Empowering Futures: An Examination of Educator Perceptions in Supporting Students with Disabilities in Post-Secondary Transition

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine educators' perceptions of their roles in students' post-secondary transition. Federal mandates require special education teachers to be key components in supporting students during this process. The literature examines the multifaceted components of the transition process, including Kohler’s Taxonomy 2.0 and Schlossberg’s Transition Framework. Data were collected using a one-on-one, semi-structured interview protocol to examine educators' perceptions of their roles in students' post-secondary transition. This strategy allowed the researcher to understand the participants' backgrounds and experiences while analyzing perceptions of their role in the post-secondary transition. A pre-designed set of interview questions was designed to ensure consistency while examining special education teacher perceptions. Thematic analysis was used to interpret educators’ perceptions of their roles in post-secondary transition by identifying patterns across shared phenomena and organizing them into key themes. Trustworthiness was ensured through triangulation, member checking, and thick contextual description. The results revealed special educator perceptions about post-secondary transition focusing on content, planning, support, structure, and strategies. The results indicated that addressing challenges to support special education teachers in implementing transition practices, such as time, resources, and student apathy may allow for improved outcomes for students with disabilities. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the data: shifting advocacy and collaboration; individualized, student-centered approach to planning; collaboration with agencies and families; career and college readiness; and challenges in implementation.