Exploring The Role of Race and Deficit/Asset Narratives in Teachers’ Integration of Student FoK

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Education at the Crossroads: Critical Praxis, Policy, and Possibility

Abstract

This mixed methods study first investigates how Funds of Knowledge (FoK) mediate the relationship between teacher-student racial matching and student participation in science discourse, followed by a thematic narrative analysis of teachers’ deficit and asset narratives. Survey data from 183 middle school students and two focus group interviews with science teachers in the southeastern U.S. reveal that Black students with Black teachers report higher FoK integration, which predicts greater discourse participation. Qualitative results show that teachers’ narratives significantly shape FoK integration efforts, with Black teachers generally using more asset-based perspectives.

Authors

• Kamil Hankour, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Rachel Niemira, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Ryan LeVault, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Singith Nuwanga Perera, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Gabriella Osei-Poku, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Christine Lee Bae, Virginia Commonwealth University