DisCrit Informed Practices of Critical Special Education Teacher Educators: A Review of the Literature

This literature review examines studies exploring critical special education teacher educators' use of antiracist and anti-ableist pedagogy and/or Dis/ability Critical Race Studies Theory (DisCrit) as a framework for their curriculum, teaching strategies, and/or teaching techniques. We focus mainly on teacher candidates' (TCs') advocacy and support of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) labeled with specific learning disabilities (SLD). As teacher educators, we recognize that BIPOC students labeled with SLD experience marginalization throughout PK-12 education as well as negative post-school outcomes. Thus, this review seeks to identify evidence-based, antiracist, and anti-ableist teaching methods that show TCs how to advocate and advance their students' academic, social, and/or emotional progress. This review delves into empirical studies within a 10-year period to explore how critical pedagogy and theory can develop TCs' critical consciousness and encourage antiracist and anti-ableist practices for students with SLD. The paper concludes with recommendations and resources to help teacher educators model and implement antiracist and anti-ableist pedagogical practices in teacher education.