Teaching About Disability and Special Education in a Secondary Social Studies Teacher Education Program: A Self-Study
| dc.contributor.author | Minarik, Darren William | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Janosik, Steven M. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Hicks, David | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Williams, Thomas O. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Geller, Carol H. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Doolittle, Peter E. | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Teaching and Learning | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-12-14T07:00:41Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2018-12-14T07:00:41Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-06-21 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | The civic mission of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) affirms the need for teachers to meet the unique and diverse learning needs of students with disabilities. However, scholarly work within social studies is limited regarding effective teaching practices for students with exceptional learning needs. Moreover, the research that does exist rarely aligns with the NCSS position statement addressing powerful teaching and learning as meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and authentic. This study examines how one teacher educator with a background in both social studies and special education facilitates understanding about disability, special education, and the instructional needs of exceptional learners in an introductory special education course for pre-service secondary social studies teachers. Using data collected through course evaluations, assignment artifacts, weekly blog journal entries, colleague observations of class sessions, and student interviews, the author uses Professional Working Theory to analyze how practice (What I do), theory (How I understand), and ethics (Why I do) impacts course design and delivery. The author raises questions beyond improving personal practice by challenging others to consider how their teacher preparation programs address special education and disability for social studies pre-service teachers, suggesting that an accumulation of knowledge through similarly themed studies provides an opportunity for a beneficial comparison of practices. The author discusses recommendations to improve research intersecting special education and social studies education. | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) supports the belief that teachers need the skills to support the learning needs of students with disabilities. However, there is a limited amount of information identifying effective teaching practices for students with disabilities in social studies classrooms. In addition, the research that does exist focuses more on helping students memorize social studies content instead of challenging students to consider why the content is important, how to apply the content, and how the content impacts themselves and other people. This study examines how one university instructor with a background in both social studies and special education teaches about disability, special education, and the instructional needs of students with disabilities in an introductory special education course for future secondary social studies teachers. Using data collected through course evaluations, assignment artifacts, weekly blog journal entries, colleague observations of class sessions, and student interviews, the author examines what his planning and teaching looks like, how his teaching connects to educational theories and research, and the values that make him choose various paths as a teacher. The author looked for ways to improve his personal practice while also asking others who prepare students for a career in education to consider how they address special education and disability topics for future social studies teachers. He suggests that multiple studies examining this topic will provide an opportunity for a helpful comparison of practices. He discusses recommendations to improve research connecting special education and social studies education. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Ph. D. | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:12278 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10919/86382 | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | Professional Working Theory | en |
| dc.subject | Secondary Education | en |
| dc.subject | Social Studies Education | en |
| dc.subject | Special Education | en |
| dc.subject | Teacher Education | en |
| dc.title | Teaching About Disability and Special Education in a Secondary Social Studies Teacher Education Program: A Self-Study | en |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Curriculum and Instruction | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Ph. D. | en |
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