Teacher perceptions of evidence based practices and strategies used to assist students with learning disabilities access core curriculum

Abstract

In recent years, the use of New York State Common Core Standards, Modules, and Frameworks have dictated the curriculum taught within the middle school social studies classroom where all students learn, including students with learning disabilities. This curriculum is rigorous and presents a problem for students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this research study was to understand teacher perspectives within the classroom when teaching students with learning disabilities and developing resource of useful evidence-based practices and strategies used in the classroom. Through a phenomenological qualitative design, I was able to connect with four middle school social studies teachers and interview them to gain their perspectives of the teaching methods and evidence-based practices that they have found useful in providing access to the core curriculum taught within the classroom. As a result of these interviews, I was able to identify four common themes and evidence-based practices within the interview data collected. These themes included: a) Peer-mediated instruction, b) Self-questioning and Self-reflection, c) One-on-One Teacher Student Conferencing, and d) Technology. From the participant's perspective, when they use these strategies within the classroom, students with learning disabilities are able to interact, comprehend, and develop connections with the social studies curriculum being taught within the middle school classroom. [from author's abstract]