The Challenges of Discussing Race, Ethnicity, and Identity in Class: Learning From Teachers

• In Event: Understanding How Educators Interact With and Inform Adolescents’ Ethnic-Racial Identities

Abstract

Despite the increasing importance of conversations about race, ethnicity, and identity with students, there continues to be wide variability in teachers’ ability and comfort level in effectively leading these discussions. In the U.S., there have been increased efforts to develop and deliver professional development (i.e., PD) and teacher training focused on multicultural education, intercultural competence, and culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining pedagogy; yet, there is limited research on what makes teacher PD most effective (Parkhouse et al., 2019). Some have argued for the importance of incorporating a needs-based assessment into cultural competence training, which begins with identifying the needs, concerns, and strengths of the recipients of the PD (Smith & Barh, 2014).

Accordingly, the current study explored teachers’ perceptions of the challenges related to engaging in curricula, conversations, and activities related to race, ethnicity, and identity with their students in the classroom. The ethnoracially diverse sample included 20 urban U.S. high school History and English teachers (14 White, 2 Asian American, 1 Black, 1 Black-Latinx, 1 Latinx; 1 Brazilian; 80% female; teaching experience ranged from 1-27 years) recruited from three public schools in a large metropolitan area in the Northeast U.S. Data were gathered in December 2019 and January 2020 through face-to-face, in-person, individual interviews that lasted approximately 60 minutes each.

Consensual qualitative coding and analysis were used (Hill & Knox, 2021). The first, second, and third authors utilized thematic analysis with five of the interviews to identify initial codes. The first and second authors refined these initial codes into seven domains (and sub-domains when relevant) and applied these domains across the twenty interviews. They then developed core ideas for each coded excerpt and created the categories through grouping the core ideas within each domain. The last author provided feedback and review throughout each stage of the analysis process.

Seven domains were identified characterizing teachers’ perceived challenges (see Table 1): Classroom environment, relationships and trust; Implementation of curriculum and/or content; Teacher training; Social context; Teacher characteristics; Sensitive conversations; Student characteristics. Each domain included categories; for example, within the domain of Teacher training, multiple teachers shared a need for differentiation in training content because of the range of experiences and knowledge that teachers enter training with on topics related to race, ethnicity, and identity. Some domains were further organized into subdomains; for example, within Sensitive conversations (i.e., challenges related to the sensitive nature of the content), a sub-domain identified was Harm (i.e., the potential harm experienced by students during conversations or activities). The categories within this sub-domain included concerns about student on student harm, teacher on student harm, and harm caused by the content or structure of the conversation and/or activities themselves. Findings raise important implications for how to support teachers’ development of the capacities, mindsets, behaviors, and skills necessary for leading conversations about race, ethnicity, and identity with high school students.

Authors

• Megan Satterthwaite-Freiman, Harvard University

• Kristia Wantchekon, Georgetown University

• Gladys Maria Aguilar, Stanford University

• Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Harvard University