View in EDS

Teachers Rehumanizing Mathematics for Students with Disabilities; the Role of Empathy

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Teachers Rehumanizing Mathematics for Students with Disabilities; the Role of Empathy
Language: English
Authors: Rachel Lambert (ORCID 0000-0002-2503-4237), Kara Imm
Source: Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences. 2026 54(1).
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Students with Disabilities, Empathy, Humanization, Mathematics Education, Faculty Development, Access to Education, Design, Thinking Skills, Mathematics Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Models, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Student Relationship, Attitudes toward Disabilities
DOI: 10.1007/s11251-025-09753-4
ISSN: 0020-4277
1573-1952
Abstract: Rehumanizing mathematics with and for students with disabilities is a critically important, and often overlooked, aspect of mathematics education. This paper describes a professional development project that paired Universal Design for Learning with Design Thinking for mathematics and special educators. We situated disability in a political framework, as a shift from a medical model to a political/relational model. Across data sources, the educators in our study attributed shifts in their beliefs and practices to empathy, both as a value and a practice of empathy interviews. Educators reported shifts away from deficit thinking about disability, towards instruction from the perspective of their disabled students. Educators described UDL as moment-to-moment decision making during instruction based on empathic relationships with students. They also connected the practice of empathy to their emerging critique of oppressive systems impacting their students with disabilities. Engaging in empathy interviews as a practice appeared to be central to these shifts, giving educators a tool for innovation in the emotionally challenging year of 2020-2021 in which many educators taught online. Building from the new uses educators made of empathy, we propose a model that integrates empathy with conceptualizations of teachers' knowledge as both politically situated and emergent in relationship with marginalized students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1501037
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1501037
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Teachers Rehumanizing Mathematics for Students with Disabilities; the Role of Empathy
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rachel+Lambert%22">Rachel Lambert</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2503-4237">0000-0002-2503-4237</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kara+Imm%22">Kara Imm</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Instructional+Science%3A+An+International+Journal+of+the+Learning+Sciences%22"><i>Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences</i></searchLink>. 2026 54(1).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 21
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Empathy%22">Empathy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Humanization%22">Humanization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Education%22">Mathematics Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Design%22">Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thinking+Skills%22">Thinking Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Teachers%22">Mathematics Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Education+Teachers%22">Special Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+Disabilities%22">Attitudes toward Disabilities</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1007/s11251-025-09753-4
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0020-4277<br />1573-1952
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Rehumanizing mathematics with and for students with disabilities is a critically important, and often overlooked, aspect of mathematics education. This paper describes a professional development project that paired Universal Design for Learning with Design Thinking for mathematics and special educators. We situated disability in a political framework, as a shift from a medical model to a political/relational model. Across data sources, the educators in our study attributed shifts in their beliefs and practices to empathy, both as a value and a practice of empathy interviews. Educators reported shifts away from deficit thinking about disability, towards instruction from the perspective of their disabled students. Educators described UDL as moment-to-moment decision making during instruction based on empathic relationships with students. They also connected the practice of empathy to their emerging critique of oppressive systems impacting their students with disabilities. Engaging in empathy interviews as a practice appeared to be central to these shifts, giving educators a tool for innovation in the emotionally challenging year of 2020-2021 in which many educators taught online. Building from the new uses educators made of empathy, we propose a model that integrates empathy with conceptualizations of teachers' knowledge as both politically situated and emergent in relationship with marginalized students.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1501037
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1501037
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s11251-025-09753-4
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Empathy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Humanization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thinking Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Education Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Student Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward Disabilities
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Teachers Rehumanizing Mathematics for Students with Disabilities; the Role of Empathy
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rachel Lambert
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kara Imm
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0020-4277
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1573-1952
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 54
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences
              Type: main
ResultId 1