Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Teacher Education: Everywhere yet Nowhere

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Activism, Resistance, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Abstract

This proposal takes a second look at a study originally designed to examine how preservice teachers enacted commitments made to culturally relevant pedagogy at the end of a graduate course. The original study used interviews, observations, and documents to demonstrate all participants had internalized the social justice language espoused in their teacher education program. However, a second look at the results using a critical analysis grounded in perspectives of institutional racism and the protection of whiteness demonstrates that despite internalizing language, participants did little to challenge the status quo of schooling. I suggest it is the responsibility of teacher educators to examine these issues or run the risk that social justice will be rhetorical rather than lived by their graduates.

Authors

• Vicki A. Vescio, University of Florida

• Mark Lopez, University of Florida