Beliefs of African American Female Science Teachers

• In Event: Understanding Unique and Critical Dimensions of the African and African American Diaspora in Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the beliefs African American female middle school teachers have about their roles as science teachers. Science teacher belief studies, particularly those related to the education of African American students in urban schools, have generally failed to include African American teachers, male or female. The theoretical framework of black feminist thought guided this study. Interviews, observations, and documents served to provide in-depth understanding of the participants’ beliefs. Findings indicated that non-teaching roles not identified by policy documents were important. More research is necessary in order to understand the connections between African-American middle school science teacher beliefs about their roles as science teachers, instructional practices, and connections to reform policies.

Author

• Donna Leneva Whiting, Georgia Institute of Technology