Using children's literature to examine the disability discourses of early childhood pre-service teachers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the disability discourses of ten pre-service teachers enrolled in a one-semester undergraduate social studies and language arts methods course. This undergraduate course drew on a disability studies approach that advocated a social model rather than a medical approach to disability. During this course, rather than posit disability as a deficit, disability was re-conceptualized within social and cultural frameworks, stressing the examination of policies and practices that hinder the lives of individuals with disabilities. Using a Foucauldian lens, this study analyzed the discourses and actions of the early childhood pre-service teachers as they examined, reflected upon and taught lessons using children’s literature with a disability theme. Attention was paid to how the pre-service teachers framed disability, the language they used, and the challenges of planning and teaching lessons that centered on a disability theme. Data collection included a survey, observations, field notes, transcripts of audio-taped class sessions and documents. Documents included critical literacy worksheets, online reading responses, a lesson plan assignment and student artifacts. Two major findings result from this study. First, the same powerful discourses that influenced how pre-service teachers perceive and position disabled people are well-established in the schools where they do their practice teaching. These same discourses lead to school actions and non-actions which in turn, present challenges to pre-service teachers who wish to “do disability studies” in schools. Second, using a critical pedagogical approach with children’s literature within an inquiry based course has potential for helping pre-service teachers to problematize the issues of disability and in turn, to promote a critical examination of disability with disabled and able-bodied early childhood students.Ed. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Sue Ann E. Manki