A Critical Analysis of Novice Teachers' Knowledge of Racial Literacy

• In Event: It's a Marathon, Not a Race: Teacher Development and Their Student Perceptions of Them

Abstract

Grounded in Goodwin and Darity (2010)’s five key domains of knowledge, this study examined a group of novice teachers’ knowledge of racial literacy through an analysis of surveys and interviews. Findings indicated that across domains, participants tended to report greater knowledge of aspects of racial literacies tied to more immediate or overt aspects of the construct. However, there was greater variation as respondents rated their understanding of structural and historical aspects of racial literacies. Various factors may have influenced participants’ understanding and practice of racial literacy, including their educational and teaching backgrounds and racial experiences. These findings reveal areas to focus on in our continued research and education of novice teachers’ racial literacies.

Authors

• Poonam Arya, Wayne State University

• Xiufang Chen, Rowan University

• Pallavi Chhabra, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Marla Roschelle Goins, The Ohio State University

• Rhonda Hylton, Kent State University

• Lisa O'Brien, Merrimack College

• Amy Leigh Tondreau, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Carin L Appleget, Creighton University

• Catherine Anne Lammert, Texas Tech University

• Shuling Yang, East Tennessee State University