Abstract

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of special education teachers who worked with students with emotional behavioral disabilities (EBD) across various urban settings and educative environments. Given that the overall percentage of students receiving special education services has increased, the overall percentage of students with EBD served among all school-aged children and youth has remained below 1% (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). The current failings of reform efforts to improve the academic achievement of students with EBD brings the roles, responsibilities and practices of teachers and their preparation into view. This study examined the impact of culture on the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of special education teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants (N = 8). A thematic analysis resulted in three overarching themes. The three themes included: (a) the essentials: keys to student engagement, (b) the frustrations regarding effective program implementation, and (c) elements of an effective program. This study exposed multiple factors affecting the effectiveness of special educators' practices as well as offered recommendations for teachers, schools, districts, policies, and future research.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2019

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Martin, Suzanne

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Learning Sciences and Educational Research

Degree Program

Education

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0007682

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007682

Language

English

Release Date

August 2019

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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