Teaching Race and Racial Justice: Developing Students’ Cognitive and Affective Understanding

Abstract

Effectively addressing both cognitive and affective dimensions of learning is one of the greatest obstacles to teaching race and racial justice in higher education. In this article, we first explore the need to integrate attention to cognitive and affective development, along with evidence-based strategies for doing so. We then provide a case study of an undergraduate sociology course on environmental justice in which the instructor intentionally adopted holistic pedagogical principles of teaching race. Analyzing student responses from a pre- and post- course survey, course assignments, and instructor observations of student participation, we find that both white students and students of color experienced significant growth in their cognitive and affective understanding of the complexities of race and work toward racial justice. However, results also show how challenging it can be to create the conditions for productive multiracial dialogues that produce extensive affective development, particularly interpersonal skills of racial reconciliation. Reflecting on the limitations of the case, we conclude that more holistic teaching approaches are necessary to develop both students’ cognitive and affective abilities to navigate race and work against racism, and we make suggestions for faculty development and administrative support.

Effectively Teaching a Single Course in Multicultural Education to Pre-Service Teachers

“…Knowledge consists of having information, whereas discourse describes the application of that knowledge in thought processes and dialogues with others. We noted that knowledge and discourse were necessary to shift beliefs but also that shifts in beliefs changed knowledge and discourse (Bandy, Harbin, and Thurber 2021). Not only did we identify this relationship, but we also distinguished between the goals that might be attainable within the context of an SCME and those that might require cohesive planning across courses and institutions.…”

Race and Social Justice: Building an Inclusive College through Awareness, Advocacy, and Action

“…These two dimensions provide a framework of five key pedagogical principles to guide faculty in their teaching of race and race-related issues. The following recommendations derive from the work of Bandy et al (2021)…”

“…Teachers set the tone for student engagement in the classroom, and, thus, they must first grapple with their knowledge, or lack thereof, concerning race and social justice. Scholars emphasize the importance of faculty evaluating how race shapes one's knowledge of oneself and others, as well as one's biases and beliefs (Hooks, 1994(Hooks, , 2003(Hooks, , 2009Adams & Love, 2010;DiAngelo & Sensoy, 2018;Harbin et al, 2019;Castillo-Montoya, 2019;Bandy et al, 2021). Reflexivity involves a willingness by faculty to deeply examine and acknowledge their attitudes toward race, racism, and social justice, which is important and necessary for establishing spaces in which race and social justice education can occur.…”

Feeling race in the social studies classroom: a self-study

“…To address these challenges, educators need to begin with less threatening or less contentious examples (Zemblyas, 2017a, b), acknowledge the “troubled knowledge” students carry with them and their emotional investments in this knowledge (Bousfield et al. , 2019; Bandy et al. , 2021).…”

“…The ambiguity, discomfort and uncertainty that accompanies an examination of why we feel what we feel poses unique challenges for educators. To address these challenges, educators need to begin with less threatening or less contentious examples (Zemblyas, 2017a, b), acknowledge the "troubled knowledge" students carry with them and their emotional investments in this knowledge (Bousfield et al, 2019;Bandy et al, 2021). Here "troubled knowledge" refers to views or perspectives educators and/or other students may find unacceptable or offensive.…”