Date of Award

Summer 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Katelyn M. Elliott

Second Advisor

Dr. Jessica A. Rafidi

Third Advisor

Dr. Sarah J. Yates

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of general education teachers and their perceptions of preparedness to implement accommodations after attending specialized, targeted training. The study included one research question, which focused on the teachers’ perceived preparedness to implement accommodations after attending specialized training. The study was influenced by the work of Mezirow (1997) and Meyer et al. (2014) and incorporated transformative learning theory and universal design for learning (UDL) elements. The researcher used convenience sampling to select seven general education teachers who taught inclusion classes in Central Florida to participate in the study. The study included specialized training relevant to the participants’ special education program at their school and one-on-one interviews to gather qualitative data on how the participants experienced the training and their perceived preparedness to implement accommodations after the training. Following Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological analysis methods, the researcher analyzed the data and determined that the participants increased their perceptions of preparedness after the training, specifically noting the training materials, training instructor, and the small group setting as influential elements. Future research can build upon the findings to broaden the population and explore the long-term effects of the training.

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