INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION-MAKING FOR STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSITION PROGRAMS

Author

Rachel Knoepfle, University of the PacificFollow

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Thomas Nelson

First Committee Member

Justin Low

Second Committee Member

Cynthia First

Abstract

Per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities are eligible to receive transition services beyond twelfth grade, if they have not met the requirements for a high school diploma. There is not a formal model for how transition services should be implemented and there a number of factors in play when considering instruction for students in transition classrooms. Thus, the following questions arise: what does teaching and learning look like in such a classroom? How do teachers of CBT programs explain and understand their curriculum decision-making processes?

This study employed the methods of basic interpretative qualitative inquiry to explore the ways in which teachers of community-based transition programs develop and engage students with instruction . The research questions were as follows: In what ways do teachers in community-based programs perceive and understand their curriculum decision-making processes? What factors play a role in curriculum decision-making for this population of students? In what ways do teachers of community-based transition programs design and implement instruction?

Findings from the data analysis consisted of three themes: determine what students need to learn how to do, let students make instructional decisions, and meet instructional needs using available materials and opportunities.

Pages

162

Recommended Citation

Knoepfle, Rachel. (2020). INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION-MAKING FOR STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSITION PROGRAMS. University of the Pacific, Dissertation. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3684