Preservice Teacher Transformation From Knowing About Diversity to Political Activism for Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline

• In Event: 53.054 - CANCELLED: Reconceptualizing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Diversity: Advocating Inclusion for Immigrant, Migrant, Refugee, Emergent Bilingual, and Incarcerated Students

Abstract

Objectives
We conclude the symposium with this study that examined how mentoring and tutoring incarcerated youth transforms preservice teachers from knowing about diversity to becoming political activists for disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline as advocates for equitable educational opportunities for all students. Several questions guided this study: How does mentoring and tutoring incarcerated youth bridge preservice teachers’ knowledge about diversity to taking action for equitable educational opportunities? How does experiential learning of the school-to-prison pipeline contribute toward preparing politically conscious teacher activists? What are the pedagogical implications of political consciousness for preservice teachers’ classroom practice?

Theoretical Framework
This study is framed by Gloria Anzaldúa’s (2002) notion of engaging with diversity for educational transformation through critical analyses of exclusionary forms of knowledge, and is grounded in experiential learning on the one hand and political activism, on the other. According to Anzaldúa, transformation is a three step process of breaking boundaries by going outside our comfort zone; building bridges across different knowledges; and raising consciousness through political activism for equitable educational opportunities without exclusions.

Modes of Inquiry
The research design consists of case studies that are called for when exploring “how” and “why” questions that investigate a contemporary phenomenon within a natural setting (Yin, 2009). Yin notes case studies comprise five important features: 1) phenomenon under study is an individual, event, institution, or any other unit of analysis; 2) is conducted in a natural setting in which the phenomenon occurs; 3) inquiry involves in-depth data collection from multiple sources; 4) findings are compared across cases; and, 5) the differences between cases are delineated. Participants comprised two preservice teachers at a Mid-Atlantic university who volunteered to mentor and tutor incarcerated youth. Data included questionnaires, interviews, focus interviews, discussions, journal reflections, and researchers’ observations and field notes. Analysis sought to triangulate findings from the multiple data sources for accuracy and reliability.

Findings
Findings from the study demonstrated that the opportunity to work one-on-one with incarcerated youth provided the context for complicating preservice teachers’ awareness of the relation among cultural diversity, teacher knowledge and marginalization of some students. The experience provided preservice teachers with deep cultural knowledge for pedagogical applications when teaching culturally diverse students; deepened awareness of the gap between teacher knowledge and cultural diversity; provoked questioning of conventional teaching and school knowledge; opened opportunities for developing inclusive pedagogies; and transformed preservice teachers into activists for ending the school-to-prison pipeline.

Significance
First, the study demonstrates teacher education programs that include alternative forms of experiential learning outside the boundaries of traditional field placements are able to deepen preservice teachers’ cultural knowledge and question their own preconceived notions about cultural difference. Second, the experience of mentoring and tutoring of incarcerated youth is an opportunity for preservice teachers to engage in the social, political and educational implications of incarceration and become advocates for ending the school-to-prison pipeline. Finally, this study provides evidence that innovative curricula grounded in evidence-based research has the potential for consciousness raising toward equitable opportunities in educational contexts.

Author

• Suniti Sharma, Saint Joseph's University