Limited representation of disability in early childhood classrooms: data from South Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Positive representation of human diversity in class materials and curriculum contributes to children's sense of belonging, increased self-esteem, and understanding of others. However, research has shown lack of or limited representation of disability in early childhood classrooms. Most of these studies have been conducted(EC) in the United States with limited information on how classrooms in other countries represent disabilities. The purpose of the current study was to examine disability representation in 59 EC classrooms in South Korea, using the Inventory of Disability Representation (IDR, Favazza, P. C., and S. L. Odom. 1997. ‘Promoting Positive Attitudes of Kindergarten-age Children Toward People with Disabilities’. Exceptional Children 63: 405–418. doi:10.1177/001440299706300308). Results revealed that the participating EC classrooms (84.6%) in South Korea showed no or low levels of disability representations, which were consistent with the findings from previous studies conducted in the United States. Additionally, the IDR scores for the inclusive classrooms (n = 23) that include children with disabilities were significantly higher than non-inclusive classrooms (n = 36). Teachers’ participation in disability-related trainings and their years of teaching were also positively correlated with the level of disability representation in their classrooms.