Exploring the Narratives of Special Educators in Self-Contained Classrooms for Students Identified With Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities

• In Event: Unpacking Narratives and Experiences of Exclusion

Abstract

We use narrative analysis to explore the beliefs of five elementary special educators in self-contained settings for students identified with EBD in a large urban district. We find that individuals’ narratives foregrounded beliefs about disability, the purpose of special education, and who special education is designed to serve. Rooted in participants’ varied, complex models of disability (e.g., medical, social, socio-political) and the ways in which they replicated or refuted deficit-oriented narratives about students and families, we highlight how participants’ beliefs shaped their praxis. This had implications for how they designed the classroom environment, instructional and behavioral practice, and collaborative efforts with other professionals. We end with implications for research, policy, and practice, situated in the present backlash on educational equity.

Authors

• Hannah Morris Mathews, University of Florida
  Presenting Author

• Lindsey Kaler, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth A. Bettini, Boston University
  Non-Presenting Author