Where Is Disability? An Analysis of 30 Years of General Education Core Curricular Content Journals

• In Event: Inclusive Education in Curriculum and Contexts

Abstract

As students with disabilities are increasingly taught in general education classrooms, general education teachers must know how to teach this population. We reviewed 30 years of 16 journals of the general education core curricular content area professional organizations (NCSS, NCTE, NCTM, and NSTA) and identified and categorized content related to disability. Findings indicate a lack of attention to topics pertinent to the instruction of students with disabilities. We found four thematic categories representing disability: Central, Peripheral, Demographic, and Metaphor. The lack of representation of disability within content area journals highlights the continued schism between general and special education. By excluding disability in the core curricular content area journals, stakeholders miss opportunities to improve the educational outcomes of students with disabilities.

Authors

• Julia M. White, Syracuse University

• Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity

• Christine Elaine Ashby, Syracuse University