Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Students with Intellectual Disabilities' Participation in the Individualized Education Program Process

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative basic interpretive study was to explore the perspective of high school special education teachers regarding the factors that support or hinder student participation in the IEP process. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, memos, documents, and electronic correspondence and were coded using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phase thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) teacher beliefs and student characteristics, (b) teacher experiences with families, (c) school culture, (d) methods and resources, and (e) training. Implications for practice and policy are presented and recommendations for future research are discussed.