They Have Verve: Profiles of Preservice Teachers' Insights About Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

• In Event: Exploring Culturally Relevant/Responsive Pedagogy as Praxis in Teacher Education

Abstract

Based on concerns about the permanence of racism in our society (Bell, 1991) and its impact on opportunities for equitable education for all children (Boutte & Johnson, 2013; Author, 2011), this empirical study used narrative inquiry and life story qualitative methods (McVee, 2011), creating profiles of four preservice teachers as they studied and implemented culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 2009). The overarching goal of this study was to reconceptualize early literacy education through the study of culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 2009) in a preservice literacy methods course framed by critical race theory (Ladson-Billings, 2011). In this way, instead of being cultural hegemonists (Gay, 2010) preservice teachers might be cultural brokers (Gentemann & Whitehead, 1983) who translate the dominant culture while finding ways to honor and bring to light the cultures of their students. This paper focuses a primary finding, that opportunities to study race and culturally relevant practices led preservice teachers to new insights about the importance of: a) drawing on the cultural characteristics and communication patterns of African American learners when planning for teaching, (b) culturally relevant classroom management, (c) knowing children as individuals, and d) centering on race.

Author

• Kindel Turner Nash, The University of Missouri-Kansas City