"Society Likes to Put People Into Socially Constructed Boxes": Exploration of the Liminal Space Through Undergraduate Students' Critical Reflections of Disability

• In Event: 53.081 - Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: 53.081-16 - Interrupting, Promoting, Constructing, and Reframing: How New Narratives Are Created and Challenged

Abstract

This paper details a study conducted with an undergraduate Disability Studies course to examine the liminal space of understanding and meaning making as students learn disability-related concepts. Disability Studies in Education and transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991) frameworks were applied to this study. Qualitative methods were used to code reflection assignments assigned throughout the semester. Results uncovered themes related to the process of residing within a liminal space, which included challenging preconceived assumptions, moral obligations, and connections to pedagogical decisions such as in-class discussions and course assignments.

Author

• Marisa Kofke, University of Delaware