'Include Me': The Impact of Consultation Dosage and Strategies on the Implementation of Best Practices in Inclusive Classrooms

摘要

Students with disabilities are increasingly being educated in inclusive settings (McLeskey, Landers, Williamson, & Hoppey, 2012). A hallmark of successful inclusion is the use of best practices by teachers in these settings (e.g., Jorgensen, McSheehan, Schuh, & Sonnenmeier, 2012). Implementing inclusive practices can be conceptualized as a process of adult behavior change (e.g., Long & Maynard, 2014). Collaborative consultation is frequently used to support teachers in inclusive classrooms (e.g., Idol, Nevin, & Paolucci-Whitcomb, 1995), and can effectively facilitate inclusive placements (e.g., Shapiro, et al., 1999). However, the mechanisms by which consultation may help teachers implement inclusive practices are not yet well understood. This dissertation used a Study 1 – Study 2 format to investigate aspects of consultation that may promote changes in teachers’ use of inclusive practices. Study 1 examined relations between consultation dosage and teachers’ implementation of inclusive practices. Results increase understanding of these relations, and suggest methodological implications for future research in this area. Study 2 examined relations between specific consultation strategies and teachers’ implementation of inclusive practices. The efficacy of commonly used strategies was examined here in a larger sample of teachers than has been previously studied. Findings also extend an implementation framework to a specific application of consultation (namely, to support inclusion). Taken together, these two studies contribute to an understanding of how consultants vary their services across teachers, and how these services may promote positive changes in teachers’ use of inclusive practices. Results of these studies also have important practical implications. By providing initial insights as to the aspects of consultation that promote teachers’ implementation of best practices in inclusion, these findings offer useful guidance to consultants in applied practice. Specifically, findings suggest that increased dosage of consultation may be particularly beneficial in helping teachers to implement concrete instructional practices and support strategies that characterize best practices in inclusion. Consultation strategies most likely to impact teachers’ overall use of best practices in inclusion include demonstration/modeling and observation + verbal feedback.