Examining Autobiographical Influences on Student Teachers with Disabilities

This was an exploratory study involving four students with disabilities who were enrolled in a 1-year post-graduate teacher education programme. The purpose of the research was to determine if and how a disability and previous school and life experiences influence early teaching practice. Three phases of data collection using mixed qualitative methods were used in this study. There were five findings: the participants generally had negative elementary and secondary school experiences, the families of the subjects were important in terms of supporting or not supporting educational activities, the students had accepted their disabilities, they possessed specific character traits that contributed to their success, and the participants did not replicate the teaching methods to which they had been exposed.