Reframing Teacher Candidates’ Views on Disability Through the Writings of Disabled Authors

Abstract

This study examines the understandings and beliefs about disability of teacher candidates in a credential program to teach students with extensive support needs and shows how reading first-person narratives by disabled authors in a course influenced these understandings and beliefs. The study used deductive thematic coding to analyze reflective assignments from 21 teacher candidates and semi-structured interviews of seven candidates. Four themes were developed through the coding process including current beliefs, expressing discomfort at disabled authors’ experiences, the reflective process, where they made deep connections to personal experiences in their work, family, and community settings, and a resolve to change their teaching practice. The study recommends adding the perspectives of the disabled individual in teacher preparation texts, creating cognitive dissonance in teacher preparation programs as a first step toward changing ableism in the educational system, including veteran teachers in this conversation through university-school partnerships to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students.