Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Role Dissonance and Parental Expectations

The chronic shortage of special education teachers continues to impact educational outcomes for students with disabilities across the United States. While extensive research has examined factors contributing to special education teacher attrition, including role conditions and workplace stressors, limited attention has been given to how parent-teacher relationships influence educators' decisions to remain in the profession. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of ten special education teachers in Illinois who have remained in the field for at least five years, examining their experiences with parental involvement and strategies for overcoming role dissonance. Using interpretive grounded theory methodology, the study conducted two rounds of semi-structured interviews with participants ranging from 6 to 27 years of teaching experience. The research was guided by three questions: (1) How do special education teachers describe parental involvement? (2) Does parental involvement influence a special educator's long career in the classroom? (3) What strategies and approaches are utilized to overcome obstacles that special educators face in the classroom, specifically to role dissonance, including parental expectations of their role? Findings revealed that while participants did not explicitly connect parental involvement to retention decisions, deeper analysis showed that meaningful family partnerships significantly impact teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and professional effectiveness. Teachers valued collaborative relationships with parents, particularly those with strong advocacy skills, and reported that these partnerships positively influenced their instructional practices. The study identified role dissonance as an ongoing challenge, with teachers experiencing conflicting expectations from parents, peers, and administrators regarding their professional responsibilities. Participants employed several strategies to overcome obstacles and remain in the field, including leveraging technology to reduce administrative burden, seeking mentorship throughout their careers, developing empathy-based communication skills, and building trust-based partnerships with families. The research highlights the need for enhanced professional development focused on family engagement, structured mentoring programs, and administrator training in special education law and practices. This study contributes to understanding special education teacher retention by positioning family-school partnerships as a significant factor in professional sustainability. The findings suggest that fostering collaborative parent-teacher relationships, while addressing systemic issues that create role dissonance, may serve as protective factors against teacher burnout and attrition.

Author dc:creator

• Carla D. James (23291338)

• Education
• Special Education

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.25417/uic.31451089.v1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:figshare.com:article/31451089