Anti-racist educators: The role of teacher education in preparing anti-racist educators

Satterfield, Michelle

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124124 Copy

Description

Title

Anti-racist educators: The role of teacher education in preparing anti-racist educators

Author(s)

Satterfield, Michelle

Issue Date

2023-12-04

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hood, Denice W

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Hood, Denice W

Committee Member(s)

• Hale, Jon
• Lee, Sharon
• Pak, Yoon

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Positionality
• Anti-racist pedagogy
• Culturally responsive pedagogy
• Agency
• Performative
• Confidence in racial understanding
• Transformative learning

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the pedagogical approaches that teacher educators can employ to guide a sample of Midwestern, self-identifying white teacher education students on a transformative journey from their current understanding of racial inequities toward becoming an anti-racist educator during their student teaching experience. With a student population becoming more culturally and racially diverse, white teachers must learn about their white identity while understanding how it affects their presence and positionality as a teacher in a classroom of culturally and racially diverse students. It is no longer enough to simply be a culturally responsive teacher. A teacher must be more. They must be an anti-racist educator, meaning they do not actively support racist policies that place some individuals in inequitable learning conditions (Kendi, 2019). This study sought to determine which pedagogical approaches should be used by teacher educators to educate preservice teachers to be anti-racist. The study utilized the experiences of preservice teachers to guide me, a teacher educator, to make better pedagogical choices when mentoring preservice teachers to be anti-racist. The research study revealed that engaging in discussions focused on race had a direct impact on the confidence levels of preservice teachers. When a preservice teacher is confident in participating in race-centered discourse, they show agency in their discourse and teaching. However, when a preservice teacher participates little in race-centered discussions, their actions and words are performative. Teacher preparation programs must differentiate learning centered around race while teacher educators must determine preservice teachers’ level of understanding of race and positionality to adjust their instruction to meet the needs of their students.

Graduation Semester

2024-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Michelle Satterfield

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