Examining the Sociopolitical Consciousness of Prospective Teachers

• In Event: Teaching for Justice

Abstract

Most students in the teacher education program at “Midwestern University” (MU) are from a red-state, MU context, where it’s known for minimal racial, ethnic diversity, but having tremendous socio-economic status diversity. In this paper, we use intersectionality as a framework to explore our prospective teachers’ (PTs) developing sociopolitical consciousness concerning race and class and translating into actions as teachers. Results indicate a shift in PTs’ dispositions: while PTs’ class awareness shows constantly high, resistance to learning about race and racism have drastically changed compared to previous studies in this locale (see Author 1, 2014, 2015, 2018; Author 1 et al., 2015). We conclude with significance and contributions of our work to critical White studies in White rural space.

Authors

• Keonghee Tao Han, University of Wyoming
  Presenting Author

• Richard Kitchen, University of Wyoming
  Presenting Author