Award Date

May 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education

First Committee Member

Joseph Morgan

Second Committee Member

Kyle Higgins

Third Committee Member

Sharolyn Pollard-Durodola

Fourth Committee Member

Iesha Jackson

Number of Pages

147

Abstract

Aspirations stem from a humanistic perspective, emphasizing the person as a whole. They serve as a foundational and predictive component of an individual’s life. Teachers play a critical role in shaping the successes and challenges their students encounter (Zolkoski, 2019). Aspirations, as a cognitive process grounded in forward-thinking, are essential to personal development and evolve through experiences (Hart, 2016). However, students with disabilities often lack opportunities to explore their aspirations within schools. These students are frequently constrained by both teachers and systemic practices within the school environment (Gilmour et al., 2019). Aspiration exploration is crucial because children and youth need to believe that their goals are both important and achievable. Teacher perceptions—shaped by various school-based, family-based, and community-based factors—play a significant role in this process. Ultimately, addressing and improving teachers’ perceptions and understanding of aspirations is a critical starting point for fostering aspiration development in students with disabilities.

Keywords

Aspiration Development; Emotional and Behavior Disorders; Learning Disabilities; Self-Determination; Teacher Education; Transition

Disciplines

Special Education and Teaching

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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