“Why Didn’t I Know That Before?” Disrupting Imperial Evasion in Teacher Education

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Teacher Education and Relationship Building (Table 32)

Abstract

Despite the impact of US imperialism on schools and students, it is often ignored and/or unaddressed by educators in K-12 and teacher preparation programs. This paper discusses the concept of imperial evasion, which refers to the process of ignoring and denying imperialism and its effects, and analyzes students’ reflections on a decolonial and anti-imperialist Teacher Education course designed to address imperial evasion. Through qualitative interviews and analysis of undergraduates’ written work, we analyze themes that emerge from reflections about the course, and discuss how the efforts to confront imperial evasion were manifested or obscured in students’ work. Ultimately, we argue that teacher educators must interrogate imperialist ideologies in their curricula and practices.

Authors

• Shireen Al-Adeimi, Michigan State University

• Alexandra Allweiss, Michigan State University