Evaluating the Relationship between Literature and Framework Development

Dissertation 1

The problem addressed by this study is the challenges the general education teachers face when teaching students with special educational needs in an inclusive learning environment. General education educators often feel unprepared to support the learning needs of students with special educational needs due to a lack of training and understanding of the students and their additional support requirements. The educators develop negative attitudes and perspectives toward inclusive education, hindering the effectiveness of fostering an inclusive learning environment. Lack of effective teaching strategies, behavior management strategies, and low self-efficacy are the critical factors promoting negative perceptions of inclusion in education (Bruno, 2020).

The researcher interviewed 15 general education and special education teachers from middle schools in Polk County, central Florida, to gather their perspectives and experiences on the inclusive environment. The data was collected through conversations, observations, and journals, which helped the researcher gain insights and thoughts about inclusion in the learning environment. The author used the Nvivo12 Plus technique to analyze the information collected (Bruno, 2020). The participants depicted a gap in training efforts and support from the administration in addressing the learning needs of students with special educational needs. The participants believed that their role and responsibility to cater to the needs of students with special needs influences their perception of inclusive education.

The theoretical framework incorporated in this study was based on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The author demonstrates throughout the study that people have the capacity and ability to control their functionality, promoting personal accomplishment. Equipping educators with effective training and support would motivate their commitment to supporting students with special learning needs and changing their negative perceptions of inclusion.

Critique

The author effectively aligned the theoretical framework, the literature, and the problem statement, which provided a chronological follow-up of ideas in the study. The connection between increasing teachers’ self-efficacy through training programs and availing effective teaching and behavioral management strategies would positively impact educators’ roles and responsibilities in supporting learners with special educational needs. The author incorporates effective data presentation techniques, including using a bar graph to increase the visual presentation of the allegations. The study information is organized in chronological order, making locating needed information easy.

Dissertation 2

The focus of this study is to address the overwhelming demand for educators to meet the needs of a diverse classroom with an enlarging size. As the size of a class increases, a teacher experiences additional duties and responsibilities toward addressing the learning needs of each student (Bowen, 2018). Different students have diverse needs, making it overwhelming for teachers to manage them. Teachers should incorporate effective strategies that enhance differentiation to address diverse students’ needs.

Classroom diversity has significant implications for skills and knowledge development, including supporting social interactions. The size of the class has an instrumental influence on the teaching strategies adopted by a teacher to address the learning needs of each student. The researcher collected data using surveys and document reviews. The document reviewed includes the lesson plans, which provided information on teachers’ efforts to address an enlarging class. Educators should identify strategies that would accommodate the needs of diverse students regardless of the class size. Effective planning and incorporation of differentiated strategies help a teacher to teach effectively and meet the needs of each student irrespective of the class size (Bowen, 2018). However, a small class size benefits students with diverse learning needs more.

Further, instruction differentiation provides educators with a conceptual framework of class management regardless of class size. Differentiation of instructions guides a teacher in aligning the teaching strategies with students’ previous knowledge, preferences, capacity, and ability, promoting a supportive learning environment for all students. Differentiation supports personalized learning, which helps the teacher address and meet each learner’s needs.

Critique

The problem statement aligns with the literature of this study. The focus of the study was to provide a solution to teachers on how to integrate learning objectives effectively in a large class size. The researcher collected information on how the teacher can respond to challenges with diversity in the classroom with a large size. Also, the problem statement and the literature support the study’s conceptual framework.

Dissertation 3

The problem Daniels (2018) addressed is to build teacher self-efficacy and prepare them to implement the learning process in a classroom with students with special educational needs to achieve better student performances and increase teachers’ effectiveness. High self-efficacy levels are critical aspects that all educators, including special education and general education teachers, should possess to integrate the learning process for their learners effectively. Using a quantitative comparative design, the researcher sampled 60 participants, including 56 general education teachers and 4 special education teachers in a small rural school in southeastern Colorado. The study sampled full-time and certified teachers to ensure they had acquired effective training on the educational pedagogy to evaluate their self-efficacy levels. The findings depict that special education teachers have higher self-efficacy for inclusion and collaboration in the classroom than general education teachers. The findings demonstrate a need to implement effective strategies to improve the self-efficacy for collaboration with general education teachers. Increasing teachers’ self-efficacy promotes an inclusive and supportive learning environment, which enhances students’ performance and the teacher’s effectiveness in implementing the learning objectives.

The conceptual framework of the study is based on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Individuals can influence desired outcomes in a specified area. A person’s beliefs, feelings, and actions are critical concepts that influence human motivation and behavior. The author believes that changing teachers’ self-efficacy will affect their teaching practices and improve student performance.

Critique

The study effectively aligns the conceptual framework, the literature, and the problem statement. The layout of the three concepts throughout the study helps the reader connect effectively from one concept to another. The study outlines the need to improve teachers’ self-efficacy to enhance their effectiveness and positively impact students, especially those with special educational needs. The study problem is addressed in collaboration with the conceptual framework.

Conclusion

Inclusion and diversity in education are significant aspects at the frontline of all learning institutions. The focus is to educate students with and without special educational needs in the general education settings. The conceptual and theoretical frameworks of the three dissertations have a common goal of supporting inclusivity, addressing the learning needs of each student, and equipping educators with relevant skills and strategies to integrate the learning objectives. Educators should improve their self-efficacy, plan effectively to incorporate differentiated strategies in their classrooms, acquire adequate training to enlighten them of their responsibilities in teaching students with special educational needs, and acquire administrative support to implement their objectives. Addressing the above issues, the teacher promotes a conducive learning environment and better performances among diverse student populations in an inclusive environment.

References

Bowen, K. R. (2018). Meeting Student Needs as Class Sizes Increase: A Case Study of a Middle School in Georgia (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).

Bruno, P. A. (2020). The Inclusion Process: A Case Study Investigating Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes Toward the Inclusive Classroom (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).

Daniels, V. L. (2018). A Comparative Study of K12 General Education and Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Levels towards Inclusion of Students with Special Needs (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).

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Question

You will work with recently published dissertations and explore how theory was used to develop and align the work. While it is likely that your research ideas, questions, problem, and purpose of your work may change as you go through your program (and thus your conceptual or theoretical framework), you will gain some experience in working with alignment and understanding of the role of how your framework development aligns with the literature, and how it supports your chosen topic.