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Factors Influencing The Teacher 's Perspective

Decent Essays

The primary researcher and second researcher, both occupational therapists, analyzed the interview transcript independently. Both researchers identified common themes of factors influencing the teacher’s perspective. Categories from both researchers were compared and merged. Also, these categories were verified against the survey and participant observation data. Similar to findings of the interview analysis, survey participants acknowledged benefits of integrated therapies. Also, survey findings showed the teachers’ sense of control and availability of support influenced implementation of integrated therapies in classrooms. The importance of teachers’ sense of control is evident in one participant’s response, “…use of picture boards …show more content…

Teacher’s perception of the cost and benefit ratio was crucial in considering the intervention as beneficial. Her responses, “But I think overall, the interventions help rather than letting the kid sit in the classroom and not have anything to make things better” (34-36), and “it is better than them standing and running around the room. It is less of a distraction” (248), reflect the teacher’s comparison between the cost and benefits of interventions. She identified “getting their energy out”, “calm them”, task completion, and cooperative behaviors as some of the benefits of interventions. In contrast, classroom disruptions and off-task behaviors were identified as the cost of the intervention.
Similarly, the teacher’s sense of control influenced her perspective of the intervention. Her sense of control depended on the ability to negotiate classroom demands which were influenced by her personal context, the support she received, and dynamics of the classroom structure. Her personal context included her experience, knowledge of interventions, and a repertoire of strategies. Teacher’s perception of support included the availability of time, finances, a variety of available interventions, and classroom aides. The availability of support helped the teacher negotiate classroom demands and fostered her sense of control.
The following response reflects the influence of the classroom demands on the teacher’s sense of

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