Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs Research Articles

Merging regular and special education teacher preparation programs: The integrated special education-english project (ISEP)

The Integrated Special Education-English Project (ISEP) was designed to facilitate the gradual integration of special education and English teacher preparation programs. In the ISEP, special education and English faculty cooperatively teach methods courses that prepare student teachers to implement English instruction with handicapped and nonhandicapped students. A description of the ISEP model is included and a case study is used to illustrate its implementation. Results from the case study indicate that the student teachers who participated in the ISEP improved their special education and English teaching skills. Participating faculty reacted positively to the cooperative processes inherent in the ISEP. Education departments benefit from the ISEP, as well as the handicapped and nonhandicapped students who are the recipients of the integrated English instruction. The ISEP is a helpful tool in assisting academic departments in the gradual merging of regular and special education teacher preparation programs.

Nontraditional Approaches to Recruiting and Retraining Minority Future Special Educators

Minorities receiving bachelor degrees in special education are scarce. This paper proposes two models for recruiting and retaining minority students in special education teacher preparation programs. The first model is to be implemented at the middle and high school levels; and the second model at the college/university level. Also included are methods for evaluating the models. These models identify nontraditional approaches for recruitment and retention that are adaptable to various programs of study.

Cooperative Learning in Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs

The purpose of this article is to provide education professors with guidelines for designing and incorporating cooperative group learning siraiegies into their courses. The student satisfaction results of a pilot project in one graduate course are proesented.

Administrators' Perceptions of Health Education in the Special Education Curriculum

Both the fields of special education and health education have objectives related to behavior and health. In fact, special education teachers frequently perform some of the duties of a health educator. Although the literature acknowledges that the preparation of special education teachers should include study in health education, there is very little information on whether courses in health education are included in the preparation of special educators. This study investigated the perceptions of 298 administrators of special education training programs regarding the beneficial nature of health education courses to special education majors and the extent to which courses in health education were included in the training of special educators. Findings indicated that 56% of the special education teacher preparation programs required their majors to complete a course in either first aid or personal health as a graduation requirement.

Undergraduate Special Education Teacher Training Programs in Comprehensive and Noncomprehensive Schools: Phase 1

This article describes the results of a nationwide study designed to assess the emphasis placed upon selected training areas by undergraduate special education teacher preparation programs. Two groups of randomly selected schools comprised the study. Group / (noncomprehensive schools) included schools that grant an undergraduate degreelcertification in special education but do not grant a doctoral degree in special education. Group II (comprehensive schools) included schools that grant both an undergraduate degree/certification and a doctoral degree in special education. Schools were asked to indicate the emphasis their programs placed on 11 training areas. The training areas were adapted from the "common body of knowledge" research. Comparisons were made both between and within groups. Results suggest that comprehensive schools place a greater emphasis upon the training area of curriculum. In addition, differences were found in the degrees of emphasis placed on the training areas within programs by the two types of schools.

Research Requirements in Special Education Programs

The purpose of this study was to identify the amount and type of research or statistical training required by teacher education programs in special education. Twenty percent of the special education teacher preparation programs throughout the country were randomly selected to participate in the study. Results of the study are presented, and the implications are examined.

Perceptions of the Quality of Student Teaching Supervision

Sixty-three recent graduates and 171 university supervisors of special education teacher preparation programs served as a sample in a survey determining perceptions of the quality of student teaching supervision. A questionnaire was completed by all randomly selected subjects from across the nation. The results indicated that slight differences of opinion were found between the perceptions of the recent graduates and the university supervisors related to the quality and nature of student teaching supervision. It is suggested that in some instances greater emphasis is placed on the prestudent teaching knowledge base than on the development of teaching competencies acquired by the student teaching experiences.