Professional Identity and Integrity: SETs’ Perspectives on Pedagogy and Practice

Abstract

Through a series of interviews of three special educators, conducted over a year and a half, we gathered information about their experiences, their sense of integrity, and its relationship to the ethics of the profession at the personal, school, and district level. Interview data offered insight on the dynamic professional special educator teacher identity as it relates to a systems model of identity development. The interviewees were selected from special educators who had responded to a survey about their practices during the COVID pandemic. Findings have implication for professional development, teacher preparation, and policy in special education