Date

6-17-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Judy Shoemaker

Keywords

Keywords: teacher unpreparedness, teacher preparation programs, severe disabilities, profound disabilities, experience, John Dewey, special education

Disciplines

Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of special education teachers regarding their knowledge and experiences in teaching students with severe and profound disabilities during their pre-service special education teacher training. The problem is many students with severe and profound disabilities are not receiving appropriate services or instruction, which is affected by how special education teacher training programs are preparing future teachers. The theory guiding this study was John Dewey’s theory of experience, which emphasizes the importance of gaining experience to succeed. The central research question is: How prepared did special education teachers feel regarding educating students with severe and profound disabilities? A qualitative methodology was used: the study design was phenomenology, and the data was gathered with a narrative approach. Data collection methods included interviews, questionnaires, and letter writing prompts. A sample of eleven special education teachers from one public school and one private special education school in upstate New York was used for this study.

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