Collaborative Self-Study: Advocating for Democratic Principles and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Teacher Education

• In Event: A Long and Representative View of Peace Education Across the Globe

Abstract

The change in the socio-political climate of the United States during the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump deeply affected K-12 students, families, teachers, and teacher-educators. Further, the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education shook those studying education, surfacing concerns about the pillars of democracy and public schooling. This paper presents a collaborative-self-study of three teacher-educators regarding how they understood, practiced, and promoted democratic education in response to that rhetoric at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Southern California. The authors used collaborative-self-study to advance democratic education during the 2016 election season. Researchers share three narrative exemplars across disciplines to explore how engaging in collaborative-self-study was integral to developing relevant pedagogies within a shifting socio-political climate.

Authors

• Saili S. Kulkarni, San Jose State University

• Jennifer Stacy, California State University - Dominguez Hills

• Heather Kertyzia, United Nations University for Peace