Ethnic Studies Community Responsive Teacher Development

• In Event: 47.052 - The Power of Ethnic Studies: Impact on Teacher and Curriculum Development

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present research on how an Ethnic Studies pedagogical framework has developed community responsive teacher practices. The paper begins with a definition of Ethnic Studies (Butler, 2001; Hu-Dehart, 1993; Yang, 2000). Next, the author presents a short history of high school Ethnic Studies courses in California and critically analyzes the credentialing process by which teachers become qualified to teach Ethnic Studies. Findings suggest effective Ethnic Studies pedagogy goes beyond the content of the curriculum, including how the teacher relates to the students and engages the students in building on what they already know. This paper explores the factors that may impact Ethnic Studies teacher effectiveness including teacher cultural identity, relationship with ethnic communities, critique of a hegemonic system and curriculum, professional development opportunities, ethnic studies content knowledge, pedagogy, community engagement, and ethnic group membership.

The paper provides a literature review that answers the question: How does Ethnic Studies provide the support for teachers to be effective in the following three domains of community responsiveness: Relationships, Relevance, and Responsibility? The domains of community responsiveness is defined as:

Responsibility
The responsibility domain consists of qualities of a community responsive educator that is committed to understanding and responding to the wide range of needs (social and academic) that can impact a student's capacity to be at their best. How does Ethnic Studies provide an environment that supports teachers to become skilled in assessing what students need to achieve academic, social, and emotional success? How does Ethnic Studies shape how educators understand their role in the lives of students, especially those who have been historically marginalized?

Relevance
The relevance domain consists of qualities of a community responsive educator that is committed to developing curriculum and pedagogy that connects to students' daily lives, their communities, their families, and their ethnic, cultural, and linguistic histories. How does Ethnic Studies support educators to be open and appreciative of the cultures that are present in their classroom? How does Ethnic Studies teach teachers about the histories and counternarratives that are deliberately and inadvertently left out of the mainstream content? How does Ethnic Studies develop teachers’ pedagogy to become more relevant not only to students’ interests but also their historical and contemporary experiences?

Relationships
The relationships domain consists of qualities of a community responsive educator that is committed to building meaningful relationships with students and families, understanding that students do not care what we know until they know that we care. How does Ethnic Studies place value on relationship and community building? How does Ethnic Studies provide spaces for teachers and students to create strong bonds with each other?

The conclusion of this paper will provide a proposal for an Ethnic Studies Teacher Development Model that draws from the organizations and programs reviewed in the literature.

Author

• Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University