Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Devlin, Sandy D.

Committee Member

Coffey, Kenneth

Committee Member

Owen, Sean M.

Committee Member

Hopper, Peggy F.

Committee Member

Prince, Debra L.

Other Advisors or Committee Members

Blackbourn, Richard L.

Date of Degree

8-9-2019

Original embargo terms

Worldwide

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Curriculum and Instruction

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education

Abstract

Positive postsecondary outcomes have become a social issue as the gap between typical peers and students with disabilities grows for employment or postsecondary education. Using evidenced-based instruction strategies to create effective transition instruction has become a required and successful means of improving postsecondary outcomes for individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. The career and technical programs have been identified as an environment that currently implements evidence-based practices that have shown promise of improving instruction. However, participation is limited among individuals with moderate to severe disabilities in the career and technical programs. Through this study the researcher sought to understand how career and technical educators perceive their programs as appropriate learning environments for students with moderate to severe disabilities. A mixed-methods design was used to gather perspectives of career and technical education teachers. A survey was given to ask career and technical education teachers about their personal perspectives, current dispositions, and the perceived barriers for including students with moderate to severe disabilities in their career and technical classroom. Open-ended questions were included at the end of the survey to better understand or identify new perceptions, dispositions, or barriers of career and technical education teachers toward teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities. An analysis of the responses determined that although there are concerns and lack of resources, the overall perspective of career and technical education teachers is positive. According to the results of this study, career and technical education teachers in Mississippi see their classrooms as beneficial and as an appropriate learning environment for students with moderate to severe disabilities.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/14538

Comments

special education||career and technical education||postsecondary education

Download

Share

COinS