Content acquisition podcasts’ impact on preservice teachers’ understanding of language and disability

Abstract

AbstractEducators’ understanding and use of language is particularly relevant in relation to historically marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities. However, previous research has suggested that teacher education programs do not adequately address the concepts of language and disability. Content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) may provide them with knowledge related to language and disability. The purposes of this investigation were to determine how a CAP impacts undergraduate students’ understanding of language with regards to people with disabilities, and examine undergraduate students’ perceptions towards CAPs as a learning tool. Qualitative analyses, a pairwise t‐test, and a Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to determine CAP’s impact on 43 preservice educators. Results revealed that the CAP significantly increased the participants’ knowledge and that the participants had positive perceptions towards the CAP. Findings from focus group discussions indicated a number of themes emerged in relation to both language use regarding people with disabilities and CAPs. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Language allows for one to build and understand the world around them, as well as reflects how one views others. The language educators use when referring to and addressing students with disabilities creates a unique environment that can impact students with disabilities’ self‐esteem, and provides a model for typically developing students on how to interact with their peers with disabilities. Podcasts have been noted as an educational phenomenon, with social and “media‐rich” features that exemplify the uniqueness and broad appeal of online learning. What this paper adds Although there has been a great deal of research with regards to content acquisition podcasts (CAPs), most of the research has focused on topics that have singular answers, rather than focusing on complex issues that are often contextual, such as language use. This study utilized focus groups to better understand undergraduate students’ perceptions of CAPs. To the best of the investigators’ knowledge, is the first CAP study to do so. Implications for practice and/or policy This investigation suggests that CAPs can be used to teach ambiguous and complex information, such as language usage and disability, to preservice teachers. CAPs that are able to teach complex issues are a promising tool, as this would allow faculty members to positively impact preservice teachers’ instructional skills and enable CAPs to be used to prepare preservice teachers to build meaningful relationship with their students and create a positive learning environment.