Research into the experiences of disabled educators highlights how they draw on their own experiences of isolation in school to inform their teaching. They view themselves as empathetic to the challenges of disabled students and committed to disrupting shame/lowered expectations (Duquette, 2000; Ferri, 2001). Their insights support equitable, inclusive, quality instruction. However, there is limited research on disabled teachers and even less on other adults who work with disabled youth.

We apply Disability Sustaining Pedagogy (DSP) which explicitly draws on the knowledge and lived experiences of disabled individuals. DSP honors disability identities as a cultural form of diversity worthy of sustaining (Rabinowitz et al., 2024), a clear connection to the conference theme. This project highlights the knowledge and strategic maneuvering of disabled educators (defined broadly). We ask: what strategies do educators with disabilities use to sustain their own disability identities and support disabled and nondisabled youth?

We completed semi-structured interviews (Spradley, 1979) with ~25 disabled educators. For analysis, we utilized narrative inquiry methods (Chase, 2011), which center life experiences told by those who live them; we analyzed narrative segments using deductive coding for the tenets of DSP. Amplifying narratives disrupts the history of research about disabled individuals that did not include their perspectives (Valente & Danforth, 2016).

We share how the knowledge of participants continues to develop DSP through illustrative narratives. Participants have expertise in the science of neurodiversity because of their experience with the medical system and personal research. They enact complex embodiment (Siebers, 2008) by leveraging their expertise in neuroscience into non-stigmatizing, concrete teaching practices (e.g. play-based instruction for youth with ADHD to promote dopamine production). They create translational research across disciplines, filtering more medicalized knowledge through the lens of their own identities and experiences, which leads them to consider social implications alongside academics.

Research Aim

This study aims to illustrate how special education teachers self-conceptualise curricula to account for varying levels of cognitive development, in the context of the international drive towards inclusive education (Morrissey, King and Keating, 2024).

Theoretical Framework

The research is underpinned by Norwich’s (2010) Curriculum Aspects theory, which espouses four basic ‘aspects’ as a curriculum structure:

1. General principles / aims

2. Areas of learning

3. Programmes of study

4. Teaching practices

In between a completely common curriculum (applicable to everyone) and a completely different curriculum (applicable to a few), there are five hybrid curriculum options with degrees of commonality and difference, depending on how the four curriculum aspects are varied in particular circumstances. This spectrum acts as a structural assemblage for teachers who ‘want to have it both ways as far as possible’ (Norwich 2013, 66) – essentially, a common curriculum with differentiated aspects.

Methods

A two-phase mixed-methods data-gathering apparatus was employed. Phase 1 consisted of a questionnaire distributed to every special school principal in Ireland. Phase 2 consisted of an embedded case study with three special schools.

Findings

The findings endorse the relevance of the Norwich (2010) model. However, this study establishes that there are other curriculum aspects which teachers recognise (and vary), but which to date have not been theorised sufficiently. In particular, it showcases how teachers employ a relatively imperceptible ‘Support’ aspect, to accessibilise the curriculum.

Relevance

Quality, inclusive teaching for learners with special needs is dependent on how teachers calibrate curricula to ensure equity-based models at the micro-level. This is fundamental in enabling active, socially-just participation in society post-school (Gordon-Gould and Hornby, 2023). This paper, in presenting an inclusive curriculum model, aligns perfectly with the conference theme and will interest researchers concerned with both inclusion and/or philosophical debates around what curriculum should look like in a socially-just society.

This study aims to explore cross-cultural understandings of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) among staff in an international school in Thailand. Specifically, it investigates two key areas: (1) the perspectives of both Thai and Western teaching and leadership staff on SEND, and (2) the influence of culture on SEND provision and inclusive practice at both the micro (individual) and macro (school-wide) levels. Using a grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff to capture their insights and experiences. The findings were presented in both traditional formats and through the use of creative non-fiction, providing a nuanced view of how culture shapes both perceptions and practices of inclusion.

The study revealed a disconnect between staff members' personal beliefs about SEND, which were largely shaped by their individual cultural experiences, and their professional practices, which were influenced by the prevailing school culture. The school culture was found to be heavily oriented towards measurable academic outcomes and financial priorities, often at the expense of consistent inclusive practices. The absence of a unified approach to inclusion within the school created significant variation in the quality of SEND provision, leading to inconsistent support for students.

The research highlights the critical need for school leadership to consider the role of culture in shaping inclusive practices within international educational settings. Without a coherent, school-wide approach to inclusion, individual staff members' practices may continue to vary, resulting in potentially inequitable provision for students with SEND. This study underscores the importance of fostering a school culture that prioritises both inclusion and academic achievement, ensuring that all students receive high-quality, consistent support.

This paper will aim to contribute to the conference theme of research on equitable teaching practices.

The project Dispositifs inclusifs pour élèves sourds : Comment s’entendre ? (DINCLUES, 2024-2026) aims to better understand the difficulties and successes encountered by Deaf children and adolescents, with or without associated disabilities, in their schooling in France. In collaboration with the Deaf specialist education centre CESDA in Bordeaux, the project aims to promote quality teaching and learning for Deaf pupils in mainstream schools in the Gironde department. This presentation will focus on how interactions between Deaf pupils, families, CESDA, the Aquitaine teacher education centre and mainstream teachers are promoting quality classroom teaching practices, and whether this shows a difference for Deaf pupils in their experiences of mainstream schooling.

Drawing on works from the inclusive education literature (Ebersold, 2017; Bedoin, 2018; Kohout-Diaz & Strouhal, 2021) and Deaf education literature (Clouard, Roux et Seban-Lefebvre, 2007; Le Capitaine, 2013; Beal-Alvarez, 2017 ; Feuilladieu, 2021), we are interested in exploring how learning environments in France are addressing the needs of Deaf pupils in sustainable ways.

Within a participative research-action framework (Payet et al, 2010; OECD, 2021), qualitative data will be gathered between September 2024 and March 2025 on the experiences of the various stakeholders, in semi-structured interviews. Selected case studies of pedagogical practices will provide data through observations and video recordings of teaching and learning sessions. As the project is in its early stages, findings are not yet available, but intend to focus on (1) how Deaf pupils experienced and responded to adaptive pedagogies in inclusion settings, and (2) the experiences and observations of mainstream and SEN teachers during this process, and (3) suggestions from participants, going forward.

Finally, and in response to the ISATT conference theme, this presentation proposes to discuss questions of how to promote equity and inclusion through effective partnership with schools, within the context of Deaf pupils learning in French mainstream settings, supported by multiple stakeholders.