Preparing Culturally Responsive Literacy Teachers: Investigations of Whiteness in a Literacy Methods Course

Abstract

Teacher education programs across the United States must prepare teachers who have the content area knowledge, pedagogical expertise, and cultural competence needed to teach an increasingly diverse student population. One consistent suggestion for programs committed to preparing culturally responsive teachers is to incorporate investigations of Whiteness into all aspects of teacher education. While investigations into Whiteness are now relatively common in multicultural coursework, they are still an anomaly in methods courses. This dissertation addresses this gap in the research by exploring what happens when pre-service teachers encounter investigations of Whiteness in their literacy methods course.

Using sociocultural theory, critical multiculturalism, culturally responsive teaching frameworks, and critical literacy theory, this qualitative study considers how pre-service teachers' knowledge and teaching actions align with transformationist teaching practices (G. R. Howard, 2006) - those practices aimed at interrupting Whiteness and generating equitable learning opportunities for all students. Focusing on a group of pre-service teacher interns enrolled in an intensive six-week literacy methods course infused with investigations into Whiteness, the study considers the interns' positioning for Whiteness investigations, explores their course experience, and follows two of them into eight-week student teaching placements. Data sources from the course include observational notes, interns' assignments, audio-recordings of class participation, artifacts from course activities, and course documents. Data from student teaching includes classroom observations, mentor and intern interviews, intern reflections, and an intern focus group.

Findings from the data analysis indicate that interns entered the course as typical White pre-service teachers only superficially aware of their Whiteness. As interns engaged with the course curriculum, they began to reframe their awareness of Whiteness and their visions of literacy teaching to some extent. However, the literacy teaching practices of the focal interns were also largely influenced by their student teaching contexts. The conclusions suggest implications for investigating Whiteness with pre-service teachers which include: integrating Whiteness theory programmatically, making Whiteness theory accessible, situating literacy teaching as a critical and cultural undertaking, building teacher educator competency, focusing on awareness and pedagogical aspects of Whiteness, considering "active spaces" where teachers, students, and curriculum intersect, supporting novice teachers, and gaining access to transformationist classrooms.