A Path Forward: A Critical Race Mixed-Methods Study of Social Justice Teacher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: And the Work Remains: Addressing Persistent Challenges to Social Justice in Teacher Education (Table 12)

Abstract

There has been an ongoing call for teacher preparation programs to comprehensively engage preservice teachers (PSTs) in expansive learning about equity issues beyond one “diversity” course or superficial approach (Love, 2019; Gorski et al., 2013). Our interdisciplinary faculty collaborative met this call within a predominately-white institution in the Midwest. After redesigning three foundational courses for PSTs to center social justice, we conducted a critical race mixed methods study to measure the impact of the coursework on PSTs’ social-justice dispositions and commitments to action in their future classrooms. We found PSTs’ dispositions and commitments were impacted in both expected and unexpected ways and, from this, present a path forward for others seeking to heed the call for social justice teacher education.

Authors

• Racheal M. Banda, Miami University (OH)

• Meredith Wronowski, University of Dayton

• Ganiva Reyes, Miami University (OH)

• Brittany A. Aronson, Pennsylvania State University

• Rachel Radina, Eastern Michigan University

• Katherine Batchelor, Miami University (OH)