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Mattering is Motivating: Special Education Students’ Experiences with an Online Charter School

, Mountain Heights Academy, United States ; , , Brigham Young University, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 6, Number 3, ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

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Abstract

In the U.S., K–12 special education students are increasingly enrolling in online schools in hopes of improved opportunities and outcomes. In this study, researchers interviewed five special education students enrolled in a targeted online school, along with their parents (n = 9), to better understand their motivations for enrolling and their experiences of what worked for them in the unique setting. Students and parents explained how their prior schools had not worked for them, and how the online school better met their needs for self-determination, mattering, differentiation, and positive socialization. Results are intended to inform policymakers and stakeholders in online schools to provide the best learning opportunities for special education students.

Citation

Tonks, D., Kimmons, R. & Mason, S.L. (2020). Mattering is Motivating: Special Education Students’ Experiences with an Online Charter School. Journal of Online Learning Research, 6(3), 221-244. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved December 6, 2023 from .

© 2020 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)