Special education teachers’ selection and use of instructional materials from teachers pay teachers for students with intellectual disability

Snider, Julia Eve

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113796 Copy

Description

Title

Special education teachers’ selection and use of instructional materials from teachers pay teachers for students with intellectual disability

Author(s)

Snider, Julia Eve

Issue Date

2021-08-05

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Dymond, Stacy K

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Dymond, Stacy K

Committee Member(s)

• Renzaglia, Adelle
• Cromley, Jennifer
• Mason, Erica

Department of Study

Special Education

Discipline

Special Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Intellectual disability
• Teachers Pay Teachers
• Instructional Materials, Special Education Teachers

Abstract

Effective instruction for students with intellectual disability (ID) requires thoughtful planning and careful selection of instructional materials. One of the most popular websites for educators is Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), an online marketplace that allows users to buy or sell a range of instructional materials for use in the classroom. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how special education teachers select and use instructional materials from TPT with students with ID. Additionally, I examined the relation between special education teachers’ characteristics and self-efficacy ratings, and their use of and beliefs about TPT. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design, and all participants completed a questionnaire about their selection and use of instructional materials from TPT. Study participants included 245 high school special education teachers of students with ID who downloaded at least one item from TPT during the 2020-2021 school year. Almost all participants considered the match between instructional materials and content taught when selecting items, and most made modifications after downloading. Cost also influenced teachers’ selection of instructional materials with most reporting that they paid for items without reimbursement. Teachers of students with profound support needs were found to be significantly more likely to consult the TPT website than those who did not work with students with profound support needs. Additionally, teachers with the highest self-efficacy scores were significantly more likely to have positive beliefs about TPT than teachers with lower scores. Possible explanations for these findings and implications for future research and practice are addressed.

Graduation Semester

2021-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113796

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2021 Julia Snider

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