Special Education Teachers’ Entangled Agencies, Intersectional Identities, and Commitments to Equity and Inclusion

Abstract

Special education technology and its use has largely focused on student concerns with accessing instruction. Where teachers have received attention, it has focused on classroom practices and their understanding of how to use technologies to support students. While some conversations have recently turned to the importance of student identities regarding technologies in special education, the identities of special education teachers in relation to technology use has received less attention. This study takes a narrative inquiry approach to describe a special education teacher who claimed multiple intersecting cultural/ethnic identities and a disability status. The findings from this 2-year engagement highlight how the teacher grappled with using technologies, not just for student learning, but for broader commitments to justice in special education contexts. Implications of this study elaborate on the need to plan special education teacher preparation and support for technologies that honors commitments to equity.