When Race Becomes a Focus in Teacher Education

• In Event: 52.078 - Equity in Science Teacher Education: Toward an Expanded Definition

Abstract

Teacher education has been challenged by increasing attacks and criticisms in national and global spheres. With the advent of national education reform, there is opportunity for highly engaged discussions on the impact of reform on several areas, such teacher education, teacher professional development, and student learning, and within specific content areas, such as science. In each of these areas, the context of increasing student diversity, changing school demographics, accountability, assessment, and persistent achievement gaps have become areas of deep interest for research and policy in teacher education and issues of equity for all students. Equity is defined in terms of access and opportunity for full engagement in learning, and in this study, equity and issues of race are foregrounded. Thus, this study speaks to elements of theory and practice and research with emphasis on the preparation of self as teachers when we consider the influence of race in science teacher education. The participants in this study were seven second and third year doctoral students (science education and social studies education majors) interested in becoming teacher educators. This study reports on their learning to address issues of race and equity in a 16-week teacher education course that utilized large and small group interactive discussions, group assignments, course readings (i.e., reports, published articles, and book chapters), video clip pre-post reflection discussions, and engagement in small research studies applicable in teacher education and classrooms. The findings of the study reveal how discussions of race tied to teacher education expanded doctoral students’ understanding of not only issues of race about students but also about themselves as teacher educators; and second, the content, interactions, and discussions in the course assisted the doctoral students in gaining greater understanding of how to connect race issues to larger issues in teacher education. The study has implications in how teacher educators may design a course to focus on race in teacher education.

Author

• Felicia Moore Mensah, Teachers College, Columbia University