Date
4-17-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Vonda Beavers
Keywords
Special Education, multicultural education, minority overrepresentation, cultural disparities
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Jones, Paula R., "A Transcendental Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Educators and Service Providers in the Identification Process of Minority Students for Special Education in East Tennessee Elementary Schools" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5317.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5317
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of educators and service providers in identifying minority students in special education in Tennessee elementary schools. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. This theory emphasizes cultural tools and their functions in understanding a different culture. It also provides a framework for researchers to investigate how education links individuals to their culture. The study’s sample consisted of ten participants, including general education teachers of core content areas, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and ELL teachers from three elementary schools in Tennessee. I used the triangulated research strategy to collect data through interviews, focus group interviews, and letter writing. I used content analysis to interpret participants’ lived experiences of the unique education process for minority students, and the transcendental phenomenological design to study data. I used the techniques of epoché, coding, horizonalization, clustering data into themes, textural description, and synthesis to ensure that every statement had equal value. Composite descriptions were derived from the textural and structural descriptions from the analysis to synthesize data. The results of this research study increased understanding of educators’ experiences with referral and assessment of minority students for special education. The two primary findings of this study revealed that educators want special education referrals, assessments, and eligibility decisions to be unbiased, and they desire additional training on making special education decisions for minority students. This research study supported existing literature claiming inconsistency in the referral and assessment practices for minority students considered for special education.
