The Missing Voices of Censorship: A Large National Study of Teacher Perspectives

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: The Politics of Language and Literacy Curricula: Amplifying Obscured Perspectives Within Cultural Contexts (Table 27)

Abstract

Scholarship on diverse literature in schools includes small studies of teacher perceptions and lacks their perceptions about censorship. This study offers a larger, recent, national report of teachers' perspectives about diverse texts and censorship informed by Banks’ (1993) multicultural education. Findings consist of 231 teachers from six states. 87% worried about censorship and nearly all ranked parents and the public as one of their top two biggest worries. They shared desired leadership supports, including clear proactive and defensive measures, resources, and legislation. The more liberal a teacher identified, the more likely they wanted to use diverse literature, but race had no statistical significance with this desire. Understanding teachers’ perceptions offers tangible solutions for addressing a highly political, fear-inducing school environment.

Authors

• Ricki Ginsberg, Colorado State University

• Rosa Nam, Colorado State University