FACULTY PROVISIONS OF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY IN THE TRADITIONAL, HYBRID, AND ONLINE MATHEMATICS COURSE TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS By KELLY ANNE MONGIOVI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Kelly Anne Mongiovi 2 To my mother, Susan Anne Staley Bergonzoni, whose courage in the face of a myriad of adversities and her unwavering love, faith, and support have inspired me every single day to strive for excellence. Thank you seems so insufficient for the woman who taught me that no matter the set of life's circumstances one is dealt, the possibilities are limitless and dreams do come true. The collective lessons I’ve learned from my mother have fueled my journey toward attaining this doctoral degree. Never losing sight of the objective and a singular purpose, I will make a difference in the lives of others, just as she has made a difference in mine. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I express my sincerest appreciation to my beloved family members and cherished friends who believed in my abilities and talents and who relentlessly encouraged me to lend my voice to the world, especially when I had doubts that I could balance it all and live up to my "Wonder Woman" expectations and childhood superhero. I am thankful for all of the love, faith, and support given in years past and present and for the motivation to achieve the dreams that still await me. My achievements would not have been attainable without their unwavering belief in my abilities and their reinforcement of my mantra—nothing is impossible if I dare to dream. I am keenly aware of and will always be eternally grateful for the sacrifices these loved ones made for me so that I could achieve this doctorate degree. I love each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart, forever and always. I am profoundly grateful for Susan Haskell, Thorsten Kaye, Gina Witt, Kathy Brand, and Christy Smith for the years of friendship, both in and behind the scenes. Their uniquely gifted guidance and support has literately changed the trajectory of my life. There are not enough words to express my appreciation for the gifts they have given me. They have taught me by example to always "keep the faith" and to always strive to "make a difference at the end of the day and leave fragments of my work that are hard to get rid of." Their collective acts of kindness have paved the way for me to realize that sometimes dreams do indeed come true. I carry with me every single day the lessons they have taught me. For this and so much more, I express my love and gratitude. I am forever in their debt. I also wish to thank my many colleagues at Santa Fe College for offering encouragement and learned wisdom. Without their support, I would not have completed 4 this program. A significant note of appreciation is necessary for Santa Fe College President Dr. Jackson Sasser and Dr. Portia Taylor for their continued support and encouragement given to me "behind the scenes" as I pursued my doctorate degree. They never failed to inquire about my progress when our paths crossed at various Santa Fe College functions. Equally important to note is their belief in and recognition of the importance of professional development and an individual’s personal growth beyond the professional, departmental, and division assignments and responsibilities. Without the financial and emotional support provided for Santa Fe College employees seeking additional degrees and knowledge, I can say, without question, that my dream of this doctorate degree would have never become a reality. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my former colleagues and friends at the University of Florida. My beloved mentor and friend Wayne Griffin was one of the first individuals to say to me aloud, "I see a PhD in your future." He and his wife, Nancy, always maintained an unwavering faith in my abilities to make a difference through the work that I do. I love them dearly for everything they taught me and for never failing to show me the true definition of unconditional love. I owe a huge debt of gratitude that I can never repay to Rob Holland. He was a “one of a kind” friend, colleague, and mentor. I will miss him greatly every single day. He will always hold a special place in my heart that is reserved only for him. I thank Norb Dunkel, Diane Porter-Roberts, Sandy Becker, Bebe Padgett, Kathy Bush Hobgood, Lisa Diekow, Cyrus Williams III, Brian Ray, Joe Rojo, Jill Lingard, Jaime Mariango Little, Jim Faubel, Susan Swiderski, Tracy Jones Ballas, Mike Rollo, Mary Kay Schneider Carodine, Gene Zdziarski, Colette 5 Taylor, and the many others who guided me along my journey from the beginning of this pursuit and beyond. Extra special thanks is required for Ken Osfield, John Denny, Barbara Keener, Dan Rodkin, Wes Wilson, Chuck Clemons, and Angela Long—from the very beginning, they recognized and acknowledged my talents long before I was willing to give myself any credit. The aforementioned people provided me with a path and a foundation in the field of higher education administration. They consistently encouraged me to explore my expertise, contribute to the field of student affairs, and continue a career in higher education administration. I am extremely grateful for their support throughout this journey. A most heartfelt note of gratitude is vital for Cynthia Garvan and David Miller at the University of Florida’s Office of Educational Research for their assistance and mentorship. Without them, I would not have these degree qualifications to call my own. They helped me find direction for my study, taught me the statistical analyses and breakdown required to execute my study, and supported me as I marched forward through the program. Their support ultimately resulted in the end product of this dissertation. I am so grateful for Cyndi and her brilliant teaching talents, which were evident upon our interactions long before I entered the program. I am thankful for Dr. Tyree and Dr. Sandeen, who taught me what it means to raise the bar for who "a student is," for pushing me to be better than my best, and most important, for showing me what a courageous leader can achieve. Every day, I use the lessons they taught me in my interactions with both students and colleagues alike. 6 I am eternally grateful for Jacki Nicol Donaldson. Although our collaborations began at the end of this process, I suspect it is only the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Thank you for truly stepping in the role of guardian angel at a time when I needed it most. Finally, I wish to express my sincerest thanks and gratitude to Dr. Dale Campbell, Dr. David Honeyman, Dr. Catherine Emihovich, Dr. Jeanne Repetto, and Dr. Bernard Oliver for believing in me, allowing me the freedom to trust my innate talents, (some of which I had to be reminded), and helping me navigate my long-awaited journey along the “yellow brick road of blessings” toward the completion of this dissertation. They each played an integral role in shaping my focus and making possible the seemingly "impossible." Their collective efforts do not go unnoticed. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... 10 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 11 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 14 Faculty Provisions of Accommodations and Students with Disabilities ................... 14 Background Information of the Study ...................................................................... 15 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 15 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................... 15 Purpose of Study .................................................................................................... 18 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 18 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 19 Limitations ............................................................................................................... 19 Organization of the Study ....................................................................................... 22 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................................ 24 A Landscape of Mathematics Education: an Aerial View ........................................ 27 Instructional Delivery Methods in Mathematics Education: Traditional, Online, & Hybrid Courses .................................................................................................... 31 Barriers of Instruction, Services, & Resources to Students..................................... 31 Attitudinal Barriers in Instructional Delivery ............................................................. 33 Conceptual Model: The Five C’s Model of Dropping Out ........................................ 39 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 39 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 41 Instrument Development ......................................................................................... 42 Endorsement of the Study ...................................................................................... 44 Research Population............................................................................................... 44 Florida Community College: The Survey Setting Landscape ........................... 45 Mathematics Faculty ........................................................................................ 46 Students with Disabilities .................................................................................. 46 Survey Instrument ................................................................................................... 47 Administration of Survey Instrument ....................................................................... 50 Data Analysis Procedures ....................................................................................... 51 Results .................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 52 8 4 RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 54 Survey Findings ...................................................................................................... 54 Research Question One ................................................................................... 55 Research Question Two ................................................................................... 57 Research Question Three ................................................................................ 61 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 65 5 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 71 Discussion of Conclusions ...................................................................................... 72 Research Question One ................................................................................... 72 Research Question Two ................................................................................... 73 Research Question Three ................................................................................ 73 Strategies & Intervention in the Instructional Delivery Environments ...................... 74 The 5 C’s Model ...................................................................................................... 75 Care ................................................................................................................. 75 Connect ............................................................................................................ 76 Climate ............................................................................................................. 77 Control .............................................................................................................. 78 Curriculum ........................................................................................................ 79 Implications of Study ............................................................................................... 80 Recommendations for Future Research ................................................................. 83 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 84 APPENDIX A MATHEMATICS TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SURVEY ......................................................................................... 88 B ENDORSEMENT OF STUDY LETTER .................................................................. 91 C DEVELOPMENTAL MATHEMATICS SURVEY INVITATION ................................. 95 D COLLEGE LEVEL MATHEMATICS SURVEY INVITATION ................................... 96 E DEVELOPMENTAL MATHEMATICS FOLLOW- UP PAPER SURVEY REMINDER ............................................................................................................. 97 F DEVELOPMENTAL MATHEMATICS FOLLOW UP PAPER SURVEY REMINDER ............................................................................................................. 99 G KEY DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................... 101 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 105 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 110 9 LIST OF TABLES Table page 4-1 Survey results ..................................................................................................... 67 4-2 Differences in accommodations by years of experience, online experience, and number of students with disabilities ............................................................. 69 4-3 Differences in accommodations by type of instruction ........................................ 69 4-4 Provisions of accommodations by years of experience, online experience, and number of students with disabilities ............................................................. 69 4-5 Provide accommodations by type of instruction.................................................. 70 10