SPECIAL-EDUCATION DISSERTATION RESEARCH IN EARLY-CHILDHOOD - A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

While it is difficult to determine the overall preparedness of profess ionals in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) to expand the field 's research base, that clearly is a task necessary for those who prepa re the next generation of leaders in ECSE. To determine the extent to which scholars and researchers are being prepared to address future ch allenges in ECSE, we examined the methods and products of research by persons who would soon be in the position to further research and prac tice in ECSE. A 34-item questionnaire was used to code ECSE dissertati on abstracts found in Dissertation Abstracts International from 1981-9 0. Of the 395 ECSE dissertations, less than half included youngsters w ith disabilities or a combination of children with and without handica ps. A substantial proportion, however, (a) incorporated experimental d esigns, (b) employed qualitative procedures, and (c) targeted social/b ehavioral and communication topics. From the wide diversity of investi gative methods, topics, and subjects, it appears that doctoral researc h training in ECSE is responding to the call for an emphasis on system atic investigations of practice in the field.