Culturally Responsive and Anti-Biased Teaching Benefits Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine pre-service teachers' perceptions of a culturally responsive, anti-bias curriculum. Additionally, this study explored how the use of culturally responsive course work influenced the participating pre-service teachers' perceptions. Responses to both pre and post-teaching open ended questions, weekly reflective writings, evaluation of a children's books, and notes from the researcher's observation were analyzed qualitatively. Pre-teaching data showed that pre-service teachers had a rather superficial understanding of an anti-bias curriculum. However, post-teaching data showed that after experiencing culturally responsive curricula, pre-service teachers not only developed a better understanding of anti-bias curriculum, but they also gained essential self-awareness in diversity contexts.

Care, Control, and Color: A Conversation About Disparities in School Disciplinary Practices

“…It is about choosing a system of privilege and power. (p.81) Some scholars suggest that the majority White, middle class teacher makes minimal effort to make inequity, intolerance, or powerlessness problematic and open to discussion (Gollnick & Chinn, 2016;Nganga, 2015); they understand their position of power as it relates to the very generic idea of teacher over student, but may fail to acknowledge the idea of White privilege and, therefore, fail to address the problems associated with this aspect of their power.…”

Culturally responsive practices for teacher candidates: a neighborhood treasure hunt

“…Building bridges between the school community and families, as well as dialog between teacher and students, teacher and parents, etc., is critical. CRT validates and empowers ethnically diverse learners by cultivating their cultural integrity, abilities and academic success (Gay, 2000, 2013; Nganga, 2015).…”

The Impact of Attending an Equity-Based Conference on One Teacher Educator: Five Pedagogical Changes of Practice

“…The discrepancies in racial representation between teachers and students call for diversifying the curriculum, so all students might benefit from exposure to multiple perspectives. Research indicates potential benefits to the integration of culturally responsive teaching practices with preservice teacher candidates, such as increased self-awareness regarding diversity (Nganga, 2015) and an increased commitment to teaching in urban schools (Conaway, Browning, & Purdum-Cassidy, 2007). There are numerous causes for discrepancies in racial diversity in teacher preparation, from the historical repercussions of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (1954), which inadvertently resulted in the radical depletion of teachers and principals of color with the closing of all-Black schools and the firing and nonrehiring of Black teachers (Lash & Ratcliffe, 2014;Mondale & Patton, 2001) to the lack of recruitment, monetary and emotional support, and role models of color (Landis, Ferguson, Carballal, Kuhlman, & Squires, 2007).…”