Principals' and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Special Education Teachers' Roles and Responsibilities

Overview & Synopsis

This explanatory mixed methods study focuses on the perceptions of principals and special education teachers about special education teachers' roles and responsibilities. An online survey was conducted with 11 principals and 41 special education teachers (Resource Specialists and Special Day Class teachers). Independent semi-structured interviews were completed with three principals and three special education teachers. Thirty-two Likert scale statements were presented on the survey along with closed and opened ended questions. The principal group and the special education teacher group showed a significant difference between the means on 11 of the 32 Likert scale items as revealed by independent samples t tests. Topics in which there tended to be varied responses included special education teacher challenges, compensation for special education teachers, special education teachers' feelings of isolation, principal and special education teacher leadership, special education teacher collaboration time with principals and general education teachers, the amount of time special education teachers spend on tasks, and Response to Intervention practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]