Constructing a Sense of Purpose and a Professional Teaching Identity: Experiences of Teacher Candidates with Disabilities

Authors

Adam Moore, Roger Williams University
Victoria Kern, University of Rhode Island
Alexis Carlson, University of Rhode Island
Annemarie Vaccaro, University of Rhode Island
Ezekiel W. Kimball, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jordan A. Abbott, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Peter F. Troiano, Central Connecticut State University
Barbara M. Newman, University of Rhode Island

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Educational Forum

Abstract

Using grounded theory, we examined the ways in which undergraduate teacher candidates with disabilities developed a sense of purpose and constructed professional identities. Our findings suggest K-12 experiences with advocacy as well as exclusionary school experiences influenced their emerging professional identities. Resistance to a deficit view of disability was central to teachers’ professional identities and influenced their desire to become “change agents” in their future professions. We describe collegiate experiences that affirmed or presented roadblocks to their career path.

Volume

84

Issue

3

First Page

272

Last Page

285

DOI

10.1080/00131725.2020.1738608

Recommended Citation

Moore, A., Kern, V., Carlson, A., Vaccaro, A., Kimball, E., Abbott, J., Troiano, P., & Newman, B. (2020). Constructing a Sense of Purpose and a Professional Teaching Identity: Experiences of Teacher Candidates with Disabilities. Educational Forum, 84 (3), 272-285. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2020.1738608

ISSN

00131725

E-ISSN

19388098