Date of Award

4-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

First Advisor

Dane Joseph, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Marc Shelton, Ed.D.

Abstract

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) was designed to gain insight into what areas 21 teachers at one elementary school felt they lacked to effectively work with students with disabilities. The study was also designed to discover which delivery methods teachers felt were most effective in providing useful information that respected their busy schedules and limited time. This study provided school districts with valuable information to pursue similar information across many schools to aid in the development of targeted and worthwhile professional development opportunities for educators.

When provided with targeted information via video and infographic, participants reported a preference for infographics over videos; however, when provided with an opportunity to share their preference between an in-person professional development and an alternate method, such as the two described in this study, all participants preferred alternate methods.

It could be inferred that participants’ responses would be consistent across schools in Bend-La Pine School district. The concerns plaguing teachers are most likely consistent across the same district given the reach of district policies. For future research and practice, educating preservice teachers about working with students with disabilities is critical. With inclusion models becoming more common in schools, teacher education programs must adopt a more robust approach to addressing students with disabilities. For teachers already in the profession, school districts need to prioritize continued education regarding students with disabilities and effective inclusion models. School districts implementing full-inclusion must intentionally seek feedback from teachers regarding what they need to be successful teachers of disabled students.

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