Scholarship

My research focuses on disability awareness in K-12 and higher education and disability in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). I am specifically interested in the ways that students, K-12 schools, and universities conceive of and engage with disability, as well as the ways that disability is—or is not—represented within the context of DEI. 

Publications (*denotes student co-authors) 

• Hansen, N., Bialka, C.S., Wong, S.J., & *Gamerman, T. (2024). "Learning on the job": An exploration of teacher educators' training and comfort with anti-ableist discussion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104481 

• *Jacobson, R., & Bialka, C.S. (2023). Identifying Factors that Promote or Inhibit Disability-Related Discussion in Secondary English Language Arts Classroom. 

• *Darazsdi, Z., & Bialka, C.S. (2023). “Oh, you couldn't be autistic”: Examining anti-autistic bias and self-esteem in the therapeutic alliance. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice 

• Hansen, N., Kan, I., Bialka, C.S., & *Lundell, A. (2023). Are Teachers Talking About Disability?: An Investigation of Factors Associated with Discussion in PK-12 Classrooms. The International Journal of Disability, Development and Education.

• Hansen, N., Bialka, C.S., & Wong, S. (2022). Reading literature about children and adolescents with disabilities: A window into PST’ emerging understanding of disability. Journal of Education for Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2126750

• *Aloi, A., Bialka, C.S. (2022) Unearthing and addressing bias: Understanding the connection between teacher dispositions and disproportionality. Disability & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2041401

• Bialka, C. S., Hansen, N., & Wong, S. J. (2021). Erasure or empowerment?: How pre-service teachers address disability when using children’s literature. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1956629 

• Bialka, C.S. & Havlik, S. (2020) Understanding elementary and middle school counselor's experiences with disability awareness and advocacy. Journal of School Counseling, 18(25).

• Bialka, C.S. (2020). Designing a more accessible future: Learning from COVID-19. Perspectives on Urban Education, 18(1).

• Bialka, C.S., Havlik, S., *Mancini, G. & Marano, H. (2019). “I guess I’ll have to bring it”: Examining the construction and outcomes of a social justice–oriented service-learning partnership. The Journal of Transformative Education.

• Bialka, C.S. & *Morro, D. (2018). ‘It didn’t come up on my radar’: an examination of students’ orientation toward disability justice in the US. Disability & Society.  

• Bialka, C.S. & *Morro, D. (2018). Life after LEAD: A retrospective analysis of what members learned from a collegiate disability awareness group Innovative Higher Education.

• Bialka, C. S., Hansen, N., & Wong, S. J. (2018). Breaking the cycle: Preparing pre-service teachers for disability-related discussions. Teacher Education and Special Education. 

• Bialka, C.S. (2017). Fortifying the foundation: Tools for addressing disability within the multicultural classroom. Multicultural Perspectives, 19(3), 172-177.

• Bialka, C.S. & *Mancini, G. (2017). Unpacking disability-related curriculum in the language arts classroom.  English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 16(2), 161-177.

• Bialka, C.S., *Morro, D., *Brown, D., & *Hannah, G. (2017). Breaking barriers and building bridges: Understanding how a student organization attends to the social integration of college students with disabilities.  Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 30(2), 157-172.

• Bialka, C. S., & Andrus, S. H. (2017). Novice veterans: An exploration of the roles Teach for America teachers inhabit.  Journal of the National Association for Alternative Certification, 12 (1), 3-28.  

• Bialka, C. S., & *Morro, D. (2017). “What’s disability got to do with it?” Examining ability privilege in a disability studies course.  Journal of College and Character, 18(1), 28-45. 

• Bialka, C. S. (2016). Beyond knowledge and skills: Best practices for attending to dispositions in teacher education programs. Issues in Teacher Education, 25(2), 3-21. 

• Bialka, C. S. (2016). Understanding the factors that shape dispositions toward students with disabilities: a case study of three general education pre-service teachers. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(6), 616-636.

• Havlik, S., Bialka, C. S., & *Schneider, K. (2016). Theory to practice: Integrating service learning into a pre-practicum Introduction to School Counseling course.  The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision. 8(2), 1-12.

• Bialka, C. S., & Havlik, S. A. (2016). Partners in learning exploring two transformative university and high school service-learning partnerships.  Journal of Experiential Education, 39(3), 220-237. 

• Bialka, C. S., *Brown, K. S., *Morro, D., & *Hannah, G. (2016). On their LEVEL: How participation in a university student group shapes members’ perceptions of disability.  Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 

• Bialka, C. S. (2015). Deconstructing dispositions: Toward a critical ability theory in teacher education. Action in Teacher Education, 37(2), 138–155. 

Invited Journal Articles

• Bialka, C.S. (2020). Designing a more accessible future: Learning from COVID-19. Perspectives on Urban Education, 18(1).

Book Chapters

• Bialka, C. S. (In press). Chapter 11: Reaching Beyond Compliance: Amplifying the Voices of Disabled Students. In J. Conner, R. Raaper, C. G. Valenzuela, & L. Gauthier (Eds.), The Bloomsbury Handbook of Student Voice in Higher Education. Bloomsbury Publishing.

• Phuong, J., Bialka, C. S., & MacDonald, M. (2021). Developing critically inclusive, anti-ableist organizations. In K. Pak & S. M. Ravitch (Eds.), Critical Leadership Praxis for Educational and Social Change (pp. 123–135). Teachers College Press.

Opinion Pieces

• Bialka, C.S. (2018, November 5). College students with disabilities are too often excluded. The Conversation: Boston, MA.

Book Reviews 

• Bialka, C. S. (2015). Review of Chatterjee, P. & Maira, S. The imperial university: Academic repression and scholarly dissent. The Journal for Peace and Justice Studies, 25(1), 118-121.

• Bialka, C. S., Fierros, E. G. (2013). Review of Hehir, T. & Katzman, L. Effective inclusive schools: Designing successful schoolwide programs. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Education Review.