Unique Needs and Opportunities of Preparing Black Teachers: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and STEM Preparation for Teacher Candidates

• In Event: 28.049 - Preparing African American Teacher Candidates to Enact Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Lessons From a Historically Black College/University

Abstract

As a means of addressing the need for elementary education programs to strengthen the preparation of elementary teacher education students to provide effective STEM instruction, this presentation will present a framework designed to enhance elementary pre-service teachers’ abilities in incorporate Culturally Responsive Pedagogy into their STEM instruction. The Culturally Responsive STEM Content for Outstanding Research Experiences (CR-SCORE) Framework is designed to provide a systematic framework to better prepare pre-service elementary teachers to help enliven the field of STEM for diverse populations of learners.


Several issues complicate an infusion of STEM content and instruction within many school systems. Unfortunately many school systems, especially those that support historically marginalized communities, lack qualified mathematics and science teachers[1] (Education Trust, 2002). Extending beyond a need for educators who are confident in teaching STEM content, there is a wide and growing chasm amongst educators who recognize and meaningfully address the nuance of race and culture in the classroom. Teacher preparation programs need a robust and comprehensive model to guide instruction and assessment of culturally responsive teaching (Hernandez et al., 2015).


The CR-SCORE framework provides a systematic approach developing pre-service teachers’ ability to employ culturally responsive pedagogies without compromising the rigor of the mathematics and science content in three distinct ways. First, the CR-SCORE framework requires pre-service elementary teachers to examine and reflect on their own culture and cultural experiences. Second, the CR-SCORE framework is predicated on the assumption that pre-service elementary teachers have limited STEM content knowledge. Lastly, the CR-SCORE framework provides pre-service elementary teachers with an opportunity to experience the mathematics and science content first-hand as learners, prior to expecting them to teach the content.

Preliminary findings of three student cohorts suggest that participants increased their STEM content knowledge and deepened their understanding of CRP as evidenced in their personal reflections, lesson planning, and delivery. Participants self-reported that their awareness of culture was heightened as a result of their participation in the culturally responsive activities. The activities provided students and opportunity to reflect and discuss some of their personal experiences in the mathematics and science classrooms as students. The understanding of the role that their own individual culture played in their mathematical and scientific experiences provided clarity on the importance of being cognizant of the role that culture in their mathematics and science classrooms.

The participants also self-reported during their individual interviews and focus groups that their content knowledge was deepened as a result of the micro-credentialing and the STEM immersion activities. Participants indicated that the micro-credentialing provided them with specific content knowledge that was reinforced by the STEM immersion activity. These preliminary findings suggest that the participants are increasing their STEM content knowledge and their understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) by participating in the learning activities outlined in CR-SCORE framework. Additional data collection and analysis will provide more in-depth insight into the nuances and manifestations of the intersections of culture and instruction within mathematics and science elementary classrooms.

Author

• Christian J. Anderson, Morgan State University