Special Education Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Daily Living Skills Instruction for Students

195 Pages·2017·1.08 MB·English

Walden University
ScholarWorks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Collection
2017
Special Education Elementary Teachers'
Perceptions of Daily Living Skills Instruction for
Students With Autism
Jamala Spencer
Walden University
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Walden University

College of Education

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Jamala Spencer

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,
and that any and all revisions required by
the review committee have been made.

Review Committee
Dr. Jo DeSoto, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty
Dr. James Miller, Committee Member, Education Faculty
Dr. Crissie Jameson, University Reviewer, Education Faculty

Chief Academic Officer
Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University
2017
Abstract
Special Education Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Daily Living Skills
Instruction for Students With Autism
by
Jamala Spencer

MS, Mercy College, 2009
BS, Herbert Lehman College, 2007

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Walden University
October 2017
Abstract
The question of which strategies for teaching daily living skills (DLS) are most effective
for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires increased attention. Special
education elementary teachers may not have the instructional strategies necessary to
teach DLS to students with ASD. DLS instruction for students with ASD is important
because these skills are essential to functioning in school as well as society. The aim of
this study was to identify elementary special education teachers’ perceptions about their
ability to teach DLS to students with ASD. The study’s conceptual framework was rooted
in a synthesis of ideas from current refereed literature, along with Bandura’s social
cognitive theory. Purposeful sampling identified 10 participants for individual interviews.
Findings indicated 2 themes that emerged from Bandura’s (1993) self-efficacy theory:
lack of competency to teach DLS and teachers’ beliefs about DLS instruction. Thematic
and open coding indicated the following themes: lack of time, lack of administrative
support in formally addressing DLS deficits, and strategies influencing DLS acquisition.
The results indicated that special education elementary teachers did not feel efficacious
about their ability to teach DLS to students with ASD and did not feel that they had time
and support to provide DLS instruction to students with ASD. This study suggests a need
for ongoing, sustainable professional development opportunities for special education
teachers related to teaching DLS to students with ASD. Social change implications
include improved teacher practice focused on increasing DLS performance for students
with ASD so that they will be able to independently perform DLS in various
environments, along with increased awareness and comprehension of the value of teacher
voice in DLS instructional practices for students with ASD.
Special Education Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Daily Living Skills
Instruction for Students With Autism
by
Jamala Spencer

MS, Mercy College, 2009
BS, Herbert Lehman College, 2007

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Walden University
October 2017
Dedication
This journey is dedicated with sincere love and devotion to my twins, Yanah and
Leah Spencer. I would not have been able to accomplish this degree without you. You are
my inspiration, and I want to be an example to you both. The pursuit of this degree is to
prove to you, my twins, that you can achieve your goals with hard work, passion, and
dedication.
Acknowledgement
I would first like to give thanks to God for granting me the courage and strength
to always aim higher, and for guiding me through this process. I would love to extend my
gratitude to the following individuals who provided their guidance, support,
encouragement, and suggestions, directly and indirectly. Your contributions have enabled
me to continuously acquire the skills needed to remain on track in completing this EdD.
I would like to thank my twin girls, Yanah and Leah Spencer, for understanding
that Mommy had to focus on work for school when they needed extra comfort and
attention. To my husband, Easton, thank you for giving me that fundamental support and
providing me with a secure platform towards my journey of higher education. Thanks to
my mother, Claudette, for your prayers and for instilling in me the values of hard work,
love of learning, and a drive for excellence. A huge thank you to my siblings, Roxann,
Marsha, Dominique, Alison, and Kingsley for their tremendous support, love, input, and
many hours of late night conversations. You have never left my side and were always
willing to encourage me, even in my very down moments.
To my cousin, Melissa, you were always willing to babysit my girls when I was
pressed for time with assignment submissions. I would like to say a huge thanks to Jillian
Dino who constantly reminded me to go back to school after the completion of my
master’s degree, and my family members who listened to me when I needed to vent. I
would like to acknowledge the following individuals, who also contributed to my thought
processes, rendered academic or emotional support, and/or offered encouragement: Kelli-
Ann Rochester, my school administrators, Dr. Arthur, Dr. Green, Patricia Smith, Joel
Jerume, and to all my coworkers. Thank you, my church associates, and Pastor Lynn
Hazel, for your prayers. Thank you, Shernette Brown and Lorna Sherland, for your
continuous advice to me to think positive and never give up.
A huge thanks to my close friends for their support throughout this long and
challenging journey.
Importantly, I would like to thank my dissertation chairperson, Dr. Jo Beth
DeSoto, for her time, guidance, feedback, and commitment through this process. She has
also provided words of reassurance when I felt frustrated and felt as if I was not making
progress. To my university research reviewer (URR), Crissie Jameson, for closely
working with me, to my previous committee member, Dr. Putnam, for his feedback and
critique that have taught me to keep pushing in spite of tough times, and to my committee
member, Dr. Miller, for his expert feedback, encouragement, and patience. A huge thanks
to the principals of participating schools, and to the research participants, because this
dissertation could not have been completed without you.
Table of Contents
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ............................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
Background ................................................................................................................... 3
Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 5
Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 7
Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 7
Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................. 8
Nature of the Study ..................................................................................................... 10
Definitions................................................................................................................... 11
Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 12
Scope and Delimitations ............................................................................................. 13
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 15
Significance ................................................................................................................. 17
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 2: Review of Literature ................................................................................................... 20
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 20
Literature Search Strategy ........................................................................................... 21
Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................... 22
Teacher Self-Efficacy ........................................................................................... 24
History of Autism Spectrum Disorder .................................................................. 28
Defining Autism Spectrum Disorder .................................................................... 30
i
Defining Daily Living Skills ................................................................................. 36
Assessing Daily Living Skills ............................................................................... 36
Teaching Daily Living Skills to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder ........ 37
Professional Development .................................................................................... 40
Instructional Strategies Used to Teach Daily Living Skills .................................. 42
Perceptions of Teachers ........................................................................................ 47
Summary and Conclusions ......................................................................................... 49
Chapter 3: Research Method ......................................................................................................... 51
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 51
Research Design And Rationale ................................................................................. 51
Central Phenomenon of The Study ....................................................................... 52
Research Tradition ................................................................................................ 53
Rationale ............................................................................................................... 54
Role of The Researcher ............................................................................................... 56
Methodology ............................................................................................................... 58
Participant Selection Logic ................................................................................... 59
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 61
Procedures For Recruitment, Participation, And Data Collection ........................ 63
Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 65
Issues of Trustworthiness ............................................................................................ 69
Credibility ............................................................................................................. 70
Transferability ....................................................................................................... 71
Confirmability ....................................................................................................... 71
ii