The Level of Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Satisfaction with their Respective Training Programs

Since the new authorization of IDEA '97 and the emphasis on assistive technology (AT), the demand for technology-literate teachers has increased dramatically (Maushak, Kelley, & Blodgett, 2001). However, whether teacher preparation programs have answered to the needs of the field remains to be studied, as research in AT and teacher preparation is lacking (Maushak, et al., 2001). Thus, the need for empirical evidence on the use of AT and teacher competencies is urgent.

The purpose of the project is to examine the use of AT in classrooms. First, the types of AT and the extent to which AT is used in special education classrooms in the CSU, Bakersfield, serving areas will be indentified. Second, special educators' knowledge and skills on AT will be examined. Third, special educators' satisfaction with AT training during their teacher preparation college courses and their needs for further training will be documented. The data will be collected through both quantitative (i.e., surveys) and qualitative (i.e., interviews) methods.