Congratulations to Andrea Beth Tolliver who on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation.
The title of her dissertation is, "VISUAL ART TEACHERS’ PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY IN THEIR PREPARDNESS AND EFFECTIVENES TO TEACH MIDDLE LEVEL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES."
Overview of Problem: Inclusive education has expanded expectations for teachers to support students with disabilities (SWD) in general education settings; however, limited research examines how visual art educators experience preparedness and instructional effectiveness in inclusive classrooms.
Research Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore middle school visual art teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness and effectiveness when teaching SWD in inclusive art classrooms.
Research Design and Sample: Guided by Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory, this study employed a qualitative research design using semi structured interviews with twelve public middle school visual art teachers in New York State. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify patterns across participants’ experiences.
Findings: The findings indicated that teachers initially experienced feelings of unpreparedness due to limited preservice training and generalized inclusion models; they emphasized the importance of targeted professional development and collaborative structures as needed support. Participants also noted contextual challenges including diverse student needs, large class sizes, and limited instructional support barriers implementing effective inclusive instruction. Despite these challenges, participant narratives revealed that teacher self-efficacy developed over time; it was strengthened through ongoing experience, reflection, collaboration, and self-initiated professional learning.
Conclusions/Implications: The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the relationship between teacher preparation, self-efficacy development, and instructional effectiveness in inclusive visual art settings. The findings underscore the need for discipline-specific preparation, sustained professional development, and institutional supports to strengthen inclusive practices and promote equitable learning opportunities for students with disabilities.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Joanne Marien
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dr. Lynn Allen
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