Date
5-16-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Alexandra Barnett
Keywords
assistive technology, special education, high-incidence disabilities, phenomenology
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Volkov, Olga, "Special Education Teacher Perspective on Implementation of Assistive Technology among Students with High-incidence Disabilities" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5559.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5559
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of implementing assistive technology with students who have high-incidence disabilities for special education teachers at a large school district. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is one’s belief in one’s capabilities to organize a course of action to achieve a desired outcome. Self-efficacy determines how individuals think, behave, and self-motivate. Previous studies that investigated technology utilization in schools found that teachers’ self-efficacy is one of the key factors in determining and predicting technology integration. The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology as its research methodology. A central question of the study is what are the lived experiences of special education teachers who implement Assistive Technology (AT) with students who have high-incidence disabilities. The study was conducted in a diverse school district serving more than 9,000 special education students. The district also provides all special education teachers AT training and has significant resources to address the needs of students with high-incidence disabilities. The data sources were interviews, focus groups with special educators, and documents. The data were analyzed using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology approach. Eight themes were generated. The themes were Differences in AT Implementation Depending on Students’ Age, Technical Difficulties, Conflicting Demands in Special Education, Students’ Technology-Related Operational Skills, Coaching, Feedback, Fear, and Work-Life Balance. The data analysis revealed empirical, practical, and theoretical implications along with recommendations for future research.
