Teachers’ Use of Deficit-Based Language: Secondary Preservice Teachers’ Noticing for Equity in Teacher Education Coursework

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 4:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Enhancing Teacher Preparation: Humanizing Pedagogies, Literacy Labs, and Transnational Learning in Culturally Responsive Education (Table 9)

Abstract

The need for teachers to value, and engage with the ideas, experiences, and funds of knowledge of their culturally and linguistically diverse students and the prevalence of deficit-based perspectives among teachers, has led to the push for supporting the predominantly White middle-class teaching force to develop asset-based perspectives of students. This study used teacher noticing for equity and anti-deficit noticing frameworks to investigate how 18 secondary preservice teachers (PSTs) noticed their own deficit perspectives of students during teacher education coursework and interviews. Using mixed methods comparative case study methodology, we found increased uptake of asset-based perspectives of students and increased awareness of their own use of deficit-based perspectives due to the coursework. This has implications for teacher education.

Authors

• Amber S. Bismack, Oakland University

• Paul J. Weinberg, Oakland University