Foregrounding Disability: Identifying Factors That Promote or Inhibit Disability-Related Discussion in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms (Poster 58)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Eight
  In Poster Session: 2023 AERA Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair

Abstract

"Although disabled people encounter discrimination in almost every facet of life—such as employment, housing, education, healthcare, and transportation—disability is often missing from conversations regarding social justice. Disability-related discussion in English Language Arts offers an inroad to having students view disability through a social justice lens due to the discussion-based nature of the content area. This exploratory, qualitative study examines the factors that influence 13 secondary (6-12) English Language Arts teachers’ decisions to lead (or refrain from leading) discussion framing disability as a social identity in classrooms in the United States. The data source for this study were interviews in which participants were asked a series of six questions about disability-related discussion in their classrooms. Findings reveal that primary factors that helped or hindered disability-related discussion included the role of subject and curriculum, school and classroom culture, and personal factors. Many participants noted that the barriers that prevent them from discussing disability as a social identity were a result of systemic or institutional barriers. Conversely, participants who viewed the previously identified factors as facilitators did not face the same systemic or institutional barriers that other participants faced. Participants also expressed a desire for professional development related to disability-related discussion, as well as increased curricular representation of disabled individuals within English Language Arts. This study represents a critical first step in solidifying disability as a component of social justice by identifying factors that secondary English Language Arts teachers encounter when attempting to discuss disability in their classrooms.

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Author

• Rebecca Jacobson, Villanova University
  Presenting Author