"Hard Work Can Lead You Anywhere": Deconstructing Teacher Candidates' Assumptions About Meritocracy, Educational Equity, and School Achievement

• In Event: 75.040 - Teacher Candidates' Beliefs, Perceptions, and Assumptions

Abstract

This mixed-method study examined the influence of a course designed to promote critical awareness in teacher candidates by deconstructing their assumptions of meritocracy, educational equity and school achievement. Three questions guided this study: What were teacher candidates’ views on meritocracy in relation to educational equity and school achievement before the course on Language, Literacy and Culture? What role did coursework play in deconstructing teacher candidates’ assumptions about meritocracy? What can teacher educators learn from this study? Participants comprised 141 teacher candidates at a mid-Atlantic urban university. Quantitative data consisted of pre and post surveys while qualitative data comprised written response to coursework, self-analysis, and interviews. Findings revealed teacher candidates’ developed critical awareness about meritocracy with implications for program development.

Authors

• Althier M. Lazar, Saint Joseph's University

• Suniti Sharma, Saint Joseph's University