Troubling Racial Climates in Teacher Education and Imagining Equitable Futures for Aspiring Teachers of Color

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Against the Tide: Teachers of Color Navigating Challenging School Contexts

Abstract

This study analyzes national survey data from the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climate (NACCC) to examine how aspiring teachers experience racial climates in educator preparation programs (EPPs). Findings reveal significant racial disparities in experiences of mattering, racial literacy, and encounters with racism, especially among students of color. Grounded in campus racial climate theory and critical race theory, the study offers data-informed recommendations for racially just program renewal. By “unforgetting” institutional histories of exclusion and amplifying student voices, the paper contributes to reimagining EPPs as affirming, equitable spaces that prepare all teachers to thrive in diverse schools and communities.

Authors

• John Pascarella, University of Southern California

• Jihye Kwon, University of Southern California