David Hernández-Saca, PhD

Associate Professor

COE Faculty Senate Co-Chair

David Hernandez-Saca
Location

SEC 630

Phone
(319) 273-7646

Directory Contact

David Hernández-Saca, PhD

Associate Professor

COE Faculty Senate Co-Chair

David I. Hernández-Saca, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Dr. Hernández-Saca is a former 8-12 multi-subject teacher and his teaching responsibilities at UNI include undergraduate teacher preparation courses in the areas of 1) special education law, assistive technology and advocacy and activism and 2) creating and sustaining positive learning environments for K-12 for Strategist I and Strategist II teacher education from a Disability Studies in Education (DSE) interdisciplinary and intersectionality approach. Dr. Hernández-Saca's research nucleus of his research agenda is problematizing the common sense assumptions of learning disabilities (LD). Dr. Hernández-Saca's three lines of research inquiry include: (1) the emotional impact of LD labeling on conceptions of inner speech and dialogical self; (2) the role of emotion and affect in teacher learning about social justice issues; and (3) examining violence within the academy against historically multiply marginalized and non-hegemonic scholars at their intersections of power and identities for their well-being and healing. What ties all three of his lines of inquiry together is his commitment to educational equity through an interdisciplinary research design and methodology. Overall, Dr. Hernández-Saca investigates these as they relate to historical equity issues in general education and special education and current movements for inclusive education at the boundaries of traditional special education and DSE.  
Teaching Interests
  • ELSPED 3115: School & Inclusive Education in the 21st Century 
  • SPED 3150: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners 
  • SPOC 3150: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners 
  • SPED 4150/5150: Introduction to Special Education: Legal, Advocacy, and Assistive Technology Practices and Issues
  • SPED 4171/5171: Creating and Sustaining Positive Inclusive Learning Environments in K-12
  • SPED 4180/5180: The Interdisciplinary Study of Disability
  • SPED 4192/5192: Experience in Special Education: Practicum 2, Strategist I K-8 (K-8 Field Experience)
  • SPED 4192/5192: Experience in Special Education: Practicum 2, Strategist II K-12 (K-12 Field Experience)
  • INTDEPED 7303: Foundations of Inquiry
Research Interests

  • Problematizing the Common Sense Assumptions of Learning Disabilities at the Intersections of Power and Identities and Co-Constructing Inclusive Policies and Practices in Education. 

  • The Emotional and Social Impacts of Learning Disability Labels and Labeling on Conceptions of Inner Speech and the Dialogical Self at the Intersections of Power and Identities 

  • The Role of Emotion and Affect in Teacher Learning about Social Justice Issues at the Intersections of Power and Identities 

  • Examining violence within the academy against historically multiply marginalized and non-hegemonic scholars at their intersections of power and identities for their well-being and healing 

Professional Accomplishments
  • Iqtadar, S., & Hernández-Saca, D. (2024). Transnational Global South Informed DisCrit in Teacher Preparation: Boundary-Crossing Between Disability Studies and Communication Sciences. Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 19(3-4).
  • Cannon, M. & Hernández-Saca, D.I. (2024). “Storying” from special education classroom: Centering voices from accessible-interdependence-intimacy as interdisciplinary justice in pedagogical practices. Theory to Practice, 1-21. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00405841.2024.235584
  • Pearson, H. & Hernández-Saca, D.I. (2024). Recentering and claiming joy and radical love in education. Theory to Practice, https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2024.2355846