Strangers in a Strange Land: Race, Space, and Uncertainty During Teacher Licensure Test Events

• In Event: 70.045 - Perspective on Teacher Knowledge, Licensure, and Evaluation: Mapping the "Strange Land" of Teacher Quality

Abstract

Significant gaps exist in teacher licensure exam pass rates along the lines of race; if one does not pass the exam, one cannot become a licensed teacher. Building upon work that frames the exam as a “test event,” this study explored the geographies of socio-emotional spaces inhabited by Black and White preservice teachers (N=41) during these events. Findings suggest that across race, the socio-emotional spaces felt foreign and difficult to navigate, creating feelings of nervousness and anxiety for participants. Furthermore, a racialized layer of threat existed for some African American test takers. Additionally, close relationships with other test takers in the test event appeared to mediate these anxieties, providing a roadmap for interpreting seemingly absurd or confusing spaces.

Authors

• Emery Marc Petchauer, Oakland University

• Kira J. Baker-Doyle, Arcadia University