False Comfort in Conformity: An Activity System Analysis of a Gay Preservice Teacher in the Suburban South

• In Event: Purposeful Equity Work: Centering Intersectional Perspectives and Practices in Teacher Education

Abstract

Drawing on critical pedagogy and cultural-historical activity theory, this case study examines the activity system of one gay, gender-nonconforming, White pre-service teacher, referred to as Whitney, in a suburban middle school in the Southeastern United States during student teaching. Findings revealed Whitney believed teaching should feel comfortable, were wary of encountering homophobia and discussing racism in school, and associated critical pedagogy with discomfort. Multiple school factors created obstacles to critical pedagogy, such as a skills-focused curriculum. Findings illuminate the need for teacher preparation programs to support intersectional identity development, employ a pedagogy of discomfort, and collaborate with schools, communities, districts, and states to create systems supporting critical pedagogy enactment.

Author

• Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University