Speaking Up for ALL Kids: Developing Pre-Service General Education Teachers as Advocates through Critical Coursework and Simulated IEP Meetings

Abstract

I believe that a deeper understanding of how pre-service general education teachers are conceptualizing inequity in special education and are applying this knowledge will support teacher education programs to develop more comprehensive programming that prepares general educators to support students identified with disabilities and their families. Therefore, this study explores the following research questions: (1) How do preservice teachers’ understandings of inequity and their roles as members of the IEP team shift over the course of a 12-week class that integrates issues of inequity in special education and the use of critical frameworks? (a) How do PSTs’ understandings of inequity shift from the beginning to the end of the course? (b) How do PSTs’ understandings of their role as members of the IEP team shift from the beginning to the end of the course? (2) How do PSTs respond to issues of racism and ableism when it is shared by a Black parent of a student identified with a (dis)ability during initial and final simulations? (3) How do PSTs engage in collaboration and advocacy practices when working with a Black parent of a student identified with a (dis)ability?