1. WHY SPECIAL EDUCATION? Dr. Cheryl L. Bremer TED Conference
November 8, 2012
WHY SPECIAL EDUCATION?
Exploring the Influence of Motivation on Choosing Special Education as a Career
Co-collaborator: Dr. Lucinda Spaulding

2. Group Discussion Projections & Experiences
The interest for this study began with my career at Grace College in As the department chair and only in house special education faculty member, I was charged with the task of building a special education program. As part of the recruitment, retention, and advising task, I have 2 questions that I ask every student that sits in front of me Whether they are a prospective student, a new freshman, or a transfer student from another college . . “Why Grace College?” and “Why Special Education?”. Although there are an array of answers, I hear one answer over and over A past experience in teaching or learning And that experience often involves individuals with disabilities. To draw more out of this interest and to realize that my question is one that policymakers, higher education institutions, and local school administrators have been asking about special education teachers since the conception of special education, I began the task of digging into the research on why individuals choose special education as a career.
Projections & Experiences

3. Personal Interest Recruit, Retain, and Educate
The interest for this study began with my career at Grace College in As the department chair and only in house special education faculty member, I was charged with the task of building a special education program. As part of the recruitment, retention, and advising task, I have 2 questions that I ask every student that sits in front of me Whether they are a prospective student, a new freshman, or a transfer student from another college . . “Why Grace College?” and “Why Special Education?”. Although there are an array of answers, I hear one answer over and over A past experience in teaching or learning And that experience often involves individuals with disabilities. To draw more out of this interest and to realize that my question is one that policymakers, higher education institutions, and local school administrators have been asking about special education teachers since the conception of special education, I began the task of digging into the research on why individuals choose special education as a career.
Recruit, Retain, and Educate

4. Shortage of Special Education Teachers
Supply
Demand
RESEARCH PROBLEM
Shortage of Special Education Teachers
“The problem addressed in this quantitative study is the prevalent shortage of special education teachers caused by a limited supply of fully qualified, licensed teachers along with a consistently increasing number of students with disabilities requiring special education services”
A teacher shortage results in neglect of student need. Vacancies filled by uncertified teachers
Considerable Shortage: AAEE 2008 (9 of 14 educational fields were SPED)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 (in the next 5 years by 2017, the demand for sped teachers increase by 17%-more than any other occupation)
Solution? Address the supply pipeline be it through recruitment or retention of those already in the field.
Solution? Identify factors that influence individuals to choose special education as a career
Segue: This research problem has led to an in-depth investigation of what we already know about those influential factors and what we still need to learn.
Consistent & Critical

5. Special Education Career
Motivation
Expectancy-Value
Special Education Career
The theoretical framework that is relevant to this study is based on the early work of Atkinson (1957) in achievement motivation, the work of Eccles (1983) on expectancy-value theory and academic achievement, and the application of expectancy-value theory to career choice in teaching by Watt and Richardson (2007).
The expectancy value motivational framework provides direction in understanding how motivation is influenced by a person’s perception of their own expectancy in achieving a certain task as well as the value that individual places on that task. ????????????
Watt & Richardson used the expectancy-value motivational framework to take a closer look at how motivation influences a career choice in general education.

6. Motivation LITERATURE REVIEW Retention Demand Supply Career Choice
Recruitment &
Retention
Supply
Career Theories
Career Choice
Motivation
Supply:
New teacher recruitment
Fully licensed teachers (Teacher Quality)
Attrition
Burnout
Working Conditions
Paperwork
Caseload
(Making retention a critical piece)
Demand
Federal legislation (NCLB, IDEA, Inclusion practices)
Increasing numbers of students identified
Recruitment & Retention
Initiatives at the federal, state, and local level
Alternative certification
School based initiatives
Career Choice
General Ed: perceived teaching abilities, the intrinsic value of teaching, the desire to make a social contribution to shape the future, and to work with children and adolescents were the highest rated factors (Watt & Richardson, 2007).
Special Ed: Intrinsic/altruistic beliefs about special education; sibling with disabilities; previous experiences with individuals with disabilities.
Career Theories

7. Research
Gap
General Education-studies on career choice, altruism, motivation
Special Education-studies on career choice, siblings, past experiences, but NOT motivation
FIT-Choice is focused on general education teachers.

8. Theoretical Framework
Atkinson
Achievement Motivation
Eccles & Wigfield
Expectancy-Value Motivation
Watt & Richardson
FIT-Choice Model

9. Watt & Richardson’s Theoretical Model
Adapted from “Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and Validation of the FIT- Choice®-Choice Scale,” by H. M. G. Watt, and P. W. Richardson, 2007, The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), p Copyright 2007 by Heldref Publications.

10. Purpose
. . . was to investigate motivational influences related to choosing special education as a career
Significance
Explore Theoretical Assumptions
Guide Aspiring Teachers
Inform Stakeholders
Altruism is encompassed by intrinsic values

11. METHODOLOGY
PARTICIPANTS
DELIVERY
INSTRUMENTATION

12. ANALYSIS & RESULTS
Age
Gender
Year in School
Range of Experiences
Range of Motivations
What is the motivational profile of preservice special education teachers?

13. Antecedent Socialization
ANALYSIS & RESULTS
No Significance . . .
t(354) = 0.33, p = 0.74
Is there a difference in the strength of influence for a range of motivations between preservice special education teachers and preservice general education teachers in teacher career choice?
Range of Motivations
Self
Value
Task
Antecedent Socialization
Teaching Choice

14. Intrinsic Career Value Personal Utility Value
ANALYSIS & RESULTS
Is there a difference in the strength of influence for the higher-order factor value between preservice special education teachers and preservice general education teachers in teacher career choice?
Intrinsic Career Value
Personal Utility Value
Social Utility Value
VALUE
No Significance t(151) = 0.10, p = 1.00

15. Shape Future of Children Make Social Contribution
ANALYSIS & RESULTS
Significance t(167) = 2.10, p = .03
Is there a difference in the strength of influence for the higher-order factor social utility value between preservice special education teachers and preservice general education teachers in teacher career choice?
SOCIAL UTILITY VALUE
Shape Future of Children
Enhance Social Equity
Make Social Contribution
Work with Children
t(272) = 4.32, p < .0001

16. ANALYSIS & RESULTS
Is there a difference in the strength of influence of the antecedent socialization construct between preservice special education teachers who participated in school-based peer programs and preservice special education teachers who did not participate in school-based peer programs?
No Significance . . .
t(77) = 0.81, p = 0.42

17. Synthesis & Implications2
Teacher Educators 1 3
Aspiring Special Educators
Parallels & Confirms Research Findings
MOTIVATIONAL PROFILE

18. Synthesis & Implications2
Recruitment & Retention 1 3
Teacher Preparation No
Difference ≠
Lack of Motivation
RANGE OF MOTIVATIONS

19. Synthesis & Implications Value as a Viable Influence in Choice2
Social Utility Values 1 3
Altruism
&
Commitment
Value as a Viable Influence in Choice
VALUE

20. Synthesis & Implications2
Appropriate Instrument 1 3
Develop Partnerships
Conflicts with Existing Research
PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL-BASED PEER PROGRAMS

21. Accurate Response Rate Grouping of General Education
LIMITATIONS
Generalizability
Recruitment
Accurate Response Rate
Dual Majors
Grouping of General Education

22. Recommendations for Future Research
Stratification of preservice elementary & secondary education teachers
Comparison of preservice special education & preservice elementary education teachers
Stratification of preservice special education teachers
Analysis of teacher types for preservice special teachers
Development & validation of instrument
Replication of study with both faith-based & secular universities
Qualitative study

23. QUESTIONS? Why Special Education?
All images courtesy of images.google.com

24. For comments or more information, feel free to contact me:
Cheryl Bremer