Collective Work on Problems of Practice in Antiracist Practice-Based Teacher Education

• In Event: Tensions and Opportunities in Integrating Practice-Based Teacher Education and Socially Just Teacher Education

Abstract

Objectives
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of critiquing problems of practices as a tool for illuminating antiracist or justice-oriented efforts across teacher preparation programs, particularly outside of courses specifically designed to address diversity and equity.

Perspective(s)
Teacher educators have long been studied pertaining to how race-visible efforts are taught to preservice teachers (Hambacher & Ginn, 2021). These studies often focus on individual courses that address topics like diversity or multiculturalism or during field work (for example, see Matias & Zembylas, 2014), or they examine individual teacher racial dispositions (Annamma, 2014), but these studies rarely look comprehensively across teacher education programs. The status quo results in many barriers to justice-oriented programs emerging (Kim & Patet, 2021) and Brown (2014) describes programs that are, “mired in a normalized, White culture” (p. 340). A drastic approach to disrupting patterns of inequity are needed to overcome the White privilege pedagogies that currently permeate in teacher preparation programs (Berchini, 2017).

Methods / Techniques
Problem of practice sessions were conducted once a month via Zoom. Sessions were recorded for review and analysis. Each session included 20 - 40 participants. Participants were invited to complete a survey addressing satisfaction, personal, and professional growth. The process of practice is loosely modeled on the method described by Pratt (2021) and expanded for a group implementation.

Data Sources / Evidence / Objects / Materials
Problems of practice sessions were designed to allow teacher educators to study approaches for embedding a more justice-oriented focus into current coursework and receive feedback from peers. One selected teacher educator provided a sample lesson (e.g., video), described the context, and identified a specific problem for study. For ninety minutes, participants observed the lesson, worked through potential solutions, and problem solved barriers to implementation. A follow-up survey provided quantitative and qualitative data.

Results
All participants found high levels of value in the Problem of Practice sessions. The faculty member who supplied the problem gained strategies and insights into shifting a lesson(s) to more of a justice-oriented focus. All participants reported learning ideas and strategies from other participants. Participants reported changing their practice as a result of attending these sessions.

Scholarly Significance of Work
Boutte and Jackson (2014) discuss their work with White allies in teacher preparation and the struggle to move beyond just layering ‘diversity’ on top of the status quo. This study provides a description of one collaborative approach to expanding antiracist or race-visible efforts across teacher preparation programs substantively, as suggested by Casey, McManimon, and Berchini (2018). The Problem of Practice approach is unique in that most past efforts have focused on individual growth, or on individual courses or fieldwork to engage in this important work.

Authors

• Sean Lancaster, Grand Valley State University

• Kevin Dean Cunningham, Central Michigan University