Too High,Too Low,Too Young: An Ethnography of Teachers’ Curriculum and Instruction Decisions for Students with Severe Disabilities

Abstract

This paper presents a qualitative study of what influences teachers’ instructional practices with students who have moderate to severe disabilities. Ethnographic interviews and observations were used (a) to discover teachers’ perceptions of their activities with their students and then (b) to compare these perceptions to classroom actions. Findings are examined along four separate themes: (a) curriculum consistency, (b) instructional consistency, (c) administrative support, and (d) time and effort. The findings are discussed in terms of teachers’ roles in delivering best practices to students with significant disabilities.