Exploring Antiracist Pedagogies in Project-Based Learning with Preservice Teachers

Main Article Content

Leslie La Croix
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5283-1736
Daniel Ferguson
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7646-9831
Colleen Vesely
Bweikia Steen
Carley Fisher-Maltese
Stephanie Calabrese
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3691-1941
Yupei Gong
Xiaolu Zhang

Abstract

This exploratory study, grounded in critical race, social-cultural, and critical literacy theories, uses children’s literature as a catalyst for engaging preservice teachers (PSTs) in critical conversations about systemic racism and its impact on curricular and instructional decisions. Integrating tenets from both project-based learning (PBL) and antiracist teaching, we focus on three major practice markers for PSTs: (1) acquiring knowledge of experiences and histories of communities marginalized by society; (2) integrating content and pedagogical knowledge with antibias practices to create a culture of caring and curricular restorative justice; and (3) bridging coursework towards authentic calls to action. We share our experiences as teacher educators alongside an exploration of PSTs perceptions and experiences engaging in an antiracist PBL.

Article Details

Section
2024 Special Issue: Designing for Equity within Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

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