Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The current study explored a group of Muslim Arab American parents perceptions, beliefs, knowledge, and actions regarding special Education. Using a phenomenological and interpretivist theoretical framework, this qualitative study investigated the Muslim Arab American parents socially and culturally constructed realities through accounts of their lived experiences (Fay, 1996). The participants were from the Indianapolis area. This study included a total of 13 participants; six were Muslim Arab American parents with children in special Education and seven parents without children in special Education. A researcher-designed interview protocol systematically related to the research questions and the literature review was used to collect data. Observational notes were also collected during the interviews and used in the process of data analysis. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed using coding categories and thematic analysis. The goal of this study is to provide a better understanding of the perceptions, knowledge, and actions of both Muslim Arab American parents with and without children receiving special Education services in regard to special Education placement and procedures. The hope for this study is to provide a frame of reference for educators to take under consideration the impact of cultural and social norms, values, and perceptions when creating Educational programs and servicing students from a Muslim Arab American background.

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