Case methods have emerged as a popular technique in teacher education, proposed as an important means of promoting conceptual change in preservice teachers. This article presents the results of a research study that used a mixed design methodology to investigate the effect of expert commentaries on prospective teachers' reasoning about inclusion…

The relationship between substantive arts involvement and social, cognitive, and artistic development is positive. Little is known about arts integrated within special education services to improve academic, cognitive, and social skills. We examined arts-based work and its impact on education of students with disabilities. During Study I, we…

To date, research has not sufficiently addressed the impact of personnel preparation programs on secondary special educators in relationship to specialized competencies needed to impact students during transition from school to adult life. This study sought to evaluate transition competencies gained by secondary practitioners involved in a…

Parent/professional partnerships have been credited with improving outcomes for children and enhancing satisfaction for both parents and professionals. Family involvement in preservice programs is minimal and often limited to parent panels or parent involvement in a class activity such as an interview. Preservice students who have had multiple…

Over the last decade, concern has grown regarding the faculty shortage in special education (Sindelar & Rosenberg, 2003). In part as a reaction to a federally funded study conducted in 1999, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) increased funding for doctoral study in the form of Special Education Leadership Personnel Grants (Gilmore,…

When graduate students enter special education programs, they arrive with dispositional knowledge that can assist or hinder them in their professional development. Over the course of two years, the researchers in this study assessed the dispositions of beginning teachers in a special education program at a west coast state university. The…

This article presents research that was conducted at the Autism Institute, an organization serving children with autism and their families in the People's Republic of China. The article examines and highlights aspects of the teacher training model at the Autism Institute that have led to the preparation of highly qualified, enthusiastic, and…

General education and special education teacher candidates lack experience in collaborating with each other as colleagues; however, upon graduating and entering their own classrooms, most are expected to know how to provide services to students with disabilities in the general classroom. This study describes the efforts of two professors, one in…

A random sample of middle school special education teachers from various classroom settings completed a survey asking them about what instructional practices and materials they used to teach students with disabilities how to solve word problems, how much time they allocated to problem solving instruction, and what type of problems they gave their…

In this article, the effectiveness of pre-service training that focuses on collaborative consultation and positive behavior support for treatment of challenging behaviors is evaluated. The effectiveness of an 8-month training program is evaluated for three participant groups: (a) 16 advanced undergraduate and master's-level students who received…

At the postsecondary level, instructors widely use a lecture format to impart knowledge to students. With this pilot study, the authors examine the effects of guided notes and response cards on students' performance on weekly quiz scores and in-class participation. Using an ABCBC withdrawal design, guided notes and response cards used together are…

In this article, the authors examine pre-service special education teacher reaction to and experience in a collaboratively taught higher education course. Forty-three full-time postbaccalaureate students participate in a course designed to examine critical issues in special education, taught by two faculty members, one specializing in mild and…

Although research identifies a plethora of evidence-based instructional practices, classroom teachers find research difficult to access and often of little relevance to classroom practice; therefore, they do not implement these practices. Bridging the gap between research and practice requires continued and mediated support as teachers translate…

China has initiated experiments on "Learning in Regular Classrooms" (LRC) since the mid-1980s in response to the international trend of inclusive education and the domestic need of serving large numbers of children with disabilities. LRC is the main strategy to promote compulsory education for youngsters with disabilities. Despite the fact that…

As P-12 education changes to meet the needs of children and federal and state regulations, teacher education must change to prepare candidates with knowledge and skills expected of today's educators. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and No Child Left Behind Act increased opportunities for students with disabilities to be educated…