Cultural Historical Research on the Teaching and Learning of Students With Dis/abilities: A Literature Review

• In Event: Cultural-Historical Approaches to Study the Teaching and Learning of Students With Dis/Abilities

Abstract

Objective
This literature review synthesizes research using Cultural Historical approaches to study the teaching and learning of students with dis/abilities. We answer the following questions: (a) What are the methodological characteristics and topics addressed in Cultural Historical research on the teaching and learning of students with dis/abilities? (b) How is dis/ability conceptualized in this research? and (c) What are the contributions of Cultural Historical research on the teaching and learning of students with disabilities?

Theoretical Framework
The review of the literature is informed by a Cultural Historical lens on learning and dis/ability (Vygotsky, 1978, 1993). Vygotsky placed culture at the center of human learning; in contrast to the deficit-oriented mainstream view of disability, Cultural Historical theory conceptualizes dis/ability not as an individual deficit, but rather as a learning difference that requires different cultural tools.

Methods
We searched four electronic databases: PsycINFO, ERIC, Web of Science, and Social Science Full Text. We also conducted a backward search and reviewed citation lists in published literature searched. The database and backward search procedures revealed 3598 articles. Next, we examined abstracts or contents of each article against the following selection criteria. We selected research articles if they: (a) had questions, purposes, or hypotheses that were informed by Cultural-Historical or sociocultural theories and focused on issues related to the teaching and learning of students with dis/abilities; (b) reported data from empirical studies (intervention and descriptive) using qualitative, quantitative, single subject and mixed methods designs; (c) were published in English in peer-reviewed journals between the years of 1975 and 2016; (d) included students who were identified with dis/abilities, placed in gifted and talented programs, or identified as “at risk” for disability identification; or their families, communities, teachers, and other service providers; and (e) were conducted in and outside of the educational settings. After applying these criteria we identified 59 studies.

Findings
The bulk of the studies (n = 35) focused on students with dis/abilities; twenty one studies focused on teachers and other professionals of students with dis/abilities, and 3 studies focused on families of students with dis/abilities. The large majority of the studies involved qualitative designs. The studies took place in 17 countries in five continents. The majority of the studies took place in the United States (35.59%) and England (15.25%). We found three conceptualizations of dis/ability: (a) sociocultural aspects of learning and development, (b) neuro/biological differences in human development and learning, (c) and an implicit medical view of dis/ability. Cultural Historical studies move beyond the deadlock between the mainstream deficit-based remedial approaches to special education and critical scholarship that has yet to offer practical tools and interventions to provide high quality learning opportunities for students with dis/abilities.

Significance:
This review of the literature will guide future studies using Cultural Historical theory to improve the learning and lives of students with dis/abilities.

Authors

• Aydin Bal, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Federico R. Waitoller, University of Illinois at Chicago