Desmone, Mary Catherine
(2005)
The special education teachers' concerns regarding the use of therapeutic support staff (TSS) in the school setting.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS' CONCERNS REGARDING THE USE OFTHERAPEUTIC STAFF SUPPORT (TSS) IN THE SCHOOL SETTINGMary C. Desmone, EdDUniversity of Pittsburgh [2005]The purpose of this study was to give voice to the special education teachers' concerns regarding the use of TSS in their programs. How would special education teachers' respond if they were given the opportunity to describe their concerns? They responded eagerly and thoughtfully. The teachers' in this study were providing services to students in Autism, Life Skills, and Emotional Support programs at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. The study employed a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology including the developmental, expansion, and triangulation of various data. The Stages of Concern questionnaire was utilized to form a developmental baseline of information about the responding teachers. Interviews were conducted and a rubric was developed which provided an expansion of the understanding from the questionnaire. Observations were completed and assessed against the rubric's components. A triangulation of these three data collection methods enabled the researcher to write stories depicting the teachers' experiences.Sixty-five teachers completed the demographics and Stages of Concern questionnaire. The most significant finding in the demographics was the lack of training prior to TSS being introduced into their classroom. Results from the questionnaire indicated that the highest level of concern for most of the responding teachers' was Stage 5-Collaboration. Thirteen teachers were interviewed and asked to describe their most effective and least effect experiences and to imagine an ideal utilization of the service. From their input, a rubric was developed to depict the continuum of ineffective, effective, and ideal utilization in the components of Professionalism, Preparation, Technique, and Environment. Nine observations were conducted and assessed using the rubric. The ratings found three observations in the ineffective, four in the effective, and two in the ideal categories. Using the data from the interviews and observations, stories were written describing ineffective, effective, and ideal utilization of TSS in the school setting. Implications were found for educational policy, teachers' contracts, agency system changes, training, and planning and implementation of TSS in the school setting. The teachers identified training in the roles of TSS, utilization of TSS, and collaboration with TSS as their priorities.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
| Title | Member | Email Address | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Gorman, Charles J | gorman@pitt.edu | GORMAN | |
|
| Date: |
2 May 2005 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Defense Date: |
13 April 2005 |
| Approval Date: |
2 May 2005 |
| Submission Date: |
26 April 2005 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Administrative and Policy Studies |
| Degree: |
EdD - Doctor of Education |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
collaboration between school and MH providers; effective use of MH services in school; school-based mental health services |
| Other ID: |
http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04262005-083449/, etd-04262005-083449 |
| Date Deposited: |
10 Nov 2011 19:42 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 13:42 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/7650 |
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