Navigating Barriers as Special Education Teacher Educators

Abstract

Special education teacher educators face multiple systemic, institutional, and social barriers in preparing teacher candidates to provide students with significant disabilities access to the general curriculum. This qualitative interview study explores how special education teacher educators are working to navigate these barriers while employing strategies at multiple levels. The 14 special education teacher educators in this study utilized strategies to navigate barriers to access the general curriculum in four distinct ways by (a) building relationships, (b) advocacy, (c) increasing knowledge, and (d) being resilient. The discussion includes recommendations for special education teacher educators regarding how to navigate barriers and support pre- and in-service teachers in providing students with significant disabilities access to the general curriculum.

Faculty Perceptions of Expertise for Inclusive Education for Students With Significant Disabilities

“…In multiple studies, teacher educators described barriers in preparing teacher candidates to teach students with significant disabilities. This included barriers within teacher preparation programs, barriers in K–12 schools, and barriers at the state and national level (Delano et al 2008; Olson & Roberts, 2018, 2020). Barriers in teacher preparation included variability across preparation programs, a lack of focus on general education teaching methods, and minimal opportunities for teacher candidates to collaborate with general education teacher candidates and related service personnel (Delano et al, 2008).…”

“…Barriers in teacher preparation included variability across preparation programs, a lack of focus on general education teaching methods, and minimal opportunities for teacher candidates to collaborate with general education teacher candidates and related service personnel (Delano et al, 2008). Olson and Roberts (2020) explored ways teacher educators worked to navigate barriers related to the lack of inclusive placements, misalignment between what teacher educators are teaching about and what teacher candidates are seeing in schools, and K–12 teachers’ and administrators’ beliefs and knowledge. At the teacher preparation level, teacher educators had to contest teacher preparation programs that are siloed, insufficient coursework for general education teachers and administrators, and colleagues’ and teacher candidates’ knowledge and beliefs.…”

Learning From Self-Advocates: Changing Perspectives About Disability

“…As new practitioners move from their preparation programs to K-12 schools, they can take an active role in the Disability Rights Movement and work to disrupt inequitable practices (Danforth, 2017). To counteract ableism, pre-and in-service practitioners must learn strategies for challenging deficit-based views of disability (Olson & Roberts, 2020) and developing individualized education programs based on student strengths (Elder et al, 2018). Practitioners with a strengths-based view of students with ESN are more able to navigate challenges as they arise (Ruppar et al, 2015) and express positive beliefs about including and supporting students with disabilities within the general education classroom (Kwon et al, 2017;McHatton & Parker, 2013).…”

“…Administrators with deficit-based narratives about students with ESN often described expert special education teachers as caregivers, primarily responsible for managing behaviors and keeping students with disabilities safe (Roberts et al, 2018). This deficit mindset can impact where students with ESN receive instruction (Olson & Roberts, 2020) and the types of skills identified as important to teach (Ruppar et al, 2023). In addition, practitioners who view disability through deficits may prioritize teaching skills to students with ESN that focus on remediation (Carter et al, 2020) rather than developing their strengths and gifts.…”