The Wizard Behind the Curtain: Understanding the Teaching Experiences of Graduate Teaching Assistants With Disabilities

• In Event: 14.033 - Disability Studies in Education: Promoting Justice in the Postsecondary World

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to consider the experiences of graduate students with disabilities who also serve as teaching assistants at colleges and universities in the United States (US). To date, limited research is available on this topic. Most existing literature comes in the form of individual or shared narratives. Some research addresses faculty with disabilities in higher education, but does not specifically attend to graduate teaching assistants with disabilities. This gap is significant since many graduate teaching assistants will seek faculty positions in higher education and their participation is inextricably linked to increasing the diversity of scholars and faculty in postsecondary education. This paper explores how experiences of disability influence graduate student instructors’ teaching and pedagogy.

Authors

• Michelle L. Damiani, Hartwick College

• Wendy S. Harbour, Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)