Minority Serving Institutions. Towards recognizing and leveraging Latinx teacher candidates' community cultural wealth

• In Event: AERA Teachers of Color Handbook Session 1

Abstract

The current study focused on Latinx teacher candidates who enter teacher preparation programs with unique “cultural knowledge” (Tellez, 1999, p.555) and with pedagogical strengths (Burciaga & Kohli, 2018), but who are marginalized both in the literature (Rios & Montecinos, 1999; Brown, 2013) and in teacher education classrooms (Irizarry, 2011). This research framed Latinx teacher candidates’ diverse cultural and linguistic resources as potential sources of community cultural wealth (CCW) (Yosso, 2005) that can be activated to support P-12 Latinx students. Drawing from in-class observations, one-on-one interviews, and focus group interviews with Latinx teacher candidates, and program faculty, this research asked: How does a teacher education program within a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), treat and/or build on Latinx preservice teachers’ community cultural wealth? Findings offer several suggestions for HSI’s to both recognize and develop Latinx candidates’ CCW.

Author

• Diane Nevárez, University of Southern California