Abstract

Students with disabilities experience pronounced inequities in the education system, which have been compounded by risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study sought to understand the experiences of students with disabilities and the strengths that facilitated their wellbeing during this period of adversity. In summer 2020, secondary students (6^th to 12^th grades) with disabilities in the United States (n = 21; 57% male) participated in a semi-structured interview and completed the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (SDI:SR). Qualitative analysis was used to generate rich description of students’ lived experiences. Thematic analysis resulted in hierarchical coding, with categories and themes clustered around each research question. Students’ personal resilience was identified in categories related to their educational experiences, individual attributes, and interpersonal connections; and subthemes emerging within each category. Eighty-six percent of students reflected on the role of self-determination in navigating the pandemic. Finally, analysis of students’ overall reflections on COVID-19 yielded three emergent themes: (a) adaptability, (b) increased social awareness, and (c) disability identity. We conclude with a discussion of how student strengths should be leveraged as we move beyond the pandemic and continue to work to address long-standing educational inequities for students with disabilities and other students at risk.

摘要

残疾学生在教育系统中经历了明显的不平等，而与COVID-19大流行相关的风险又加剧了这种情况。当前的研究旨在了解残疾学生的经历以及在逆境中促进其福祉的优势。夏天到2020年，中学生（6^日至12^日在美国残疾（等级）ñ = 21; 57％的男性）参加了半结构式访谈，并完成了“自我决定清单：学生报告”（SDI：SR）。定性分析被用来对学生的生活经历进行丰富的描述。主题分析导致分层编码，类别和主题围绕每个研究问题进行聚类。在与学生的教育经历，个人特征和人际关系有关的类别中，确定了学生的个人韧性。以及每个类别中出现的子主题。86％的学生反映了自决在大流行中的作用。最后，对学生对COVID-19的整体思考的分析产生了三个新出现的主题：（a）适应性，（b）增强的社会意识和（c）残疾身份。