Reinventing Curriculum and Instruction With Ethnic Studies: An Autoethnography of an MA Program

• In Event: Another Teacher Education Is Possible: The Case for Ethnic Studies and the Preparation of All Teachers

Abstract

Objectives & Research Questions
University teacher education programs focusing on social justice are no longer a rarity. Amidst an emboldened white supremacy, espoused commitments have increased significantly. A trend the field can anticipate is with Ethnic Studies. Efforts to connect Ethnic Studies to mainstream teacher education can be found in Ethnic Studies pedagogies and methods courses and Ethnic Studies pathways into credential programs. This paper advances a critical analysis located at the nexus of a Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) MA program and Ethnic Studies. Research questions included: 1) What institutional barriers exist for the development of an MA program grounded in Ethnic Studies? 2) How does an Ethnic Studies Education centered MA program shape the experiences of teacher of color candidates?

Theory
Ethnic Studies frameworks (Tintiangco-Cubales, et al., 2015) and critical race theory in teacher education (Solorzano, 2019) were used to guide study design and analyses. Ethnic Studies’ attention to power offers insight for how the imperial university (Chatterjee & Maira, 2014) presents institutional barriers when pressed with programmatic advancements that disrupt the status quo. Critical race theory in teacher education challenges dominant paradigms that assume teachers subscribe to “meritocracy” and “objectivity” while maintaining a focus on the lived experiences of Students of Color in research, curriculum, and pedagogy. Collectively, these frameworks encourage thinking across disciplines, informing how we might better recognize the potential for Ethnic Studies in teacher education.



Methods/Sources
The mode of inquiry weaves together autoethnography (Chang, 2016), counterstorytelling (Solorzano & Yosso, 2002) and extends the use of the Ethnic Studies praxis story plot (Author) - a curricular framework widely used in Ethnic Studies classrooms. Data were collected over three years and consisted of: program modification documents, curriculum review memos, student exit surveys and student projects, and the researcher’s personal experiences from a public university teacher education MA program in southern California. The study’s site is unique, consisting of majority Teacher of Color candidates and majority Faculty of Color. Together these data were used to create a “praxis story” akin to an autoethnographic narrative.

Findings
This study documents how an existing MA in Education program changed to center Ethnic Studies. It examines assets of teacher of color candidates and asserts the need to consider ways graduate programs can be a site for preparing and supporting teacher candidates. Findings contribute new insights toward: 1) institutional barriers propped up at the campus-wide sharing stage for curricular and programmatic changes and 2) approaches for embedding Ethnic Studies approaches to mainstream teacher education.

Significance
This paper contributes to the limited body of literature on Ethnic Studies and teacher education at the programmatic level and suggests how Ethnic Studies can contribute to equitable learning for all teacher candidates. Use of the “praxis story” as a mechanism to interrogate institutional challenges provides a methodological contribution for Ethnic Studies centered modes of inquiry. This study also adds to the growing empirical scholarship on Ethnic Studies and Education, highlighting the trenchant ways Ethnic Studies can support reinventing curriculum and instruction for incisive teaching and learning.

Author

• Edward R. Curammeng, California State University - Dominguez Hills