Humanizing Asynchronous Teacher Preparation: Developing Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding of Intersectional Identity

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Culturally Responsive Pathways in Preservice Teacher Education: Identity, Global Experiences, and Literature-Based Pedagogy

Abstract

Employing a culturally sustaining framework, this study examined pre-service teachers’ engagement with cultural identity questionnaires (Stansberry Brusnahan et al., 2023) and reflection activities (Smith Kondo, 2024) for a graduate level teacher preparation course. Participants shared their findings via presentations and written reflections and engaged with their peers’ presentations through an online discussion board. We found three emerging themes: a) participants affirmed and challenged one another as they built community and encouraged further reflection, b) participants alluded to profound revelations, but deflected sharing details, c) participants leaned into vulnerability and criticality with the “Struggle Group” protocol (Smith Kondo, 2024). While asynchronous courses can challenge creating community and encouraging vulnerability, this study offers hope for creating humanizing spaces and culturally sustaining practitioners.

Authors

• Kelly Lormand, Grand Valley State University

• Katie F. Whitley, Montclair State University