Intersectional Course Redesign

A Team-Based, Critical Approach

Abstract

In this article, we offer a practical guide to support higher education faculty in conducting team-based, intersectionally conscious course redesign in special education teacher preparation programs. Rooted in intersectionality and Disability Studies in Education (DSE) theory, this article offers strategies for evaluating and transforming course content to better prepare preservice teachers to serve diverse learners. Seven phases structure the process: (1) identifying collaborators, (2) organizing roles and workflow, (3) reviewing current content, (4) engaging in individual reflection, (5) engaging in discourse, (6) developing new content, and (7) evaluating revisions. Drawing on intersectionality scholarship, our approach addresses how faculty positionalities, power dynamics, and systemic inequities shape curriculum. It also responds to political resistance to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access by providing actionable strategies to counter deficit-based models and center marginalized voices. Illustrative examples from two redesign projects demonstrate how intersectionality can be enacted as praxis throughout the process.