“Trends Come and Go”: How Early Childhood Rural Special Education Teachers’ Reported Mathematics Practices Differ From Others

Students deserve high-quality mathematics instruction. The failure to deliver research-based instruction maintains the current inequitable outcomes observed in schools. To inform in-service and pre-service teacher training, a critical piece of information is knowing which practices are being used during instruction. The goal of this study was to identify the frequency in which rural special education teachers (SETs) serving students in pre-kindergarten through third-grade use research-based or unsubstantiated practices. A secondary focus was to investigate if rural SETs differed in their reported use of practices compared to suburban SETs, urban SETs, and rural general education teachers. Data from 901 teachers serving students in pre-kindergarten through third-grade were retained. Of this sample, 150 teachers identified as SETs working in rural (n = 55), suburban (n = 50), and urban (n = 45) schools. Results suggest that teachers reported using research-based and unsubstantiated practices frequently. Rural SETs reported using research-based and unsubstantiated practices with similar frequency to urban SETs. Suburban SETs reported using explicit instruction more frequently than rural SETs. Rural SETs and rural general education teachers differed on their reported use of four practices: (a) peer learning strategies, (b) small group instruction, (c) math centers, and (d) independent practice. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.