Nila L. Haworth

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: a Noble Theory, an Ignoble Practice As Unfolded Through One Teacher's Heuristic Inquiry Nila L. Haworth

A careful examination of the evolutions of Curriculum as Political Text and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1973 disclosed certain contributory facets to teacher disillusionment in an inclusive high school environment. A diminishing sense of professional self-efficacy, self-empowerment, and optimism stemmed primarily from the political machinations of a hidden curriculum and a misapplication of an inclusive classroom practice. The process used to arrive at these conclusions was heuristic research, wherein outward perceptions and realties assumed meaning vis-a-vis inward reflection and introspection,disclosing an unequivocal new awareness, illumination, and enlightenment. Such personal enrichment, however, arrived only after a journey-of-self unfolded through the three phases of heuristic research--Immersion, Acquisition, and Realization. First and foremost, this was a human study that examined specific elements contributing to teacher disillusionment. During Immersion, disquieting professional life experiences formed the preliminary data through which and from which was extrapolated an essence or meaning that ultimately assumed form through autobiographical narrative. The second phase, Acquisition, included input from a variety of sources, ranging from texts, literature, and discourses to federal legislation and law review to human subjects'studies. What was "acquired," then scrutinized, was new knowledge relative to disillusionment in the inclusive classroom, especially with regard to curriculum as political text. Finally, the Realization Phase aggregated and synthesized the components disclosed in Immersion and Acquisition, which led to a dynamic "coming together" of seemingly disparate elements, ultimately affirming a sense of professionalism and validating search-of-self.