Preparing special education intern teachers remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the effectiveness of remote teacher preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically special education teachers participating at an Intern Credentialing Program in Northern California.In addition to remote teacher preparation, the study explored how intern teachers experienced delivering special services remotely, how they perceived the Intern Program prepared them compared to traditional programs, and how they experienced their preparation to become agents of change in public education. Data for this study was collected through field journals, surveys and interviews. The findings of this study revealed that Intern Teachers experienced remote Teacher Education as having more benefits than challenges, however the delivery of services to students with disabilities had more challenges than benefits. The interviews indicated that the Intern Teachers believe they are not well prepared to be agents of change.Implications of the study include recommendations to continue teacher education remotely, to develop a tool to determine student benefit from delivery of special services remotely, and to add to teacher education programs curriculum and activities that support diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom through the frameworks of Emancipatory Pedagogies, Critical Race Theory, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Discrit. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Special educators' use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families

Refugee families who have children with disabilities encounter numerous systemic barriers that impact their opportunities to partner with schools and special educators. This study explored early childhood special education and elementary special education teachers use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families and the impact of current events (e.g. political and immigration rhetoric and COVID-19) on special educators' partnerships with refugee families. Fourteen special educators who taught students in early childhood (n = 8) or elementary (n = 6) levels and worked with at least one student whose family was from a refugee background in the past five years completed an online questionnaire. Nine special educators also engaged in semi-structured interviews to obtain input on their experiences supporting refugee families before and during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. First, the data highlighted contextual factors, such as teachers' understanding of families' backgrounds, teachers' perceptions of families' experiences in special education, and access to interpreters, that highlighted the need for family-professional partnerships. Second, teachers reported high rates of using family-professional partnership practices with refugee families but reported lower rates of helping refugee families gain skills and information to assist their child in their special education programming. Third, teachers shared strategies that they used before and during IEP meetings to engage and partner with refugee families. Fourth, teachers discussed how changes to immigration laws and rhetoric had minimal impact on their partnerships with refugee families, but there was significant impact on partnerships due to COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Using extant data to examine the lived experience of special education teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Coping, resilience, and changes to level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment to determine teacher burnout occurrence level

Title: Examining the Lived Experiences of Special Education Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Coping, Resilience, and Changes to Level of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment to Determine Teacher Burnout Occurrence LevelTeacher burnout has become a prevalent issue in the public school system in the United States. Research about special education teacher burnout is lacking and virtually no research exists on how teachers of students with disabilities manage job-related stress. This exploratory study examines the perspectives of 18 teachers of students with disabilities and their stress-related coping strategies which incidentally occurred during a global health crisis through a mixed-method research approach (i.e., qualitative and quantitative). Specifically, the study explores teacher stress and teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) as well as coping strategies, resources, and resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Examining teachers 'attitudes and practices of special education in Kansas during COVID-19

Prior to COVID-19, elementary and secondary education teachers worked with an ever-changing education program developed to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. COVID-19 has created an environment of uncertainty in teaching students with masks with special needs in either face to face, or remote learners or a hybrid of the two methodologies. The study measured the attitudes and practices of the elementary and secondary special education teachers toward teaching students with disabilities during COVID-19 in Kansas. The elementary or secondary special education teacher has a complex and tumultuous set of unknown undertakings toward adequate preparation to provide the legally stated goals in an Individual Education Program and inclusion required for the Least Restrictive Environment. The COVID-19 pandemic also presented special conditions that varied from the national leadership, state to state, and to the specific local district superintendents and local building principals. Ultimately, this study researched what attitudes and practices towards special education have special education teachers in Kansas been experiencing during COVID-19. Also, the study addressed what modalities were used to meet IEP goals during COVID-19. . This document examines the attitudes and practices that the special education teachers experienced during COVID. It quantifies the use of the three main methods of instruction for students with special needs during COVID: face-to-face, remote or a hybrid of the two methods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Addressing the need for research into the effects of COVID-19 on teachers and students

This chapter reports on-the-ground observations of teaching in general and special education in the United States during the pandemic. These observations are intended to indicate some of the practical problems faced by general and special education teachers, not only in the United States. It offers suggestions for needed research regarding the details-the "nitty-gritty" of instruction and behavior management and how these might be different for in-person and virtual teaching. The observations and suggestions are intended to spur research of the problems that describe and help researchers think of other issues or difficulties they might address. More than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, many schools in the United States were completely or partially closed for in-person learning. Special education has become extremely uncertain for many students with disabilities placed in general education, sometimes leaving them "in limbo", as some have put it. Schools have been working fervently to increase students' social/emotional well-being, but students are still left with high levels of stress and anxiety, negatively affecting their success in school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Special education challenges in transitioning to online learning in Wyoming during the COVID-19 pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, education had unexpected impacts, including the closure of schools and the disruption of learning for students. Students with disabilities experienced increased challenges related to these impacts. The problem was to understand the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities when transitioning from in-classroom to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents during the transition from in-classroom to online learning for students with disabilities and identify future supports for this kind of transition to online learning. The conceptual framework for this research was the Schlossberg transition model and the variables of changing from one life event to another. The guiding research question pertained to challenges special education teachers and parents experienced during their transition to online learning. The basic qualitative research design examined the lived experiences of four teachers and two parents through an interview and a questionnaire. The data were analyzed for emerging ideas and patterns to code, compile, and develop into themes and subthemes. The analyzed results indicated that not all learning software was appropriate as planned to support special education student learning. Another finding was that constant communication between teachers and students had positive results. The implications for positive social change may be improved practices for possible transitions from future in-classroom to online learning to enhance student achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 health pandemic: Impact on the work of special educators

School closures in March 2020 due to COVID-19 affected over one billion students worldwide (UNESCO, 2020). Stay-home orders issued across multiple regions required schools to shift to a distance learning model for the remainder of the school year. As the health pandemic advanced into the following school year, special educators continued to navigate multiple changes in programming and their professional duties. This mixed methods study aimed to examine how special education teachers in one mid-western state described the impact of the Coronavirus Disease -19 (COVID-19) pandemic on their work and the provision of special education services to their students. This longitudinal study began at the onset of the health pandemic (spring 2020) by analyzing statewide survey results and follow up interviews. The survey revealed multiple practices for specialized programming, including new uses of technology and teachers' positive coping approaches to deal with the rapid shift to distance learning. Interviews expose a deeper understanding of the multiple changes in the work of special educators, including online technologies, various methods for interaction, a dependency on others to provide specialized services using a distance learning model, and difficulties with work-life balance. The study continued into the 2020 - 2021 school year by examining the experiences of four special educators during the ongoing health pandemic. Participants reported significant incidents using a structured monthly logging tool. They also engaged in three open-ended interviews throughout the school year (fall, winter, and spring) to narrate their experiences, frustrations, and insights. Findings feature four case studies and expose themes of the extraordinary workload and the value of collegial support during pandemic programming. A comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon reveals indicators of cumulative organizational trauma due to the COVID-19 restrictions and required changes in special education programming. This in-depth study exposes the susceptible position of special educators as they faced the work necessary during pandemic programming and the negative patterns resulting within the work culture. Recommendations include an organizational stance for reimagining and restructuring systems to enhance special education teacher retention and student learning outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Educator Turnover Has Markedly Increased, but Districts Have Taken Actions to Boost Teacher Ranks: Selected Findings from the Sixth American School District Panel Survey. Research Report. RR-A956-14

This survey wanted to obtain a national picture of teacher and principal turnover at the end of the 2021-2022 school year and districts' staffing shortages at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, researchers surveyed 300 district and charter network leaders in the American School District Panel from October to December 2022. Key findings from the survey include: (1) Teacher turnover increased 4 percentage points above prepandemic levels, reaching 10 percent nationally at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Principal turnover increased too, reaching 16 percent nationally going into the 2022-2023 school year;(2) Teacher turnover in 2021-2022 was highest (around 12 to 14 percent) in urban districts, high-poverty districts, and districts serving predominately students of color. Meanwhile, principal turnover was highest (around 21 to 23 percent) in high-poverty districts and in rural districts;(2) District leaders generally perceived staffing shortages to be less acute in 2022-2023 than they were in 2021-2022. However, in fall 2022, staffing shortages continued to be most acute for substitute teachers, special education teachers, and bus drivers. High-poverty districts in particular had considerable shortages in several teaching categories;and (3) Ninety percent of districts experienced one or more policy changes either they or their state enacted to boost teacher ranks in response to shortages. Chief among these changes were increased pay and/or benefits and the expansion of grow-your-own teacher preparation programs. [For the technical document, see ED626482.]

Burnout of special educators serving students with emotional-behavioral disorders: A longitudinal study

We examined changes in burnout across three timepoints in one school year, in a sample (N = 230) of special educators serving students with emotional-behavioral disorders, in 15 school districts selected through stratified random sampling at the national level. Emotional exhaustion decreased at each timepoint in the school year and personal accomplishment increased from fall to spring. Latent growth curve modeling did not produce latent trajectories of burnout among teachers;however, cross-lagged panel structure equation modeling revealed that emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment had both direct and indirect effects on depersonalization. Differences in burnout were significant by race/ethnicity but not by gender. Participants reported higher emotional exhaustion, lower depersonalization, and higher personal accomplishment than a national sample. We provide implications for researchers and practitioners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of COVID-19: Special education student teachers' practicum experience during the spring of 2020

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on special education student teachers while they were doing the practicum. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze interviews of 11 special education teachers who completed their practicum experience in the spring of 2020, when the schools transitioned from in-person to online instruction. The generated conceptual framework, Learning to Teach During the COVID-19 Pandemic, provides a systematic model for analyzing and interpreting the data. The conceptual framework, its themes and categories are discussed. Future research should study the effects of the pandemic on the professional preparation and personal impact of special education student teachers to better address their needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Teachers' experiences using AAC devices to manage inappropriate behavior: A basic qualitative study

The problem of this basic qualitative study explored whether there is an underrepresentation of information surrounding strategies, systems, and programs special education teachers use to support students using augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and the impact said information has on student behaviors. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore kindergarten through twelfth-grade self-contained special education teachers' successes and failures when using AAC to decrease inappropriate behaviors. In addition, the following research study utilized the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework, which looked at processes, trainings, strategies, challenges, successes, and overall knowledge on specific AAC programs and devices teachers utilized through a TPACK lens. The basic qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to answer the research question: What strategies, programs, or practices are preschool through twelfth-grade teachers using when implementing AAC in the classroom to decrease inappropriate behaviors? The sample consisted of six self-contained special education teachers of varying grade levels. Participants selected represent two school districts in the Northwest region of the United States with a minimum of three years teaching experience utilizing AAC and managing student behavior. The overall goal was to obtain 10-12 participants;however, due to Covid-19 gaining consent from participants was difficult. Further research would suggest interviewing additional teachers within the parameters of the study to be able to reach saturation. The practical implications of the study provided self-contained special education teachers not using AAC devices a guide to follow when using AAC in self-contained classrooms. The guide shared teachers' successes and failures when using specific AAC programs or devices. The analysis discovered five themes regarding teachers' processes, strategies, challenges, training, and knowledge: low-tech before high tech, built-in reward systems, consistency of use, more access to training on high-tech AAC, and understanding individual students' levels of need. The findings indicated that teachers with consistent processes, strategies and a strong understanding of individual students needs had more success in reducing students' aberrant behaviors and increasing the students' ability to communicate appropriately. Recommendations for future studies include expanding the research question to additional regions of the United States. Additional research includes discovering district level processes, strategies, challenges, and training provided to teachers, support staff and families in support of AAC to improve student communication and access the classroom or community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Elementary special education teachers' perception on technology adoption in the shift to online learning

Elementary special education teachers are required to provide online learning instruction to students with disabilities as schools are navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic with a lack of information as to how to do so successfully. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of elementary special education teachers in a school district in the southeastern United States on their pedagogical and technology concerns regarding the shift to online learning for students with disabilities. This study's conceptual framework was based on Roger's diffusion theory and concerns-based adoption model. The research questions addressed elementary special education teachers' perceptions of the challenges of implementing online learning for students with disabilities as well as their pedagogical and technological concerns. The elementary special education teachers were chosen using purposeful sampling based on whether they currently or previously taught students with disabilities online. Data were collected from 10 elementary special education teachers using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. The key findings revealed how elementary special education teachers adapted their instruction online;how training for teachers and parents is required for successful online learning;and how challenges in the online environment, such as self-regulation, and lack of proper guidance impacts the learning of students with disabilities. This study could lead to positive social change through providing school leaders with insight into the perspectives of elementary special education teachers, allowing leaders to offer more relevant, targeted training and resources for delivering online instruction to students with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Collaborating with parents during COVID-19 online teaching: special educator perspectives

Teachers whose students had trouble independently accessing the online curriculum during COVID-19 online learning had to rely heavily on parents. This paper presents findings from interviews with elementary special educators regarding their experiences collaborating with parents while teaching online. Thematic analysis generated four themes: prioritising non-academic support;increases in mutual understanding;parents implementing educational content;and providing feedback to parents. Teachers emphasised providing socio-emotional support to families and reported opportunities for teachers and parents to learn more about each other. They also highlighted several skills that were not smoothly translating to the home. Implications regarding strong teacher–parent partnerships are discussed.

Promoting Paraeducators' Use of Evidence-Based Practices for Students With Autism

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a teacher-implemented professional development program to increase the fidelity with which paraeducators use evidence-based practices (EBPs) in instruction for children with autism. Employing a modified multiple-probe design, investigators implemented the Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules for Paraprofessionals (AFP) program in four special education and four inclusive classrooms enrolling students with autism. As the teacher initiated features of the AFP program focusing on individual EBPs, level changes in paraeducators' EBP fidelity increased markedly, with replications across paraeducators demonstrating experimental control. Statistical analyses produced large effect sizes, Goal Attainment Scale scores indicated student progress, and participants' ratings reflected strong social validity. School closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the completion of the study, but the pattern of effects suggests the efficacy of the AFP program as a program of professional development for paraeducators providing instruction for children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Exceptional Children is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Education for the Disabled in Accordance with the Quality of Inclusive Education in the Distance Education Process

The aim of this research is to evaluate the disabled education in accordance with the quality of inclusive education in the distance education process in line with the opinions of special education teachers. The research was conducted with 10 special education teachers who were teaching special education and general education in schools with special needs students in Kazakhstan and who agreed to participate in the research voluntarily. The research was designed in accordance with the case study, one of the qualitative research designs. Research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the teachers used online lessons, video sharing, homework control, online activities and mobile applications in the teaching of the lessons in the distance education process, they preferred formal education to distance education, and they found distance education insufficient to meet the individual needs of students in learning. In addition, teachers stated that they found family participation in distance education and teacher-student peer interaction insufficient. The results obtained from the research revealed the necessity of eliminating the obstacles in the education of the disabled in accordance with the quality of inclusive education.

For Secondary Teachers Educating Students with Disabilities, 2021 Was a New Year with an Old Story: Findings from the American Educator Panels. Data Note: Insights from the American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A827-7

The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for educators who teach students with disabilities (SWD). Research on the experiences of SWD during the pandemic is limited, but what is known suggests that SWD access to services and supports declined during the pandemic and that steeper learning losses are likely. Pandemic interruptions may be particularly problematic for secondary SWD because they missed out on critical preparation experiences while approaching the transition to college and career. Given these disruptions, it is critical that educators have the support and training they need to accelerate learning for SWD moving forward. This report presents national survey findings from secondary school principals and educators from the spring of the 2020-2021 school year, exploring educators' access to and use of supports for teaching SWD. The analysis focuses on the roles that teachers play and the service delivery models that they use for teaching SWD.

Exploring Turkish Special Education Teachers' Experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Individuals with special needs are highly disadvantaged during the COVID-19 quarantine days, and families and children received limited support. Learning the experiences, problems and solution suggestions of teachers who are responsible for the education of children with special needs is of great importance in determining the plans to be made to provide the necessary support. The purpose of this study is to investigate in-service special education teachers' experiences of emergency remote teaching and to seek to understand the essence of their lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study employs a phenomenological design. This current interpretative phenomenological study consists of 21 special education teachers that meet predetermined criteria. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Five key questions and one closing question which were created by the researchers aligned with the purpose of the study were asked to the participants. As a result of the data obtained within the scope of the study, themes emerged according to special education teachers' experiences such as technical infrastructure, ICT literacy, required technical support, transformations in performance tracking and assessment, learning resource, problem behaviors, goals and objectives, family engagement, person being supported, type of support provided and decision about sustainability.

OBSTACLES TO DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND WAYS TO FACE THEM: FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF FEMALE TEACHERS

Distance education for students with learning disabilities (LDs) has been used as an official practice in Saudi Arabia since COVID-19's outbreak. This study's aim was to explore the obstacles to distance education (DE) for these students and ways to face them based on teachers' opinions. In Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, 111 female LDs teachers working in public elementary schools were randomly selected. The researchers collected data by sending online surveys via email and analyzed the data with the SPSS program version 24. The teachers rated obstacles to DE related to (1) students with LDs, (2) teachers, and (3) DE system infrastructure. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the teachers' views based on educational level or number of DE training courses attended, but there were statistically significant differences between the views of teachers with more than 10 years of experience and those of other teachers. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the average scores of teachers' views on ways to face DE obstacles associated with any of the studied variables. The teachers provided recommendations to support students with LDs, enhance family engagement in making instructional decisions, and provide DE training to students with LDs and their teachers. © 2023, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education. All Rights Reserved.

The impact of COVID-19: Special education student teachers' practicum experience during the spring of 2020

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on special education student teachers while they were doing the practicum. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze interviews of 11 special education teachers who completed their practicum experience in the spring of 2020, when the schools transitioned from in-person to online instruction. The generated conceptual framework, Learning to Teach During the COVID-19 Pandemic, provides a systematic model for analyzing and interpreting the data. The conceptual framework, its themes and categories are discussed. Future research should study the effects of the pandemic on the professional preparation and personal impact of special education student teachers to better address their needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Special education challenges in transitioning to online learning in Wyoming during the COVID-19 pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, education had unexpected impacts, including the closure of schools and the disruption of learning for students. Students with disabilities experienced increased challenges related to these impacts. The problem was to understand the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities when transitioning from in-classroom to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the challenges of secondary special education teachers and parents during the transition from in-classroom to online learning for students with disabilities and identify future supports for this kind of transition to online learning. The conceptual framework for this research was the Schlossberg transition model and the variables of changing from one life event to another. The guiding research question pertained to challenges special education teachers and parents experienced during their transition to online learning. The basic qualitative research design examined the lived experiences of four teachers and two parents through an interview and a questionnaire. The data were analyzed for emerging ideas and patterns to code, compile, and develop into themes and subthemes. The analyzed results indicated that not all learning software was appropriate as planned to support special education student learning. Another finding was that constant communication between teachers and students had positive results. The implications for positive social change may be improved practices for possible transitions from future in-classroom to online learning to enhance student achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)