A Systematic Review of Teacher Factors for Successfully Educating Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to understand the scope of research investigating perceptions of teachers educating students with disabilities. We documented the factors related to teacher perceptions of preparedness for successfully educating students with disabilities as well as the extent to which these factors were role or context specific. Twenty-two empirical studies from 2004 to 2020 were included in our systematic review. Nine factors for finding success when educating students with disabilities were synthesized from the body of literature and organized into three categories: professional capacity, instructional supports, and professional needs. Findings revealed that teacher perceptions were often differentiated between general education teachers (n = 3,919) and special education teachers (n = 2,809), but regardless of teaching context, the same nine factors for teaching success were present. Implications for increasing teacher success by cultivating school climate, structuring support, and connecting professional development are shared.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the George Mason University College of Education and Human Development Innovation grant.