Dissertation
Urban high school educators' perceptions of the effects of trauma on students identified with disabilities that require learning support: a grounded theory study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/rhrn-w186
Abstract
The effects of complex trauma on students diagnosed with disabilities from low socioeconomic urban schools have become increasingly recognized as a serious issue involving students' academic and behavioral performance. Research is lacking at the educator level for what the perceived effects are on these students and how they may be better served with supports additional to special education learning supports. The specific purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the perspectives of urban educators on the academic and behavioral challenges of students diagnosed with disabilities who receive learning support. Of particular interest was whether these deficits may indicate a prevalence of symptomology associated with complex trauma, and if the diagnosis of learning disability or related diagnosis provides these students with adequate supports to meet their academic and social-emotional needs. The ultimate study goal was to use grounded theory to generate a substantive theory from the data collected and analyzed. For this study, 14 urban special educators as well as the school psychologist, a counselor, the climate manager, and the school dean were interviewed and subsequent data were collected and analyzed. The key assertion derived from the data was that the majority of urban students diagnosed with disabilities requiring learning support are suffering from multiple traumatic experiences that require additional mental health supports. As reported by the educators in this study, these students have learning, attention, memory, and behavioral problems that are seriously impeding their academic progress and socioemotional development. All the educators interviewed in this study recommended additional, school-based mental health supports to help mitigate these problems.
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Details
- Title
- Urban high school educators' perceptions of the effects of trauma on students identified with disabilities that require learning support
- Creators
- Guy Desjardins - DU
- Contributors
- Joy C. Phillips (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xi, 125 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 11023; 991014632073304721