Steffes, L. (2010). General education teachers’ perceptions of accommodations for students with disabilities in inclusive secondary classrooms (Publication No. 3427686) [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/815237042

Walden University (Minneapolis, MN); ProQuest document ID: 815237042

Secondary education teachers’ perceptions of accommodations for students with learning disabilities, specifically related to their ability to implement these accommodations, were examined.

Eight general education English and mathematics teachers from Colorado (U.S.) participated. Teachers came from both rural and urban areas, and their years of teaching experience ranged from 3–19 years.

Three interviews were conducted to better understand teachers’ experiences of implementing accommodations. The first interview focused on each participant's teaching background, experiences, and perspectives about implementing accommodations. The second interview focused on how accommodations were implemented, as well as supports and barriers to this process. The third interview served as a reflective session for teachers to better understand their feelings on this topic.

Teachers expressed a need for more communication from special education case managers, more self-advocacy from students, further professional development around accommodations, support from school staff in the implementation process, readily available accommodations to pull from, and better communication about available accommodations.