Date Approved

9-19-2018

Embargo Period

9-21-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Special Education

Department

Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Kuder, Sydney J.

Committee Member 1

Accardo, Amy

Committee Member 2

Shuff, Midge

Keywords

Graphic Organizers, Higher order thinking, Memorization, Organization, Special Education, Study skills

Subject(s)

Science--Study and teaching--Study skills; Children with disabilities--Education

Disciplines

Science and Mathematics Education | Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

This study looked at the outcome of using graphic organizers to improve student outcomes in the content area of science for students with special needs in an inclusion class in a high school in New Jersey. In total, there were five participants in this study who were all eligible for special education services. Of the five students in the study, four are under the category Other Health Impaired, and one student is autistic. All participants were demonstrating grade level performance as determined by their baseline data collection.

The data from the study illustrated that all five of the participants demonstrated positive effects with the use of a graphic organizer. In the final week, students stated they only asked for minimal assistance to demonstrate to the teacher that they were on the right track. The use of graphic organizers proved very beneficial to the group of students with special needs so much that for two of the five it has become part of the students' IEP plan. Once the graphic organizer template was created and modeled, minimal time was needed to be put into place. When the students can then see the benefit to planning and preparing prior, they are then more eager to create and apply themselves independently and successfully.

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