(Re)presenting race: an analysis of special education textbooks for engagement with race and ethnicity

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introductory special education textbooks are significant for their role in shaping pre-service teachers’ understanding of the field by providing access to information at a time when prospective teachers are beginning to formulate their pedagogical and philosophical beliefs. They serve as the foundation on which students build and frame their knowledge of the field. By analyzing 4536 pages from 10 special education textbooks using content and discourse analysis, this study explores how special education textbook authors incorporate critical perspectives of race and ethnicity into their discussions. The findings reveal the deployment of deficit discourse about Black and Brown students and the absence of an analysis or naming of the intersecting oppressions Black and Brown students face in school and society. Findings also reveal a strategic coopting of racialized experiences using analogies to emphasize the significance of ableism. Recommendations for teacher educators, researchers, and textbook authors are provided.