Date

12-4-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Karla Swafford

Keywords

inclusion, least restrictive environment, specific learning disability, evidence-based reading instruction

Disciplines

Education | Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this case study is to discover how teachers support special education elementary students identified with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in the inclusion setting who struggle with basic reading at Champion Heights Elementary School. At this stage in research, the academic impact of inclusion for special education students who struggle with basic reading will generally be defined as determining the academic benefits and weaknesses of elementary students being educated inside the general education classroom. The theory guiding this study is Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. The social cognitive theory relates to this topic because students learn through observed behavior in an inclusive setting. The Central Question is “How do educators view instructional approaches to support special education students who struggle with reading?” The research design is a case study design. The sample consisted of educators at Champion Heights Elementary School located in a suburban area of Mid-Atlantic United States. The data collection process consisted of interviews, observations, and review of documents. Data analysis included grouping common themes, examining rival explanations, pattern matching, and naturalistic generalizations. The findings suggest struggling readers benefit from small group instruction, many struggling students do not receive proper instruction in the inclusive setting, and students benefit socially in inclusive education.

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