Enacting Culturally Informed Instruction Within Contexts of Restrictive Policies

• In Event: Yes, Race Continues to Matter in Constructing Equitable Outcomes in Education

Abstract

In 2021, our state, like others across the nation, passed legislation restricting the teaching of race and racism (i.e. divisive concepts). While we remained steadfastly committed to our approach for preparing urban teachers, we were concerned how the political context would impact our graduates’ ability to enact culturally responsive and critical approaches. Our findings indicate teachers’ efforts to implement culturally responsive education centered on curricular texts and culturally informed instruction reflecting their knowledge of the students’ backgrounds, culture, and language expertise. While teachers critiqued school system policies restricting curriculum or limiting teacher autonomy, there was limited evidence of inclusion of sociopolitical issues in the curriculum and no evidence that teachers were working toward the development of students’ critical consciousness.

Authors

• Joyce E. Many, Georgia State University

• Carla Lynn Tanguay, Georgia State University

• Ruchi Bhatnagar, Georgia State University

• Rebecca Rohloff, Georgia State University