Rural High-School Principals’ Perceptions of Their Understanding of Special Education Law

This phenomenological study aimed to determine rural high school principals’ perceptions of their understanding of special education law. Although there is some literature regarding administrators' perceptions of their understanding of special education policies and procedures, this study focused specifically on special education law and perceived versus actual levels of understanding. Data Collection strategies include voluntary, focused interviews of rural high school principals via Zoom. Data analysis included transcriptions of interviews, member checking, open coding, identifying themes and content analysis, and finally, interpretation and triangulation of the data. The analysis of this study was based on the theoretical proposition of andragogy. Andragogy is a theory that describes how adults learn and how it is different than teaching children. Adult learners are motivated to learn and will focus on information applicable to their daily lives (Livingston & Clay, 2023). The findings revealed that special education law plays a critical role in ensuring equitable access to education for students with disabilities. Rural high school principals are tasked with implementing these laws, yet their perceptions of their understanding and the challenges they face remain underexplored. The findings illuminate how principals perceive their roles, acquire knowledge, and influence special education services in their schools. Although there may be certain gaps in knowledge as adult learners, principals desire to continue to obtain knowledge and understanding can be used to develop focused professional development to support principals.