The Perceived Preparedness of Elementary General Education Teachers Serving Students with Special Needs

Overview & Synopsis

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to explore the preparedness of K-5 general education teachers through their lived experiences of teaching and working alongside special education teachers in the inclusive classroom. Data were gathered from thirteen teachers across Louisiana who participated in a semi-structured interview that focused on the following three research questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of elementary general education teachers regarding preparedness in teaching students with special needs under IDEA in the general education setting? (2) How do elementary general education teachers describe their preparedness to collaborate with special education teachers through their lived experiences? (3) How do elementary general education teachers describe their preparedness to co-teach with special education teachers? Bandura's (1997) Social Cognitive Theory guided the study both for capturing the teachers' beliefs of their self-efficacies and students' capabilities. Common themes emerged from the analyzed interviews and included: college courses, professional development, co-teaching, collaboration, barriers in the classroom, mastery experiences, and teacher requests. Findings revealed that professional development would be most beneficial to improve the essential topics that relate to servicing students with special needs in the general education classroom. Topics needed to further prepare general education teachers include legal literacy regarding laws for special education, teacher management, co-teaching practices, and collaboration. [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.]