used to examine the study data: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for reliability; confirmatory factor analysis for construct validity; and t-test for examining significant differences. The findings indicate that participants have positive attitudes towards teaching and a high interest in special education. However, 34% of participants stated that they did not want to teach for the rest of their lives, and 16% reported that they chose this major although they were fully convinced that special education was not their preferred type of work. We concluded that female preservice SE teachers were most likely to be interested in the field of special education and held positive attitudes towards teaching. This study presents major potential implications for preparing special education teachers in Saudi Arabia and other countries. Keywords: college major; incentives; personal interest; Saudi Arabia; special education

Raising the Power of Curriculum-Based Measurement Tools in Preservice Training

Thirty-seven preservice teachers engaged in a self-regulated learning experience proposed to increase their algebra content knowledge and to examine their use of data to make instructional decisions. Using weekly algebra curriculum-based measures, preservice special education teachers set learning goals and objectives, individually selected and adjusted weekly learning activities, and self-monitored and graphed their progress. A mixed-methods approach identified that all participants significantly increased in their algebra content knowledge, but the decision-making approaches among students varied greatly.

Using a Daily Report Card to Reduce Off-Task Behaviors for a Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Daily behavior report cards (DBRCs) have shown promise in reducing problematic classroom behaviors. The effectiveness of DBRCs has been used widely examined with respect to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disabilities, and other high incidence disabilities. Past research has primarily focused on students in primary grades, with a limited number of studies examining students in secondary grades, in particular students in high school. Even fewer studies have examined the effectiveness of DBRCs implemented by novice special educators. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a DBRC in reducing off-task classroom behavior for a high school student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and (2) to evaluate the delivery of an intensive intervention by a novice special education teacher. A preservice special education teacher implemented the intervention. A changing criterion design was used to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. We analyzed the data using visual analysis and calculated effect sizes using Tau-U. The results suggested that DBRCs are an acceptable and effective treatment for reducing off-task behavior with a student with ASD when implemented by a novice special education teacher. Data were collected to measure the novice teacher’s implementation fidelity. Additionally, the results showed that a novice special education teacher can be trained to implement a behavior management program for a student presenting inappropriate classroom behaviors with high fidelity.

Academic Self-Efficacy, Social Support, and Professional Identity Among Preservice Special Education Teachers in China.

The relationship among the social support, professional identity, and academic self-efficacy (ASE) of Chinese preservice special education teachers are explored by measuring the perceived social support, professional identity, and ASE of 302 undergraduate students. Results of the multiple regression are as follows. (1) A significant positive correlation exists among ASE, social support, and professional identity. When preservice special education teachers perceive high social support, they have a high sense of professional identity and high ASE. (2) Professional identity exerts a full mediation effect on the relationship between social support and ASE. In particular, social support positively influences ASE via professional identity. The results are discussed at the end of this paper and recommendations for improving the ASE of preservice special education teachers are presented.

A Study on the Pre-service Special Education Teachers' Awareness of Job Competencies of Special Education Teachers

A Study on the Pre-service Special Education Teachers' Awareness of Job Competencies of Special Education Teachers

Online Community-Based Instruction (CBI) Training for Pre-Service Special Education Teachers in Turkey

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effects of online Community-based Instruction (CBI) training for pre-service special education teachers in Turkey. The training consisted of three knowledge modules and skill application assignments designed to be completed in 4 weeks. Results demonstrated statistically significant difference between control and treatment groups on CBI knowledge. Further, there were significant correlations between application assignment scores and post-assessment scores, as well as on time spent online and post-assessment scores. Maintenance data collected 3 months after the training showed that pre-service teacher participants’ maintained their knowledge related to CBI over time. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

In-Service and Pre-Service Special Education Teachers’ Perception of NCTM Standards: Implications for Professional Development

Special Education teachers face increasing difficulties when teaching students with Mathematical learning disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether special education pre-service and in-service teachers in a university in the Middle East are receiving proper training to deal with students with disabilities in learning mathematics. A 24-item self-developed questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 95 (N=95) special education pre-service and in-service teachers. The analysis of the data revealed that pre-service teachers had not accomplished sufficient competency in any of the NCTM standards that are necessary for providing meaningful and useful learning experiences to their future students. However, the analysis of the data revealed that in-service teachers had sufficient competencies in all NCTM standards. These results help to contribute in informing the design and implementation of teacher education programs. Implications of these findings are further discussed along with recommendations for further development within the teacher education program for special education teachers.

예비특수교사의 직업가치관이 전공몰입도에 미치는 영향: 전공만족도의 매개 효과를 중심으로

예비특수교사의 직업가치관이 전공몰입도에 미치는 영향: 전공만족도의 매개 효과를 중심으로

Pre-Service Special Education Teachers’ Views about the Teaching Practice They Perform in a Guidance and Research Center

Bu araştırmada, bir devlet üniversitesinin zihin engelliler öğretmenliği programı son sınıf öğrencilerinin öğretmenlik uygulaması kapsamında Rehberlik Araştırma Merkezinde (RAM) gerçekleştirdikleri uygulamaya ilişkin deneyimlerinin belirlenmesi hedeflenmiştir. Olgubilimsel (fenomenolojik) desenle yürütülen araştırmanın katılımcıları Zihin Engelliler Öğretmenliği programında okuyan, son sınıf öğrencilerinden 13 öğretmen adayıdır. Araştırmanın temel verisi yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmelerden elde edilmiş ve öğretmen adaylarının günlük raporları ile RAM’dan elde ettikleri süreç ürünleri ise destek veri olarak kullanılmıştır. Yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, öğretmen adaylarının RAM’a ilişkin görüşleri, RAM’da uygulama deneyimleri ve RAM’da öğretmen olmaya ilişkin görüşleri şeklinde üç ana başlık altında sunulmuştur. RAM’da gerçekleştirilen uygulamanın öğretmen adaylarının uygulama öncesindeki olumsuz tutumlarını olumlu yönde geliştirdiği görülmüştür. Öğretmen adayları, RAM’da yapılan uygulamanın olumlu ve olumsuz yönlerini irdelemişlerdir. Bazı öğretmen adaylarının RAM’da çalışmak istedikleri belirlenmiştir. Bu çalışmanın Kurumlarda Gözlem dersi kapsamında tekrarlanması ve farklı üniversitelerde uygulanması önerilmektedir.

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Their Abilities to Teach Students with Special Needs by Integrating Technology in Their Classrooms

This inquiry is grounded in the theoretical framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The study investigates pre-service special education teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, their perceptions of technology use for learning and teaching, their pedagogical approaches, and the challenges they face. A case study research design was employed to acquire quantitative data. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 81 pre-service teachers from one teacher training college. The questionnaire also contained open-ended questions. Quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21 software while responses to the open-ended questions were thematically analysed. This study found that the pre-service teachers' use of technology may have developed over time and through the personal use of the devices in their classroom practices. Although the pre-service teachers had varied self-efficacy beliefs, they had positive attitudes towards the use of technology. Findings also suggest that the pre-service teachers lacked TPACK skills to use technology. Although most findings reinforce what is already known about the field, this study is unique as these results are new for Kuwait and possibly more widely for the Middle East. The study recommends that TPACK workshops may not only enhance better understanding of pre-service teachers’ perceptions and beliefs about integrating technology to teach students with special needs but also provide increased support for them to improve their attitudes towards emerging technologies. Keywords: Pre-service teachers, students with special needs, technology and integrating DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-35-12 Publication date: December 31 st 2019

Differential Effects of Video Analysis for Special Educators Related to Intervention Characteristics, Dependent Variables, and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research

Video analysis is effective for changing the instructional practices of a variety of special educators in different settings and contexts; however, questions remain regarding whether (a) intervention characteristics moderate the results, (b) effects are differentiated by type of dependent variable, and (c) student outcomes improve when video analysis is used to improve educators’ skills. This meta-analysis reports the overall impact that video analysis has on student outcomes as well as the differential impact on special educator outcomes by dependent variable and implementation variables (i.e., length of videos, number of intervention videos, primary evaluator, and timing of feedback). A total of 30 publications reported outcomes for special education preservice teachers, in-service teachers, and paraprofessionals; of these, 12 publications reported student outcomes. Results are positive and indicate that video analysis is effective for improving student outcomes and that it can be successfully implemented in a variety of ways.

Pre-service Special Education Teachers' perceptions on 'Good Mathematics Instruction' for Students with Disabilities

Pre-service Special Education Teachers' perceptions on 'Good Mathematics Instruction' for Students with Disabilities