Problem Statement:
The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of inclusion in the general education setting compared to self-contained classrooms or separate day schools for students with severe and/or multiple disabilities when it comes to interfering behaviors.
Research Question:
Will students with severe and multiple disabilities have more interfering behaviors when included in the general education setting as opposed to when in a self-contained classroom or separate day school?
Hypothesis:
Students with severe and multiple disabilities will display more interfering behaviors when included in the general education setting.
Identify the participants/sample to be used in your study. Describe the sampling procedure you would use in choosing your sample.
Participants would be special education teachers, general education teachers and case managers who have had students in their class or on their case load who (the student) spent time in both a separate day school or self-contained classroom and in the general education setting for at least one year in each situation.
The selection of participants would be a nonrandom, purposeful with a concurrent mixed methods sampling. Because the situation is specific, to find participants the examiner(s) would need to solicit administrative members county or state education systems with an invitation to be passed on in their district to respond to the survey or study. Volunteers who were contacted by administration would respond and participate in the study.
Identify and describe which method of measurement would be most appropriate for your study.
The survey would be a web-based version for participant convenience and could have a sample from many locations in order to get an adequate sample size. Survey questions would include Lickert-type questions on the questionnaire with opportunities for the participants to comment or elaborate at the end of each section.
Identify and describe the procedures that you propose to follow to answer the research question.
The study will take place in all districts of MD public and non-public schools where teachers and case managers agreed to participate. The goal would be to have approximately 100 participants with and a fairly even amount of special education teachers and general education teachers.
Because special education and general education teachers will participate, their job title will be the first question and the surveys will be divided into two categories. All participants will receive the same survey and have opportunities to comment. The survey will be peer reviewed
