Teaching A Raisin in the Sun to Rural, White Students: Missed Opportunities in Perspective Taking

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Literacy, Identity, and Justice: Critical Perspectives

Abstract

This descriptive case study examines how a secondary English teacher implements Critical Literature Pedagogy (CLP) in a rural 12th-grade classroom. The study explores how white students engage with Black characters in literature, and whether they demonstrate cognitive and emotional perspective-taking. Data include four weeks of classroom observations, student and teacher interviews before and after each lesson, and analysis of student writing. Using a constant-comparative method, the study investigates the developmental demands of CLP and its potential to promote critical thinking about race and privilege. Findings suggest that combining CLP with a developmental lens can support student growth, especially in communities where systemic racism may be denied or unacknowledged due to social positioning.

Authors

• Matthew L. McConn, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Fantasia Sneed, Binghamton University, State University of New York