Thinking about diversity, equity, and anti-racism in secondary English classrooms

• In Event: Teachers as change agents: Equitable education and practices

Proposal

In most U.S. states, students study English Language Arts (ELA) during each year of schooling. This is also true for international school students pursuing American curricula or other international programs as they prepare for university studies. On the secondary level, students develop and hone skills in reading, writing, oral speaking, and text analysis while also connecting personal experiences to works they are studying. Because of connections to theme, ELA classrooms can also be a forum for students to debate and discuss many of the world’s most pressing issues – culture and power, threats to the environment, and injustice to name a few. Combining discussion of themes and current voices can engage and motivate students while making learning relevant and meaningful.

As ELA courses often use texts focused on different subjects, teachers need to comprehend multiple disciplines. Reading is a gateway skill and impacts student success in all subjects, including history and math. A teacher teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, common in many classrooms, would need to not only understand Shakespeare’s writing style but also have some understanding of 14th century Italy. Likewise, teaching Elie Wiesel’s 1960 memoir, Night, would require some understanding of World War II and the Holocaust. When ELA is taught as a concept-based curriculum, it encourages students to cross disciplinary boundaries and generate knowledge through research, discussion, analysis, and action (Erickson et al., 2017).

Currently, 36 American states have adopted or passed legislation that restrict teaching about race and racism. Much of the effort has been focused on Critical Race Theory (CRT), an academic framework (Crenshaw, 2011; Stefancic & Delgado, 2017), that examines how law and policies perpetuate systemic racism. Some states have also tried to restrict anti-racism training or topics that might be divisive (Kendi; 2019; Schwartz, 2021). This stems from the Trump administration’s September 2020 Executive Order (Executive Office of the President, 2020) outlining concepts and prohibiting them in federal agency or contractor trainings. Although that Order was revoked in January 2021 (Executive Office of the President, 2021), various states have pulled ideas to spur P12 efforts and have included restrictions on curriculum and discussions, guidelines on presenting opposing viewpoints, and outright bans on teaching some subjects. Although teachers in international schools are not subject to U.S. legislative mandates, they are subject to the rules of the country where they teach. International schools are also not immune from current events and often enroll American students. Additionally, teaching controversial subjects is not always permitted and teachers must balance curricular requirements with Ministry of Education guidelines. Finally, although international schools may be accredited and align with U.S. standards, not all are.

This qualitative interview study examines how eight ELA teachers in American and international schools are exploring diversity, equity, and/or anti-racism while navigating current events, school climate, and U.S. legislative efforts concerning taught curriculum.

The following research questions were explored:

1. In what ways are secondary English teachers personally and professionally considering diversity, equity, and/or anti-racism?

2. In what ways do consideration of diversity, equity, and/or anti-racism impact curricular choices?

3. How safe do educators feel discussing/exploring diversity, equity, and/or anti-racism in their contexts?

Participants were solicited via social media and through professional groups focused on diversity and inclusion issues related to the international school community. All interviews were conducted via Zoom. The eight participants (6 female, 2 male) represent different American states and international locations. The participants vary in age, years of experience, race, and school population of color. Each participant was a secondary ELA teacher working in a U.S. or international school.

After initial contact was established and an interview time was set, teachers engaged in a semi-structured protocol with the researcher. Discussions were recorded. The semi-structured reflection protocol began with questions about personal and professional explorations of diversity, equity, and anti-racism and then moved to taught curricular impacts, school climate, and needs. Data was transcribed and descriptive and initial coding was completed. Codes were refined and another coding run was completed.

Results showed that each teacher had explored diversity, equity, and/or anti-racism in relation to the population of the students they served. Teachers revealed their curricular choices stemmed not only the student population of the schools where they taught but also current events that students discussed or were prominent in the news. The data also revealed differences in school climate concerning support for students and teachers of color and experimentation with new curriculum. While some schools were a welcoming place for discussions of diversity, equity, and anti-racism, other participants did not feel the school environment was always open to these conversations. Teachers also discussed a need for professional learning and pre-service teacher education regarding diversity, equity, and anti-racism as only one had received any instruction in their teacher education program and almost all other professional learning was self rather than school or district initiated.

The study is significant to the field of teacher education because it investigates how teachers in secondary ELA classrooms are working to explore issues of diversity, equity, and anti-racism in order to create inclusive environments for students. The study also shows efforts to decolonize curriculum and tailor offerings to student populations served. It also considers the challenges of U.S. legislation that impacts curriculum and teaching and adds information about teachers working in international school environments while also suggesting changes for teacher education programs and continuing professional learning.

Author

• Kimberley Daly, George Mason University