Tensions in School Context and Teacher Praxis in Equity-Oriented Professional Learning (original) (raw)
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Journal of Urban Learning Teaching and Research, 2012
This paper responds to the call for further inquiry into the experiences of graduates of urban-focused teacher education programs. I present and analyze the experiences of Mia, a White, monolingual English female who earned licensure in secondary social studies through a graduate-level, equity-focused teacher preparation program before accepting a position at a large, traditional, diverse, underperforming, urban middle school. The paper explores how negotiating tensions in curriculum and interactions with colleagues in her school context contributes to her identity development with respect to culturally responsive, equity-oriented pedagogy.
As inequities continue to be present for students of color, for English-language learners, for students from low-income households, for LGBTQ students and for students with disabilities, schools must find ways to increase achievement and high expectations for all students. Although not explored thoroughly in the research literature, teacher leaders (TLs) can be key change agents in developing more equitable schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the work of equity-centered TLs who facilitated professional learning on their campuses in relation to equity issues. Particularly, this study looked at the facilitators and inhibitors for TLs spearheading change and how they navigate these conditions. Data sources included reflection journals, class assignments and interviews. Findings indicate that TLs facilitating change for equity in schools with unsupportive conditions (i.e. fear, lack of principal support) found these conditions served as barriers for teachers to address inequities. These TLs had to put equity on hold and focus on building more supportive conditions. Teacher leaders in schools with supportive conditions (i.e. collegiality, principal support) found that these conditions promoted a focus on equity and led to teacher empowerment and greater educational equity. This study has implications for leadership preparation, professional development and educational change. Keywords: teacher leadership; educational change; equity; school culture; school improvement
Equity & Excellence in Education, 2019
This article explores how two urban schools help teachers create equitable spaces for students. We describe the structures and experiences supporting teacher learning and transfer of learning to practice as well as what happens when what is designed for and what is enacted do not align. Findings include that teacher professional learning for equity must (1) include centering it on content related to equity and critical pedagogy; (2) model instructional practices that promote equity; (3) create a culture of inquiry and ownership to promote a school ecosystem where equity and deeper learning thrive; and (4) invite students' voices into the conversation to understand the impact of teachers' professional learning. "The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it-at no matter what risk."-James Baldwin James Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers" suggests that the purpose of education is "to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions … [to] ask questions" (1963, p. 42). Yet Baldwin also cautions us that society is wary of such deep learners, thinkers, and doers; he reminds us that the structures of our society have been "hammered into place" and rely on compliance for sustainability. That last statement bears repeating: the structures of our society have been hammered into place and rely on compliance for sustainability. In schools across the United States, our most struggling students of color, those from poverty, English Language learners, immigrants, and students with disabilities experience instruction that reflects such compliance. This "pedagogy of poverty," described by Haberman (1991), is teacher-driven, rewards passivity and silence, and values worksheet completion over question asking, meaning making, problem solving, and engagement (Noguera, Darling-Hammond, & Friedlaender, 2015). Such experiences are too commonly sustained in our current educational system, where teacher preparation programs often fail to support educators in developing the skills and mindsets needed to close the opportunity and achievement gaps of struggling students. Also, teachers' own professional learning experiences may inadequately support them as engaged, curious, and autonomous learners, serving to reinforce a vision of weak facilitation and lackluster content. At a moment in our nation where we suffer severe gaps in high school graduation rates for students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and English Language learners (Civic Enterprises Data Brief, 2016), we see an increasing need to disrupt a system of complicity. As Paulo Freire asserts, "Any situation in which some men prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence" (1970, p. 73).
Inclusion and Social Justice in Teacher Education, 2024
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Equity and Excellence in Education , 2019
Abstract This paper explores how two urban schools help teachers create equitable spaces for students. We describe the structures and experiences supporting teacher learning and transfer of learning to practice as well as what happens when what is designed for and what is enacted do not align. Findings include 1. Teacher professional learning for equity must include centering it on content related to equity and critical pedagogy. 2. Teacher professional learning should model instructional practices that promote equity. 3. Create a culture of inquiry and ownership to promote a school ecosystem where equity and deeper learning thrive; and 4. Invite students’ voices into the conversation to understand the impact of teachers’ professional learning.
Generative Principles for Professional Learning for Equity-Oriented Urban English Teachers
This article investigates the experiences of three early-career secondary English urban teachers who sought to strengthen their perspectives and practices of social justice teaching through professional development. Data include teacher interviews across their first three years of teaching, artifacts across three participants representing their professional development experiences and teaching and learning in their classrooms, and interviews of three informants who participated in professional development with two of the teacher participants. We then conducted a thematic analysis. We found six generative features of professional development/professional learning that promoted these urban teachers’ development as equity-oriented English teachers. This paper contributes to the knowledge base on professional development/professional learning in urban contexts in that it is the first to foreground urban teachers’ needs for professional development that promotes their equity-oriented educational stances and practices and that illuminates how productive principles for professional learning can facilitate meeting those needs.
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The Qualitative Report, 2020
With this paper, we explore two approaches to teacher education, paying attention to how teachers are prepared to work in diverse school settings in a time of increasingly competitive neoliberal, market-based reform. These two approaches reflect completion of a traditional teacher education program and completion of Teach for America (TFA). The findings are based on two independent interview studies that are informed by the researchers’ joint commitments to postcritical ethnography, which consider issues associated with positionality, reflexivity, objectivity, and representation. The first interview study engaged teachers who graduated from a traditional teacher education program, as well as two participants with a more specialized urban focus. Interview questions asked teachers to describe their implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy in their classrooms and how prepared they were to do so. The second study addressed the experiences of TFA alumni as they matriculated through the program, with special emphasis being paid to the support that each corps member received during and immediately following their tenure.
Supporting Teachers’ Equity-Oriented Learning and Identities: A Resource-Centered Perspective
Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 2017
Background/Context Despite calls for equity in education, the dominant mode of schooling reproduces hierarchies, positioning some students as bright, gifted, or fast learners and others as lazy, in need of remediation, or slow. A number of studies have shown that teachers’ professional communities and networks can address this problem and enhance outcomes for all students. However, more research is needed not only to show the structure of supportive networks but also to explain the mechanisms through which they foster teacher learning. Research Questions This paper addresses three questions: (a) Where do teachers encounter resources that support their engagement with nondominant, equity-oriented teaching practice? (b) What kinds of resources support teachers’ engagement with nondominant teaching practice? and (c) How do different kinds of resources come together to support teachers’ patterns of engagement with communities of nondominant teaching practice? Research Design A multisite...
International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference Paper, 2024
This study examines teachers' perceptions of equity-focused professional development (PD)opportunities and their impact on promoting culturally responsive educational practices. Amidst growing emphasis on educational equity, the value and effectiveness of PD aimed at fostering equitable teaching practices are pivotal for enhancing educational outcomes for all students. The research aims to explore the factors influencing teachers' perceptions of PD value, including the role of collegial support and the frequency of PD opportunities, in fostering innovative equity practices. Utilizing survey data from a diverse group of teachers, the study employs descriptive statistics and correlation analyses to investigate the relationships between perceived PD value, collegial support, and the efficacy of PD in promoting equity. Results indicate a moderate perception of PD value among teachers, with signifi cant variations refl ecting diverse experiences. Notably, a strong positivecorrelation exists between the perceived value of PD opportunities, colleagues' helpfulness, and thefrequency of PD in facilitating new equity practices. Furthermore, effective administrative support forequity initiatives is crucial in enhancing PD's perceived value. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive support systems—including collegial and administrative support—to maximize the impact of equity-focused PD. Educational leaders and policymakers can significantly advance equity-focused teaching practices by tailoring PD to teachers' needs, fostering supportive professional communities, and ensuring robust administrative backing. These findings offer valuable insights for enhancing the design and implementation of PD programs to promote equity in education.