What's Training Got to Do With It?

Abstract

With the current, pervasive mindset in schools of deficit thinking, which affects students of all ages and abilities, educator preparation programs have an opportunity to make a change. This chapter will explore educator preparation programs and what is being taught in introductory courses on special education, as well as mindset leading to deficit thinking. An exploratory survey of university instructors was conducted to discover what could lead to deficit thinking in preschool to Grade 12 (P-12) schools. Findings show that instructors are using supplemental materials to cover models of disability, and further study of how instructor mindset influences course content is warranted. Discussion will include adding growth mindset, self-efficacy strategies, and unconscious bias training in educator preparation programs to further challenge deficit thinking. Additional areas for future research will also be discussed.