Differential Response to Challenges: Shame, College Persistence, and Students of Color

• In Event: 56.080 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 56.080-17 - Examining the Experiences of Teachers From Diverse Backgrounds and Those Serving in Urban Areas

Abstract

This paper discusses how nontraditional learners respond to challenges in an hybrid online teacher preparation program. The context of this study is a special education teacher licensing program with a goal to recruit teachers who are specifically trained to teach Native American students with disabilities The number of participants was 41 in this qualitative exploration of persistence. Results indicate differential responses to challenges based on ethnicity and gender. Shame was reported by 33% of the Native American students when they experienced challenges; a subsequent result of shame was often a withdrawal and disengagement in the learning environment. This finding is significant to a broadened understanding of how to more effectively support college persistence for students of color.

Authors

• Donna R. Patterson, Augsburg College

• Susan Elizabeth O'Connor, Augsburg University