'Fixing' Secondary Vocational Special Education: Vocational Teacher Perceptions of Espoused Best Practice in Special Education

Special education is a service mandated by law for students identified as having a disability. Students receive special education services through accommodations or modifications of the curriculum. A vocational program is one type of a secondary education opportunity. In vocational schools, students split their time approximately in half between learning a trade and completing traditional academic requirements. Regular special education instruction is implemented in subject-matter classrooms and has been researched abundantly. Common practices have been established and noted. The vocational area of secondary education also has to provide special education services, and this study attempts to examine some of the current practices and teacher perceptions of this unique situation.;This was a qualitative study in the form of a narrative analysis of the perceptions of vocational teachers on the implementation of special education services in the shop/vocational areas and what best practice is regarding ways to meet modifications and accommodations in the technical aspect. The sample consisted of 12 teachers working at a vocational secondary school. The purpose of this study is to highlight some connections between how accommodations and modifications are applied in a secondary educational environment that differs so greatly from standard inclusive classroom practices.;As a result of the data collected and the themes that emerged, the researcher noted the following four findings: (1) lack of professional special education training restricts instructors in properly serving special-needs students; (2) the shops work in a progressive manner where promotion involves skill mastery; (3) poor levels of basic reading and math skills hinder progress in vocational areas; and (4) attitude, laziness, or declined interest is the biggest factor in determining student success.