04/18/2022
By Lizzie Casanave

The School of Education invites you to attend an Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Maria Bonfiglio on “Examining the Self-Concept of Students with Disabilities in the Era of High Stakes Accountability.”

Date: May 2, 2022
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: This will be a virtual dissertation defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact James_Nehring@uml.edu to request access to the Zoom link.

Dissertation Chair: James Nehring, Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dissertation Committee:

  • Jack Schneider, Ph.D. Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Hilary Lustick, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
Forty-seven years after the Education for All Handicapped Children Act initially provided children with disabilities access to public schooling, more than half of children with disabilities spend the majority of their day in the general education classroom. They are perceived to be the success stories of the inclusionary model. Yet, the presence of institutionalized ableism calls into question the equity of public, inclusive elementary school environments for students with disabilities who may be receiving implicit messages that their abilities are inherently lesser than non-disabled students. Additionally, standardized testing has led to increased expectations and high curriculum standards in inclusive environments, likely perpetuating ableist beliefs that reinforce feelings of inadequacy for students with disabilities. Limited research has focused upon the self-concept of students with disabilities in inclusive settings. While quantitative research has provided insight into the self-concept of students with disabilities, we know significantly less about how students with disabilities view themselves in their own words, necessitating further investigation in this area. The first guiding research question of this dissertation is: What are the themes in the academic self-concepts of elementary school students with disabilities in inclusive environments across a high performing district as measured by performance on statewide assessments during the current measurement and accountability climate? To answer the first research question, the study employed semi-structured qualitative interviews to obtain insight into the academic self-concept of these students with and without disabilities in a high achieving school district according to statewide assessments across Massachusetts. Findings indicate that students with specific learning disabilities hold an overall positive academic self-concept of themselves and varied academic self-concepts across subject areas.

The second guiding research question is: What role do elementary teachers play in the development of the academic self-concept of elementary school students with disabilities in inclusive environments? To answer the second research question, a total of six elementary teachers in the high-performing district were observed and interviewed; three classroom teachers, and three special education teachers. Findings indicate teachers intentionally build positive relationships with students by presenting care and encouragement that in turn, have the potential to positively impact students’ self-concept.
Overall findings of this dissertation indicate the presence of ableism in this environment, as evidenced by the differing academic expectations of general and special education teachers for students with disabilities.