PME-NA

Preservice Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Voices in Expanding Perceptions toward Students with Disabilities

• In Event: Preservice Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Voices in Expanding Perceptions toward Students with Disabilities

Description

A better understanding of mathematics teachers’ perceptions toward students with disabilities requires frameworks and instruments that fully describe them. This study interviewed four preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs) who had been participants in an earlier survey study to further investigate their perceptions toward disabilities and students with disabilities. Key findings of this study include that perceptions that promote inclusive/non-inclusive classroom environments for students with disabilities vary according to specific disabilities and their variations and the elements the PSTs considered for being able to engage students with disabilities in their future classwork and class discussions. Hearing the PSTs’ voices provided insight into the complexity of their perceptions and the ability of those perceptions to be enhanced by the opportunities for reflection provided by the interviews.

Authors

• Offir Neil Romero Castro, Western Michigan University

• Laura R. Van Zoest, Western Michigan University