New Teachers’ Embodiment of a Critical Identity and Perceptions of Preparedness and Support for Urban Teaching

• In Event: Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Mentoring in Urban Contexts

Abstract

Several teacher preparation programs have responded to calls for highly-qualified teachers in urban schools by modifying their program to include coursework and experiences that provide pre-service teachers with an enhanced understanding of the socio-cultural and sociopolitical climates in which urban youth live and learn. However, few studies track pre-service teachers into the first years of teaching to determine program effectiveness in preparing them for their careers. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to understand novice teachers’ embodiment of a critical identity, self-efficacy, and perceptions of preparedness and support for urban teaching. Findings indicate participants’ agreement that the program adequately prepared them to be effective urban educators; yet, nuances exist in teachers’ reflections based on race and high school attended.

Authors

• Terry Kyle Flennaugh, Michigan State University

• Dorinda Carter Andrews, Michigan State University