How did preservice teachers’ attitudes change during a semester of structured interaction with a teaching assistant with a physical disability?

Details

This qualitative study examined how preservice teachers’ attitudes toward people with disabilities developed during a semester-long unit. Ten students enrolled in a special education teaching elective were interviewed before and after a teaching program designed to give them direct, structured interactions with a teaching assistant who had a physical disability. The teaching assistant interacted with students in both small and large group tutorial discussions throughout the semester. Students also kept reflective journals about their experiences with people with disabilities throughout the program. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and journals. Analysis indicated that students developed more positive attitudes and became more comfortable interacting with the teaching assistant during the semester, and that the learning experience improved their knowledge of disability issues.