“More dynamic, more engaged”: Faculty perspectives on instructing students with intellectual disability in inclusive courses

Abstract

The knowledge and attitudes of faculty and instructors greatly influence the experiences of all college students, including college students with ID. As the number of institutions of higher education enrolling students with ID grows, faculty and staff must be prepared to support the learning needs of all of these college students. We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 college faculty teaching inclusive courses at 7 colleges and universities across the U.S. to solicit their perspectives on a) the benefits and challenges of instructing students with ID, and b) what they need to provide the best instructional experiences. This paper summarizes the study findings and offers implications for practice and research.