Perpetuating neoliberal pathologies: what teacher candidates believe students with disabilities should learn

Abstract

Teachers’ beliefs impact student outcomes. Yet, regulatory agencies look to standardized accountability measures to establish a base for student improvement. This study examines other qualitative factors that impact student success by exploring teacher candidates’ beliefs about what students should learn. Specifically, it examines the beliefs of teacher candidates who were enrolled in a course on teaching students with disabilities. Education Journey Maps and interview data were conducted with 24 teacher candidates. Analyzed through a conceptual framework of Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) and neoliberalism, results indicate that teacher candidates possess an economic habitus that seeks standardization, commodifiable skills, and individualism. Teacher candidates implicitly understand that human capacity and diversity are multifaceted but believe that holding the same standards for everyone will rid our education system of discrimination against people with disabilities. This work has implications for wider debates on the impacts of standardization and neoliberalism in teacher education.

Keywords:

• Teacher education
• disability critical race theory
• neoliberalism
• ableism
• racism
• economic habitus
• critical disability studies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of Special Education Programs, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Notes on contributors

Marie L. Wagner

Marie L. Wagner is in her third year as a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on helping teachers foster a critical consciousness that deconstructs Eurocentric knowledge systems and centers marginalized voices to build emancipatory literacy learning environments for students with diverse abilities. Marie’s research draws on her experiences as a special education literacy teacher in New York City and Kansas City.