There are no shortcuts: A mixed methods study of micro-credentials for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

• In Event: Centering Equity & Agency in Teacher Learning: Innovations & Tensions in Professional Development Across Contexts

Abstract

In recent years, culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) has been alternatively framed as panacea and pariah in teacher education and policy. This shifting landscape is complexified by the rise of micro-credentials—an alternative certification designed to expediently train individuals in a specific skill set, increasingly popular in business, technology, and educational sectors. Our study explores a district-implemented micro-credential for CRP through a mixed methods approach. Specifically, we compare educator perspectives and student outcomes between teachers who undertook full- vs. micro-credentials for CRP (n=161), asking whether, and how, such trainings advance student outcomes and humanizing approaches to education. Our study has implications that challenge both the widespread adoption of micro-credentials and the increasing attempts to restrict CRP in education writ large.

Authors

• Chris K. Chang-Bacon, University of Virginia

• Russell Carlock, Albemarle County Public Schools

• Abigail Akosua Amoako Kayser, James Madison University

• Mandy Flores-Curley, University of Virginia

• Maria Guzman Antelo, Rhode Island College

• Nina R. Schoonover, University of Virginia

• Ben Allen, University of Virginia