Supporting Preservice Teachers of Color to Teach for Social Justice: A Review of Literature

• In Event: 16.034 - Attending to the Preparation and Support of Teachers of Color: Preservice Through Induction Years

Abstract

Most of the literature on teaching for social justice is aimed at preparing White preservice teachers to teach diverse populations and attaining multicultural perspectives. Thus, the assumption is that preservice teachers of Color by virtue of their ethnicity know how to teach diverse students. Rather, like Sleeter and Milner (2011), “[w]e understand that teachers operate within and through systems and institutions that shape their work with students” (p. 84). This review reports the research on what is known about how preservice teachers of Color are supported by their teacher education programs in developing social justice perspectives in their practice. Despite the dearth of research on preservice teachers of Color in general, we present an analysis of the literature that gives insight into the ways in which preservice teachers of Color describe their understandings of social justice and the importance it holds for their work as teachers as well as the kinds of experiences (i.e., programs, coursework, field placements, peers, faculty, etc.) reported as beneficial to their growth as social justice educators.
The theoretical constructs of critical race theory (CRT) and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) frame this analysis. Critical race theory is a framework for considering and theorizing the ways in which race and racism function in society. A key assumption this theory maintains is that racism is an endemic and normal part of American society. Thus, the use of this framework in education has demonstrated the ways in which institutionalized practices and policies work to oppress and disenfranchise marginalized racial groups (Howard, 2008; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Lynn & Parker, 2006). This literature review centers the experiences of preservice teachers of Color and inserts their voices and stories into the conversation about preparing teachers to teach culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. This analysis also uses culturally responsive/relevant pedagogy as a framework for framing and interpreting the experiences of preservice teachers of Color in their teacher education programs by providing insight as to whether preservice teachers of Color themselves were taught in culturally responsive ways in their teacher education programs based upon their perceptions.
Though the research is clear in that all teachers need to become proficient in culturally responsive teaching (Howard, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 2009), we suggest that teachers of Color need particular kinds of attention in this area. The experiences of preservice teachers of Color, especially at predominantly White institutions, are varied and complex. Just as we are challenged to provide culturally responsive instruction to students in K-12 classrooms, we face similar challenges in teacher education at PWIs. While there may be portions of programs that are encouraging towards their development as social justice oriented teachers (e.g. introducing the terminology of diversity, social justice culturally responsive pedagogy and asking them to be culturally aware), it is clear that there are more than a few aspects disadvantageous to who they are as people of Color (e.g. professors’ discomfort with addressing diversity), let alone to their development of a social justice stance in their teaching practice.

Authors

• Tambra O. Jackson, Indiana University - IUPUI

• Brandy S. Bryson, Appalachian State University