"Chasing Purple Dinosaurs": Teacher Autonomy and District Expectations of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in an Urban District

• In Event: 32.045 - Science and Mathematics Education in the Context of Culturally Relevant Practice

Abstract

This paper engages literature on teacher autonomy and culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP) to examine the relationship between district-level expectations related to CRP, and teachers’ sense of autonomy when enacting CRP. Research suggests clear expectations support teacher autonomy, while unclear expectations undermine teacher autonomy. Surveys were distributed to 80 secondary, urban ELA and mathematics teachers who teach in a district where CRP proficiency is assessed annually. Findings of note include a disconnect between district expectations and teacher autonomy, wherein the autonomy of teachers who self-identify as CRP practitioners seemed unaffected by unclear district expectations. Possible causes of this disconnect are theorized, including the role of personal accountability and need to distinguish between individual autonomy and moral autonomy in research on CRP.

Authors

• Ashley Nicole Woodson, University of Missouri

• Roderick L. Carey, University of Delaware

• Heather B. Cunningham, University of Pittsburgh

• Erika Gold Kestenberg, University of Pittsburgh

• DaVonna Graham, University of Pittsburgh