BackHome
Refresh: Off
Paper Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Rightful Presence in Early Childhood STEM: Honoring Disability Culture through Professional Development

Wed, April 8, 7:45 to 9:15am PDT (7:45 to 9:15am PDT), JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 2nd Floor, Platinum I

Abstract

Objectives and Purposes
This study addressed the STEM opportunity gap for young children with disabilities by equipping Head Start educators with tools to implement inclusive and anti-ableist STEM pedagogy. The professional development (PD) initiative had two core objectives: (1) to enhance early childhood educators' knowledge and implementation of inclusive STEM practices; and (2) to foster critical reflection on ableism within their teaching practice and learning environments.

Theoretical Framework
This work was grounded in an anti-ableist and inclusive perspective, which emphasizes the rightful presence of children with disabilities in STEM learning opportunities. Ableism is a societal concept deeply embedded in how society is organized, based on what is considered ‘normal’ in terms of physical, intellectual, and emotional abilities (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017). The PD drew on sociocultural learning theories, highlighting the role of culture, identity, and community in learning, and incorporated frameworks from inclusive pedagogy and anti-bias education

Methods and Modes of Inquiry
A multi-phase professional development program was implemented with Head Start teachers. The PD integrated information sessions, reflective exercises, and controlled-practice teaching sessions to help teachers apply inclusive STEM strategies in real-time classroom settings. Participants also engaged in dialogic reading, hands-on STEM tasks, and collaborative debriefing sessions. A qualitative case study approach was used to analyze changes in teacher beliefs and practices. Methods of data collection included individual interviews, focus groups, and observations using the Inclusive Classrooms Profile (ICP; Soukakou, 2016) and STEM Instances Tracking Form (SITF).

Data Sources and Evidence
Data collection included pre- and post-interviews, controlled practice teaching sessions, and field notes from observations, as well as formal data from the ICP and SITF. Lesson plans and student work samples were also reviewed. The data were analyzed thematically to examine shifts in pedagogy, awareness of ableism, and inclusion strategies in classroom practice.

Results and Substantiated Conclusions
Findings show that teachers increased their confidence in implementing inclusive STEM activities and became more aware of ableist assumptions embedded in their practice. The use of controlled-practice teaching proved especially effective in allowing educators to rehearse, reflect, and refine strategies in a supportive environment. Teachers reported using dialogic reading with STEM-related texts featuring children with disabilities, rethinking who is “capable” of STEM learning, and integrating STEM instruction into everyday routines in more inclusive ways. However, teachers struggled with integrating STEM into mandated curricula due to concerns related to curricular fidelity.

Scientific or Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to the limited but growing body of scholarship on inclusive STEM education in early childhood and extends research on anti-ableist teacher development. It emphasizes the need for early, sustained efforts to disrupt the structural and cultural exclusion of children with disabilities from high-quality STEM learning. The work also provides a model for reimagining PD—one that bridges disability justice with STEM equity and supports early educators in reshaping their beliefs, expectations, and practices to ensure all children have a rightful presence in STEM.

Authors