“I Don’t Want to Sound Racist, But…”: Race, Ethnicity and Identity Construction Among Music Teacher Candidates

• In Event: Roundtable Session 66
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching About Race—Struggling With Teaching About Race: Teachers’ Reflections

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which music teacher candidates located in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. interpreted clinical observations of diverse classroom contexts and concurrently constructed professional identities. Designed as a multiple case study, this research employed narrative data, observations, and open-ended interviews to elucidate participants’ language and meaning. Emergent themes include a geographically-localized definition of American students, the influence of religion on participants’ professional philosophies, and the import of inclusive pedagogical practices for students of color. This research may inform teacher education practice, putting forth questions regarding assumptions regarding teacher education, race and ethnicity.

Authors

• Adria R. Hoffman, University of Virginia

• Lindsey Midori Keay, University of Southern Mississippi

• A. Rebecca Halliday, University of Southern Mississippi