Analyzing Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development on Teachers' Writing Instruction for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
Principal Investigator:
Kerry O'Reilly
Faculty Advisor:
Janet Fike
Abstract:
This study aims to examine teachers' perceptions of writing-focused professional development programs and whether they improve their knowledge, understanding, and utilization of strategies and interventions for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs) in the context of writing. This research will evaluate whether such professional development programs provide teachers with effective strategies and interventions to enhance writing instruction for students with SLDs. Evaluating teacher survey responses will determine if teachers are well-equipped with various strategies and interventions, and it will highlight areas where they may need further support. In addition, analyzing the gaps in professional development programs will allow school districts to have a better understanding of specific topics that need to be addressed in the future.
The research design will involve distributing a 20-question survey through Google Forms to 41 elementary and middle school general and special education teachers in the Long Hill Township School District in Gillette and Stirling, New Jersey. This survey will be directed at educators who have taken part in a writing-focused professional development program. The survey is designed to be completed in approximately 15 minutes, and it will include a variety of question types, including multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions. The questions will center on teachers' perspectives regarding professional development opportunities provided by the school district and the perceived effectiveness of these opportunities in providing them with strategies and interventions to enhance instruction for students with SLDs. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout this research study through the use of blind carbon copy emails and the collection of data without any identifiable information.