Date

5-22-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Sherrita Rogers

Keywords

autism, low-functioning autism, distance learning, virtual learning, behavior, laws of learning, Edwards Thorndike, Training, remote Special Education Teacher, Learning Coach, ABA

Disciplines

Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of Special Education Teachers regarding positive behavioral supports for students with Low Functioning Autism (LFA) and behavioral challenges who participate in virtual learning environments. The theory guiding this study is Thorndike’s associative learning theory as it provides a framework for understanding the challenges associated with the application of behavioral supports within the virtual learning environment. The Central Research Question in this study is: What are the shared experiences of Special Education Teachers who implement positive behavioral supports (PBS) for students with LFA and behavioral challenges who participate in an academic virtual learning environment (VLE)? Through observations, interviews, and focus groups, Moustakas’ transcendental-phenomenological design was applied to explore the Central Research Question. Ten Special Education Teachers, consisting of nine females and one male, who taught students from grades six-12 online, had at least three years of experience teaching Special Education, and had at least one student in their online class with LFA, participated in this study. There was no physical location for this study. Qualitative analysis revealed what Special Education Teachers considered to be the essential elements of the Laws of Learning. Additionally, the results revealed that training for teachers and parents on how to support students with LFA in the VLE could benefit educational programs, and implementing the essential elements of learning can mitigate challenges related to behavior and learning by addressing the most pervasive areas of deficit (i.e., hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli and habituation).

Share

COinS