The Depoliticization of Diversity in Preservice Teacher Education Coursework at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• In Event: Equity, Justice, and Institutional Practice in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper draws from a qualitative study that examined how professors conceptualized and taught about K-12 student diversity in preservice teacher preparation coursework at two Hispanic Serving Institutions. Given the conference’s call to accept responsibility for adequately preparing teachers for the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of K-12 students, I examined whether, and how, professors linked “diversity” to the political issues of equity and social justice. Analyzing the data using an intersectional theoretical framework found that a more racially diverse setting did not necessarily prompt professors, within the context of their teaching, to move beyond simply naming identities as they intersect with race and toward intersectional justice, or a stance that inspires antiracist thoughts, beliefs, and actions in preservice teachers.

Author

• Tara Schwitzman-Gerst, Teachers College, Columbia University