Special Education Teacher Candidates Research Articles

Investigation of Burnout Levels of Special Education Teacher Candidates

The current research is to examine the burnout levels of special education teacher candidates. This study used a correlational survey design. 311 teacher candidates studying in the special education department in Turkiye in the 2023-2024 academic year participated in the research. The research data were collected through the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Form (MTE-Student Form). The analysis of the obtained data was carried out through the statistical package program. Independent groups t-test was used to reveal the differences in variables related to the gender of the teacher candidates, their satisfaction with the special education teaching department they studied in, and their interaction with individuals with special needs in the past. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA was used to determine the differentiation in terms of variables related to the grade level of education. In cases where differentiation was understood, the Tukey test was used to reveal the reason for the differentiation and to control the difference between the means. As a result of the research, it is revealed that there is a significant difference (p˂0.05) between the gender, grade level, satisfaction with the special education department and interaction with individuals with special needs in the past and burnout levels of pre-service teachers. In order to reduce burnout in pre-service special education teachers, personal achievement and skills of these individuals should be developed, activities that encourage learning should be included and group work should be included.

Choosing Teaching as a Career: Examination of Motivational Sources of Special Education Teacher Candidates

Choosing Teaching as a Career: Examination of Motivational Sources of Special Education Teacher Candidates

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Field Experiences: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to understand trends in field experiences that were part of early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher preparation activities. Thirteen studies that included an analysis of ECSE teacher candidates (TCs) completing at least one field experience, including coursework-based practicums or student teaching internships, were published between 2013 and 2022 and reviewed. Specifically, we examined the demographics of TCs and student participants to understand who was included in this research. Field experience parameters including setting, duration, instructional approach, and instructional focus were reviewed to draw comparisons between the various approaches to structuring TCs’ early teaching opportunities. Finally, specific learning activities and feedback opportunities within field experiences, as well as TC and student outcomes of the studies, were explored to determine current trends and findings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Three Approaches to Using Mixed Reality Simulations for Teacher Preparation and Recruitment of Future Teachers

Mixed reality simulations have versatility in both the preparation as well as the recruitment of future teachers. We describe three approaches that have led to successful outcomes for general and special education preservice teachers, as well as in the recruitment of future teacher candidates from the high school level. First, we explored the use of TeachLivE™ to enhance special education teacher candidates’ behavior observation skills when conducting functional behavior assessments. Second, we studied the impact of different simulation methods on early childhood candidates’ preparedness to communicate with parents and caregivers about sensitive topics. Finally, we utilized TeachLivE™ as a recruitment tool to engage current high-achieving high school students in the teaching and reflection process as part of their on-campus dual credit program. In all cases, candidates and students valued the simulation experiences, recognizing the opportunity to deliver instruction in supportive environments with immediate feedback, coaching, and practice opportunities.

Perceptions of pre-service special education teachers in South Korea toward teaching physical education for students with disabilities

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of pre-service special education teachers in South Korea towards teaching physical education to students with disabilities. The qualitative descriptive case study was used to examine the perceptions of five pre-service special education teacher candidates using in-depth semi-structured interviews, a review of the teacher education curriculum, and the researchers’ field notes. The data were analyzed using constant comparative data analysis and exposed three themes, which were: (a) teaching students with disabilities in South Korea, (b) a lack of competency in teaching physical education, and (c) the challenges of teaching students with disabilities. In this study’s results, pre-service special education teacher candidates showed a lack of competency in teaching physical education to students with disabilities. Nevertheless, teacher candidates realised the many benefits of students’ participation in physical education classes. Therefore, it has been suggested that university faculty in teacher education programs should provide an opportunity for pre-service special education teachers to engage in practicum training and take classes to increase their content knowledge in teaching physical education.

Acil Uzaktan Eğitim: Özel Eğitim Kurumlarında Gözlem Dersi Örneği

The purpose of this study is to determine the opinions of special education teacher candidates about the observation course in special education institutions held in the emergency distance education. The 2nd grade 'Observation in Special Education Institutions’ university course which was offered with distance education during the pandemic. This course was offered in a session in a total of 12 weeks which were lasting 77 minutes on average. A total of 40 teacher candidates who attended this course were assigned as a participant for this study. A phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs, was applied. In the study, the data were analyzed with the descriptive analysis technique. The data were organized in tables by calculating the frequencies of the codes under each theme (expectations, opinions, suggestions regarding the course). As a result of the analysis, most of the participants found the online course positive regarding having opportunity listening to the experiences of special education teachers and watching real videos of students from different disability groups. However, they recommended that the number of the use of interactive videos, watching detailed videos about each disability group, and the duration of the lesson can be extended.

Schooling children and youth with chronic illness in a medical facility —an educational paradigm in the perception of special education teacher candidates

ABSTRACT The article presents the findings of a study that examines the perception of the educational paradigm in the context of educating a child with a chronic illness in either a school or medical facility by special education teacher candidates. It was assumed that the beliefs of educators largely reflect the educational paradigm, which reveals the thought process regarding children with chronic illnesses in two cognitive categories: (1) the actions of teachers; and (2) the objectives of educational activities aimed at pupils with chronic illnesses and their circumstances. The undertaken study was qualitative. The research was carried out in Poland on a group of 102 sophomore special education teacher candidates. The results indicated that the approach to educating a child with a chronic illness in a medical institution is predominantly influenced by the humanistic paradigm. In the revealed pattern of thinking about educating a child with a chronic illness in a medical facility, amongst the subjects, the key difference lies in the concept of preparing the child with the illness for life. Special education teacher candidates are primarily exposed to person-centred interventions that aim to facilitate optimal adaptation of children with disabilities to the typical demands of their healthy peers.

Preservice special education teacher candidates’ knowledge of and willingness to implement a universal design for learning .

Preservice special education teacher candidates’ knowledge of and willingness to implement a universal design for learning .

Opinions on Awareness Activities Regarding Inclusive Community Life: Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers

The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of the Special Education teacher candidates about the awareness activities organized in terms of the rights of children with special needs, their social participation, accessibility and contributing to the social inclusion climate. 56 pre-service teachers studying in the 2nd year of the Special Education Department of the Faculty of Education were included in this study. The data of the research carried out in a phenomenological design was collected through the analysis of the forms containing the written opinions of pre-service teachers in the fall term of 2022-2023. By analyzing the data with document analysis technique, it was gathered under five main themes: "Classification of Organized Awareness Activities, Description of Activities Serving Purpose, Importance of Awareness Activities, Activities That Pre-service Teachers Want to Organize and Suggestions for Activities”. In awareness activities, it is noteworthy that the pre-service teachers, who draw attention to social, legal, and physical regulations, emphasize the importance of content that reflects a rights-based view and the fundamental rights of individuals for this purpose. It was also seen that pre-service teachers emphasized the importance of including permanent and continuous awareness activities rather than containing a certain time interval and diversifying them in terms of being aimed at different disability groups. Based on the results of the research, it can be suggested that family and peer participation in awareness activities in inclusive environments, up-to-date and continuity of activities, and information sharing about individuals with special needs can be recommended.

Field Experiences in Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Review of the Literature

Field experiences are often considered by researchers, leading organizations, and accrediting bodies as a critical component of special education teacher preparation. Yet, much remains unknown about the types or numbers of field experiences that will best prepare special education teacher candidates. Given the ongoing changes in the field of teacher education to move toward practice-based approaches and increasing calls for more rigorous research, we aim to update the review conducted by Nagro and deBettencourt, which looked at special education field experiences from 2000 to 2014. Specifically, we conducted a systematic literature review of the research on field experiences including special education teacher candidates that have been published from 2013 to 2020 to examine what is known about participants, field experience duration and settings, field experience instructional approaches and content, field experience activities, and methodologies employed. We discuss findings for special education teacher preparation, including future research directions.

Creativity in the Virtual Classroom: Engaging Online Special Education Teacher Candidates in Their Own Learning

Creativity in the Virtual Classroom: Engaging Online Special Education Teacher Candidates in Their Own Learning

Inclusive mindedness: evolving knowledge and beliefs of preservice educators in California

Early childhood special educators in the United States must familiarize themselves with the importance of inclusive practices and how to successfully implement these practices to support young students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Depending on the credentialing program special educators in the United States complete, their understanding and training in inclusive education can vary greatly. The purpose of this study was to address the need for training in inclusion by creating an Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) grant-funded inclusive education course for preservice early childhood special educators at one university in California and then to examine how the inclusion course changed early childhood special education teacher candidates’ knowledge and beliefs of inclusion. Over 4 years, 97 early childhood special education preservice teachers participated in pre- and postcourse surveys, which determined their perceptions, understanding, and practical skills of inclusive education increased, demonstrating course effectiveness.

Investigation of Special Education Teacher Candidates' Problem-Solving Skills and Their Views on Mathematical Creativity

Investigation of Special Education Teacher Candidates' Problem-Solving Skills and Their Views on Mathematical Creativity

Investigation of the Relationship between Individual Innovation Profiles of Special Education Teacher Candidates and Their Tendency towards the Use of Technology in Class

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the individual innovativeness profiles of special education teacher candidates and their tendencies towards technology use in the lesson. The study group of the research designed in the survey model consists of 194 special education teacher candidates. Research data were obtained with “Personal Information Form”, “Individual Innovativeness Scale”, and “Scale of Tendency towards the Use of Technology in Class”. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The research will contribute to the literature by revealing the relationship between the individual innovativeness profiles of special education teacher candidates and their tendencies towards the use of technology in the course, and the findings will be guiding for relevant individuals and institutions in terms of both research to be made in the field of innovation and professional development of special education teachers in terms of their professional development is considered.

Effects of eCoaching on the Occurrence, Equity, and Variety of Behavior Specific Praise During Mursion™ Simulations

Engaging in deliberate practice opportunities during special education teacher preparation may increase the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practices with fidelity in K-12 classrooms. We used a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effects of providing immediate feedback through eCoaching with online Bug-In-Ear (BIE) technology on special education teacher candidates’ acquisition and sustained use of behavior specific praise (BSP) during Mursion™ classroom simulations. We also measured equitable praise rates and used the Behavior Specific Praise Observational Tool (BSP-OT) to evaluate teacher candidates’ praise variety. Results showed a functional relation between the intervention and teacher candidates’ use of BSP. Maintenance, equity, and praise variety data indicated promising social validity findings.

Advancing a theory of change in a collaborative teacher education program innovation through universal design for learning

This design-based research (DBR) investigates the redesign of a 13-month interdisciplinary teacher preparation program to co-prepare secondary and special education teacher candidates to plan and implement evidence-based practices to meet content and literacy needs of all learners within secondary classrooms. The Theory of Change explores mechanisms for change under the umbrella of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The UDL framework can support teacher candidates in meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities in the general education classroom, yet few studies have explored the in-depth application of UDL in authentic settings across preparation program duration. DBR methods organize study design, iterative data collection, and retrospective analysis of artifacts including candidates' edTPA portfolios and action research papers. Findings revealed strengths and challenges in candidates’ (n = 14) application of components. Results for specific components and various disciplines are discussed. Implications for collaborative preparation of general and special education candidates are identified.

Corrigendum to “The Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Sensemaking: A Mixed-Methods Investigation”

Corrigendum to “The Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Sensemaking: A Mixed-Methods Investigation”

Aligning Special Education Teacher Training With Reading Science: Challenges and Recommendations

This article discusses developing special education teacher candidates who have a solid knowledge of scientifically aligned reading practices. Challenges in preservice teacher education are presented, including alignment of course work and clinical experiences to the robust evidence base in reading science. Key questions and resources are presented to guide teacher education in developing evidence-based reading methods courses and clinical experiences.

INVESTIGATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES AND EFFICACY PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS WORKING WITH FAMILIES

One of the most important variables affecting student success in education is teachers and the other is families. Teachers working in collaboration with families and families participation in education contributes positively to the development of students. It is also critical that special education teachers collaborate with the families of students with special needs. Special education teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards working with families are formed during their undergraduate studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the attitudes and efficacy perceptions of special education preservice teachers towards working with families in terms of different variables. Correlational survey model is used as a research model. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0. From seven different universities which were chosen randomly, 490 special education teacher candidates volunteered to participate in the study. The variables of gender, university, grade level and different experiences with families were examined in relation to their attitudes and efficacy perceptions. The results showed that attitudes and perceptions of efficacy towards working with families differentiated in relation to experiences with families and taking a course about families. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the attitudes towards working with families and the perception of efficacy. Keywords: Special education preservice teachers, families, attitudes,efficacy

First Encounter with Children with Special Needs and Education Experience of Special Education Teacher Candidates

Giriş: Özel gereksinimli (ÖG) bir çocuğun katılmasıyla gereksinimleri değişen aileler en çok çocuklarının yetersizliği ve nasıl eğitileceği hakkında bilgiye, maddi ve sosyal desteklere gereksinim duyduklarını ifade etmektedirler. ÖG çocuğa sahip ailelerin gereksinimlerini karşılayan ve onlara destek sunan önemli paydaşlardan biri özel eğitim öğretmenleridir. Bu nedenle, ailelerin ve ÖG bireylerin gereksinimlerini karşılayabilmeleri için özel eğitim öğretmenlerinin teoride ve pratikte donanımlı bir şekilde mezun olmaları gerekmektedir. Ancak özel eğitim öğretmenliği programının teorik olarak yoğun olmasına rağmen uygulamaya yönelik eksikliklerin bulunduğu ifade edilmektedir. Bu çalışmada farklı gereksinimleri bulunan ÖG çocuğa sahip ailelerle erken dönemde uygulamaya katılmak isteyen özel eğitim öğretmen adaylarını, gönüllülük çerçevesinde bir araya getirerek, ailelerin destek gereksinimlerinin ve öğretmen adaylarının uygulama gereksinimlerinin eş zamanlı olarak karşılanmasını sağlamak ve süreç sonunda aileler ile öğretmen adaylarının deneyimlerini ortaya koymak amaçlanmıştır.Yöntem: Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenoloji deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya ÖG çocuğa sahip 4 ebeveyn ve 4 öğretmen adayı katılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler ve araştırmacı günlüklerinden elde edilmiş veriler, tematik olarak analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular: Süreçte yaşanılan deneyim, ailelerin gözünde öğretmen adaylarını birer abi, abla konumundan çıkarıp öğretmene dönüştürdüğünü ortaya koymuştur. Öğretmen adayları da kendilerini zamanla bir öğretmen gibi görmeye başladıklarını ifade etmişlerdir.Tartışma: Özel eğitimde yer alan paydaşların, gereksinimleri doğrultusunda bir araya getirildiği gönüllü eğitmenlik sürecinde her iki tarafın da ek yük üstlenmeden kazanımlar elde ettiği görülmektedir. Gönüllü eğitmenlik sürecine benzer süreçlerle özel eğitim öğretmenliği programında uygulama yoğunluğunun arttırılmasının yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.