Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Derek Schroll

Abstract

General education (GE) elementary and middle school teachers often do not feel equipped to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities (SWDs) in Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) schools. The purpose of this study was to explore SDA GE elementary and middle teachers' support for SWDs' academic needs, attitudes and beliefs about their ability to support SWDs, and competence to include SWDs in the classroom. The method and design was a qualitative exploratory case study. The conceptual framework for this study was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and social cognitive theory. Ten elementary and middle school teachers, who taught SWDS in 3 SDA schools from a conference in the metro area of a Northeast state of the United States, volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected using observations and semistructured interviews and were analyzed thematically using a priori, open, and axial codes related to the conceptual framework. Teachers indicated that they limited instruction to whole class teaching and believed they were not competent to support SWDs' needs. Furthermore, they asserted that training, along with classroom support, would increase their competence when including SWDs. It is recommended that SDA administrators offer special education professional development, add special education classes to the Adventist teacher certification process, and hire special education teachers, and teachers participate in the SDA's inclusion initiative to meet SWDs' needs. These endeavors could support positive social change if SDA administrators hire and train teachers who are prepared and competent to include SWDs and meet SWDS' academic needs, which could result in SWDs being served by qualified, knowledgeable, and confident teachers.

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