Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

What Challenges do Special Education Teacher Educators Encounter While Preparing Novice Special Education Teachers?

  • Laurie A. Sharp, Ed.D. (Author)
    Laurie A. Sharp, Ed.D. is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies for First and Second Year Experience and Associate Professor at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Dr. Sharp promotes student success among adult learners, actively participates in professional service, and maintains an extensive scholarship record.
  • Frank Goode, Ed.D. (Author)
    Frank Goode, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Goode serves as the current director of special education programs and is a faculty team member of the University’s Center for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Goode provides various professional services on request to schools, organizations, and community colleges located in the Texas Panhandle. Dr. Goode’s research interests include self-determination among students with disabilities, teacher preparation program evaluation, and the provision of experiential education in teacher preparation programs.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.403
Abstract
Special education teacher preparation programs must ensure that their program requirements sufficiently prepare preservice teachers to become high-quality special education teachers. The purpose of the present study was to address a void in available literature by examining the challenges that special education teacher educators encounter while preparing future special education teaching professionals. A survey research design was utilized to ascertain the viewpoints of special education teacher educators concerning the preparation of preservice teachers. Data were collected among 46 special education teacher educators who were affiliated with university-based special education teacher preparation programs in a state located in the Southern United States. Relevant data were analyzed with three levels of coding and constant comparisons, which generated six categories. Findings for each category were reported, along with implications for internal and external preparation program stakeholders. Limitations with the present study were acknowledged, as well as recommendations for future research studies.
Keywords
Barriers, Certification, Course Content, Delivery Systems, Field Experience Programs, Preservice Teacher Education
References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2018). About the shortage. Retrieved from https://specialedshortages.org/about-the-shortage/

Association of Teacher Educators. (2018). Development of the standards. Retrieved from https://ate1.org/standards-development

Bettini, E., Benedict, A., Thomas, R., Kimerling, J., Choi, N., & McLeskey, J. (2017). Cultivating a community of effective special education teachers. Remedial and Special Education, 38(2), 111-126. doi:10.1177/0741932516664790 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932516664790

Beverly, C., Santos, K., & Kyger, M. (2006). Developing and integrating a professional disposition curriculum into a special education teacher preparation program. Teacher Education & Special Education, 29(1), 26-31. doi:10.1177/088840640602900104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/088840640602900104

Billingsley, B. S. (2004). Promoting teacher quality and retention in special education. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(5), 370-376. doi:10.1177/00222194040370050101 Brody, D., & Hadar, L. (2011). “I speak prose and I now know it.” Personal development trajectories among teacher educators in a professional development community. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(8), 1223-1234. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2011.07.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.07.002

Brown, K. S., Welsch, L. A., Hill, K. H., & Cipko, J. P. (2008). The efficacy of embedding special education instruction in teacher preparation programs in the United States. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 2087-2094. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2008.02.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.02.013

Brownell, M. T., Ross, D. D., Colón, E. P., & McCallum, C. L. (2005). Critical features of special education teacher preparation: A comparison with general teacher education. Journal of Special Education, 38(4), 242-252. doi:10.1177/00224669050380040601 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669050380040601

Brownell, M. T., & Sindelar, P. T. (2016, March 16). Preparing and retaining effective special education teachers: Systemic solutions for addressing teacher shortages [Weblog post]. Retrieved from http://edprepmatters.net/2016/03/preparing-and-retaining-effective-special-education-teachers-systemic-solutions-for-addressing-teacher-shortages/

Brownell, M. T., Sindelar, P. T., Kiely, M. T., & Danielson, L. C. (2010). Special education teacher quality and preparation: Exposing foundations, constructing a new model. Exceptional Children, 76(3), 357-377. doi:10.1177/001440291007600307 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291007600307

Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. I. (2008). Basics of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Council for Exceptional Children. (2015). What every special educator must know: Professional ethics and standards. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Dukes, C., Darling, S. M., & Doan, K. (2014). Selection pressures on special education teacher preparation: Issues shaping our future. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(1), 9-20. doi:10.1177/0888406413513273 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406413513273

Fuchs, W. W., Fahsl, A. J., & James, S. M. (2014). Redesigning a special education teacher-preparation program: The rationale, process, and outcomes. The New Educator, 10(2), 145-152. doi:10.1080/1547688X.2014.898493 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1547688X.2014.898493

Fullerton, A., Ruben, B. J., McBride, S., & Bert, S. (2011). Development and design of a merged secondary and special education teacher preparation program. Teacher Education Quarterly, 38(2), 27-44. Retrieved from http://www.teqjournal.org/

Gansle, K. A., Noell, G. H., Grandstaff-Beckers, G., Stringer, A., Roberts, N., & Burns, J. M. (2015). Value-added assessment of teacher preparation. Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(2), 106-111. doi:10.1177/1053451215579267 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451215579267

Hadar, L., & Brody, D. (2010). From isolation to symphonic harmony: Building a professional development community among teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 26(8), 1641-1651. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.015

Hadar, L. L., & Brody, D. L. (2012). The interaction between group processes and personal professional trajectories in a professional development community for teacher educators. Journal of Teacher Education, 64(2), 145-161. doi:10.1177/0022487112466898 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487112466898

Hoffman, E. M., Marlowe, M. J., Scharf, K. H., Disney, G. H., Macer, A., Poling, D., & Queen, A. (2015). Using Torey Hayden’s teacher stories to teach relationship skills in special education teacher preparation. Teacher Education Quarterly, 42(2), 65-85. Retrieved from http://www.teqjournal.org/

Holdheide, L., & DeMonte, J. (2016, February 17). Critical shortages in special education teachers. Sound familiar? [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.air.org/resource/critical-shortages-special-education-teachers-sound-familiar

Leko, M. M., Brownell, M. T., Sindelar, P. T., & Kiely, M. T. (2015). Envisioning the future of special education personnel preparation in a standards-based era. Exceptional Children, 82(1), 25-43. doi:10.1177/0014402915598782 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402915598782

Lovingfoss, D., Molloy, D. E., Harris, K. R., & Graham, S. (2001). Preparation, practice, and program reform. The Journal of Special Education, 35(2), 105-114. doi:10.1177/002246690103500206 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002246690103500206

Markelz, A., Riden, B., & Scheeler, M. C. (2017). Generalization training in special education teacher preparation: Does it exist? Teacher Education and Special Education, 40(3), 179-193. doi:10.1177/0888406417703752 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406417703752

McCall, Z., McHatton, P. A., & Shealey, M. W. (2014). Special education teacher candidate assessment: A review. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(1), 51-70. doi:10.1177/0888406413512684 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406413512684

McLeskey, J., & Billingsley, B. S. (2008). How does the quality and stability of the teaching force influence the research-to-practice gap?: A perspective on the teacher shortage in special education. Remedial and Special Education, 29(5), 293-305. doi:10.1177/0741932507312010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932507312010

Roberts, C. A., Benedict, A. E., & Thomas, R. A. (2013). Cooperating teachers’ role in preparing preservice special education teachers: Moving beyond sink or swim. Intervention in School and Clinic, 49(3), 174-180. doi:10.1177/1053451213496162 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451213496162

Robertson, P. M., McFarland, L. A., Sciuchetti, M. B., & García, S. B. (2017). Connecting the dots: An exploration of how pre-service special education teachers make sense of disability and diversity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 34-47. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2017.02.020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.02.020

Sayeski, K. L., & Higgins, K. (2014). Redesigning special education teacher preparation programs with a focus on outcomes. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(2), 91-105. doi:10.1177/0888406413513274 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406413513274

Shepherd, K. G., Fowler, S., McCormick, J., Wilson, C. L., & Morgan, D. (2016). The search for role clarity. Teacher Education and Special Education, 39(2), 83-97. doi:10.1177/0888406416637904 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406416637904

Sindelar, P. T., Brownell, M. T., & Billingsley, B. (2010). Special education research: Current status and future directions. Teacher Education and Special Education, 33(1), 8-24. doi:10.1177/0888406409358593 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406409358593

Vernon-Dotson, L. J., Floyd, L. O., Dukes, C., & Darling, S. M. (2014). Course delivery: Keystones of effective special education teacher preparation. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(1), 34–50. doi:10.1177/0888406413507728 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406413507728

Williams, J. B., Williams, S. C., Metcalf, D., Smith Canter, L. L., Zambone, A., Jeffs, T., & Floyd, K. (2009). From ""Big Ideas"" to deliberate action: Curriculum revision and alignment in an American special education teacher preparation program. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 128-133. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2008.06.011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.06.011

There are 30 references in total.
How to Cite
Sharp, L. A., & Goode, F. (2019). What Challenges do Special Education Teacher Educators Encounter While Preparing Novice Special Education Teachers?. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 14(3), 26-37. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.403

Fall 2019

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted September 9, 2019
  • Published October 15, 2019
  • Issue Fall 2019
  • Section Articles
  • File Downloads 0
  • Abstract Views 2
  • Altmetrics
  • Share
Download data is not yet available.