Dismantling Structural Ableism in Teacher Preparation: Identifying Harmful Ideologies

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Power, Politics, and Paradigms: Examining Disability Knowledge in Educational Contexts (Table 10)

Abstract

Teacher education and disability studies scholars have argued that ableism is pervasive, and that societal influences perpetuate negative/ableist ideology. This study examined teacher perceptions regarding ableism, equity and inclusivity within their teacher preparation programs, and the effect of structural ableism (Author, 2022) on their teaching and approach to equity and inclusivity in the classroom. Findings indicate that preparation programs can inadvertently form negative and/or ableist impressions related to difference and disability as candidates are prepared. As a result, teacher educators should examine preparation programs’ systems and structures for ways they inadvertently contribute to negative and ableist perceptions of disability, to ensure that such structures do not influence the lenses and practice of the teachers they produce.

Author

• Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College