Date of Conferral

12-24-2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Wellesley Foshay

Abstract

Co-teaching is a common service delivery model where a general and special education teacher are paired in the same classroom, though little is known about the experiences of secondary special education co-teachers in the adoption and use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools in inclusive, co-taught classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the experiences of special education co-teachers in the adoption and use of ICT tools. Venkatesh et al.’s unified theory of the acceptance and use of technology was the conceptual framework for the study. The research question focused on the experiences of special education co-teachers in the adoption and use of ICT tools, the role of the co-teaching relationship in instructional decision-making, and the availability of resources and support for ICT tool use. A basic qualitative approach used semistructured interviews with 12 secondary special education co-teachers to gather data and identify codes, categories, and themes based on the conceptual framework and research question. The results of this analysis revealed that special education co-teachers found that ICT tools can be beneficial for students with disabilities and that the development of the co-teaching relationship plays a large role in the special education co-teachers’ ability to influence ICT decisions. These findings could lead to positive social change and improved outcomes for students with disabilities when school districts recognize the importance of the co-teaching relationship in the instructional decision-making process, devote resources to strengthening co-teaching relationships, and provide access to training and support for ICT tool use.

Download

Share

 
COinS