Owen MartinFollow

Date

6-2018

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Elizabeth Hillman

Keywords

Collaboration, Mathematics, Self-Efficacy, Special Education Teacher, Student Achievement, Students with Disabilities

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration | Special Education Administration

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between secondary special education teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy and the number of years of teaching experience, years of co-teaching experience, and number of math content coursework taken at the undergraduate level. Students with special needs continue to score significantly lower than their general education peers on Virginia’s standards of learning mathematics tests. A quantitative, non-experimental correlational research design was used in this study. The targeted sample consisted of approximately 120 collaborating special education teachers in two school districts in southeastern Virginia. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) was measure mathematics teaching efficacy and teacher mathematics content knowledge was measured by a survey of courses taken. A Spearman’s rho correlation test was used to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed among the variables. The study found a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of mathematics co-teaching experience rs = .451, p = .01 and a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and total math courses taken rs = .297, p = .014. There was no relationship found between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of teaching experience. Results support increased efforts are needed to provide content specific education for special education teachers in the area of secondary mathematics.

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