Rethinking What You Think You Know: Early Childhood Special Educators’ Critical Reflection on Their Practice

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Early Learning and Equitable Access: Language, Practice, and Equity

Abstract

This qualitative meta-analysis explores how early childhood special educators critically reflect on their practice to support inclusive classrooms. Drawing from two preschool stories, the study examines how teachers confronted philosophical tensions and reconsidered familiar strategies to address the complex needs of children with disabilities. Grounded in Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), findings highlight how teachers engaged in deeper levels of self-reflection and interdisciplinary collaboration to rethink deficit-based assumptions and adapt their pedagogical approaches. Through reflective inquiry, teachers reimagined inclusive practices to create responsive, equitable learning environments. This study contributes to understanding inclusion as an evolving, multifaceted process that demands ongoing reflection, flexibility, and a commitment to honoring all children's identities and ways of being.

Authors

• Yoon-Joo Lee, Brooklyn College - CUNY

• Susan L. Recchia, Teachers College, Columbia University