Date of Award:

12-2024

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Special Education and Rehabilitation

Committee Chair(s)

Sophia D’Agostino

Committee

Sophia D’Agostino

Committee

Audrey Hoffmann

Committee

Summer Gunn

Abstract

The transition from preschool to kindergarten can be particularly challenging for children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms (general education classrooms where typically developing children and children with disabilities are taught together) as children face new academic, social, and behavioral expectations. Classroom and teaching adaptations can help these students succeed, making the transition to kindergarten and elementary education smooth and effective. This study looks at how general education kindergarten teachers feel about making various classroom adaptations for children with disabilities and compares current teachers’ views to those of a similar 1999 study conducted by Vaughn et al. which this study replicates.

In this study, 41 kindergarten teachers rated 28 different classroom adaptations on how desirable and feasible they found them, using a Likert-type scale from one to five. They also answered two questions about how prepared and confident they felt in making these adaptations. The results of this study show that while teachers see these adaptations as highly valuable for children with disabilities, they often find them hard to implement. Compared to the original study, today's teachers rate many adaptations as even less feasible, likely due to current challenges like larger class sizes and limited resources. Teachers with more training or advanced degrees reported slightly higher feasibility ratings, although common obstacles like lack of training, limited resources, and administrative limitations were frequently mentioned.

This study highlights an ongoing gap between teachers’ positive attitudes toward inclusive practices and the difficulties they face in applying them. It suggests that more support, training, and structural changes are needed to make these adaptations easier to implement. The findings align with other research on early childhood inclusion, emphasizing the importance of better teacher preparation and support to help children with disabilities succeed in general education settings.

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