Perceptions of North Carolina Technology Education Teachers Concerning Their Effectiveness in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Technology Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which technology education teachers perceived they were effectively educating students with disabilities.

This study utilized a survey instrument in order to gather data from high school technology education teachers in North Carolina. The data reflected how teachers perceived the effectiveness of their own teaching skills for educating students with disabilities. Data also revealed the teachers' demographic background, teaching strategies, and training preferences.

The survey instrument was divided into three sections. The first section gathered data regarding the teachers' educational background, years of teaching, number of classes taught and number of students with disabilities in their class. The second part of the survey instrument identified the types of students with disabilities included in each class and the types of changes made to the learning environment to enhance educational outcomes. The third section of the survey identified whether teachers perceived a need

The survey instruments, cover letter, and self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) were mailed to each of the technology teachers. The findings were based on the five research questions this study addressed. The results of this research revealed that more than half of the respondents expressed a need for further training in Individual Education Program (IEP) implementation. The survey instrument identified the major contribution of Technology Education (TED) to students with disabilities. The data from this research revealed that TED teachers found behavioral-emotional disabilities to require the most intervention strategies. There were 59 of 97 respondents who revealed a need for further training relative to students with disabilities.

This study concludes that TED teachers perceive a need for additional training relative to students with disabilities. This study extends the research on the topic by identifying specific types of student disabilities that should be included as topics in the training sessions. The results of this study indicate that progress has been made, yet the need for improvement still exists. The areas of need for further training could be utilized by teacher educators to provide pre-service preparation for TED teachers.