| Students identified with severe disabilities have historically been excluded from participating in rich and meaningful learning experiences, especially in core content areas such as mathematics. Calls for change in educational paradigms towards more inclusive practices have serious implications and challenges for researchers and practitioners who seek to better understand and implement transformative types of changes in mathematics education. These changes necessitate powerful models of professional learning. Once such model termed social design experiments involves teachers engaging with researchers in critical collaborative inquiry in order to advance equity. As a part of a larger study, this dissertation study examined a case of social design experiments that involved a series of researcher-facilitated professional learning sessions, where general and special educators from two urban elementary schools worked critically and collaboratively with the goal of advancing equitable practices in mathematics for students with severe disabilities. Elements of the theory of expansive learning, critical mathematics education, and disability studies perspectives were used to explore the tensions and solutions that emerged from the professional learning sessions through observations and follow-up interviews. Results of the analysis indicated several tensions that were marginalizing special education teachers, special education students, and mathematics. However, throughout the professional learning sessions, teachers recognized some of these tensions as those surfaced and proposed solutions and innovations to address them. The results of the study suggest that while numerous barriers existed to advancing equitable practices in mathematics in these "inclusive" elementary schools, given time, space, and tools to have facilitated conversations, teachers collectively expanded their learning towards more equitable practices. |
