From Deficit to Difference: Understanding the Relationship Between K-12 Teacher Training and Disability Discussion

One major responsibility of K-12 teachers in United States public schools is to meet the needs of disabled students. While many pre-service and in-service teacher training programs present educators with information related to service delivery as outlined in a student’s Individualized Education Program or 504 plan, they rarely address how to talk about disability with all students. This qualitative study examines 50 in-service teachers’ experiences related to disability training and explores the implications of this training on teachers’ disability discussion practices. Findings reveal that teacher training is primarily focused on compliance and “fixing” disability; training and prior experiences affect how teachers define disability; and training affects the framework that teachers use when discussing disability with their students. Based on the findings of this study, we offer recommendations to help programs reimagine training and view disability as a minoritized identity. Results of this study address a significant gap in preparing teachers for disability discussion.

美国公立学校K-12教师的核心职责之一，是满足残障学生的相关需求。尽管诸多职前与在职教师培训项目会向教育工作者传授学生个别化教育计划（Individualized Education Program, IEP）或504计划中列明的服务提供相关信息，但此类项目极少涉及如何面向全体学生谈论残障议题。本质性研究调研了50名在职教师参与残障相关培训的经历，并探讨了此类培训对教师开展残障议题讨论的实践方式所产生的影响。研究结果显示，教师培训主要聚焦于合规性要求与"矫治"残障；培训经历与过往经验会影响教师对残障的定义；同时培训也会影响教师与学生讨论残障议题时所采用的分析框架。基于本研究结果，我们提出相关建议，以期帮助培训项目重新审视培训内容，并将残障视为一种少数群体身份。本研究的结果填补了教师残障议题讨论能力培养领域的一项重大空白。