Date

12-7-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Susan Stanley

Keywords

syrogers@liberty.edu

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe teacher experiences in educating students with disabilities during a pandemic for K-5 teachers at John James K-8 school in the southeastern United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive learning theory, as it related to the importance of social learning on learners' cognition. Also, Universal Design for Learning was highlighted to suggest that all students should be taught in an inclusive setting. The central research question driving this study was, what are the lived post-pandemic experiences of general K-5 educators who instruct students with disabilities who return to John James K-8 school during the pandemic? A phenomenological approach was used to interview and gather information from various educators based on their views and perspectives. This study consisted of 10 participants who taught students with disabilities and returned from a virtual learning environment during the pandemic. This study used three methods to collect data: interviews, observations, and journals. The research results suggested that educators faced many obstacles to overcoming the need for support and adequate training and should be equipped with sufficient resources to assist their students' cognitive development during a crisis. The research findings revealed several implications for policies that should be created and practices that administration stakeholders and policyholders in the local school system should follow.

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