Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School
College for Education and Engaged Learning
Department/Program
Teacher Education and Teacher Development
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Emily Klein
Committee Member
Susan Baglieri
Committee Member
Monica Taylor
Abstract
Many students with disabilities are denied opportunities in schools because of the ways in which disability is conceptualized. This study examines the lived experiences of four students with disabilities. Using a basic qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The aim of the study was to understand how students with disabilities moved through school by centering their voices and listening to their firsthand accounts. The data revealed three main themes: 1) Participants felt misunderstood in school settings which became a primary shaper of their sense of self and educational experiences; 2) There is a misalignment of educational support and what students needed; and 3) Navigating the system: Participants sought innovative ways to move through school as students with disabilities. By examining how existing educational frameworks affect students with disabilities, I offer insights for policymakers, educators, and researchers. Four conclusions were drawn. I begin with the conclusion that students with disabilities have always been marginalized by institutions. Then, I discuss the need to listen to and center the voices of students with disabilities and to take cues from them as a means of combating stigmatization and marginalization. Next, I explain creative spaces as sites of liberation and lastly, I address the overarching idea that inclusion is interwoven in both placement and practice. I hope to elevate educators’ perspectives with the goal of fostering a more inclusive mindset within educational communities—one that values the narratives of students with disabilities and reimagines how schools can better serve all learners.
File Format
Recommended Citation
Jones, Cheryl B., "Listening to Learn: Insights from Students with Disabilities to Inform Teacher Education" (2025). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1536.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1536