Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Timothy McCarty

Second Advisor

Robin Pierson

Third Advisor

Jamie Hughes

Abstract

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore general education preschool teacher experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction while engaging and supporting all students in learning based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological methodology was conducted using semistructured interview questions with 12 general education preschool teachers. Results of interviews and an artifact collection and review were used to analyze how general education preschool teachers described their experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction, based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).

Findings: The findings from the study indicate that general education preschool teachers experience multiple challenges when supporting students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom. Furthermore, the study’s findings identified the most useful strategies used by general education preschool teachers supporting students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom while dealing with these challenges. Four major findings and two unexpected findings emerged from the semistructured interviews and artifacts.

Conclusions: The study found that without sufficient time to individually support the needs, differentiate and incorporate curriculum-based activities, plan and develop scaffolded materials, connect the curriculum to the students’ understanding, communicate with parents and know the diverse background and experience of students with special needs and all the other students in their classrooms, the students’ needs will not be met. Recommendations: It is recommended to use a mixed method study, including a survey about general education preschool teachers’ challenges when mainstreaming preschool students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom and a rating of the strategies based on the based on the CSTP to add strength and information to the research findings and conclusions. Another recommendation is to conduct a multicase study that focuses on the challenges faced by general education preschool teachers while helping students with special needs and adopting strategies based on the CSTP practices to support children. These new data will assist school systems and general education preschool teachers to better serve the diverse preschool student population.

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