Insights and Experiences From Nontraditional Preservice Teachers at a Historically Black College/University Teacher Education Program

• In Event: Constructing a Counterstory: Experiences and Testimonies of Prospective Teachers of Color

Abstract

This qualitative study uses phenomenology as a methodology to explore the experiences of four non-traditional pre-service teachers who racially identified themselves as Black or African American and are enrolled in a HBCU traditional teacher education program. Extant literature has problematized the structure and curriculum of several traditional teacher education programs and alternative teacher certification programs. This problem contributes to the increasing shortage of Black teachers in P-12 schools. Driven by teacher identity theory, the purpose of this study is to shed light on how participants utilized their experiences, perceptions, and interactions to develop their own identities as professional educators. The findings warrant further implication for teacher education programs to meet the needs of non-traditional pre-service teachers.

Authors

• Leta Hooper, Sweet Briar College

• Wyletta S. Gamble-Lomax, Coppin State University

• Juanita D Ashby Bey, Coppin State University