Street Data, Stronger Futures: Interrupting Colonized Teacher Preparation In Grow Your Own (GYO) Initiatives

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Confronting Oppressive Forces in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to engage in the process of “unforgetting” community histories and perspectives through Street Data as an activist research paradigm (Safir et al., 2025) Decolonial theory guides the exploration of focus groups with students, parents, community leaders, teachers, and community college educators in a midwestern school district. Findings revealed systemic barriers to belonging, trust, and racial equity. Embedding local histories, trauma-informed practices, and student centered pedagogies into teacher preparation can strengthen student belonging, engagement, and performance. Centering the lived experiences of students, parents, and community leaders, served to decolonize teacher preparation to restores marginalized perspectives and engender equitable futures.

Author

• Eric R. Junco, Northern Illinois University