UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY IN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Due to the history of systemic inequities in the United States, gaps in academic opportunities along racial lines have persisted and have pushed scholars and educators to find ways to combat these disparities in the education system. This push has led to the formation of asset-based pedagogies, which are teaching practices that enhance the learning outcomes of diverse students. Perhaps the most well studied asset-based practice today is culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), which has been successful in helping to close these gaps. 

This research explores CRP in teacher education through the lens of the professors who teach in these programs. This qualitative study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews to examine how 12 professors from four different public universities understand and practice CRP, and how CRP is accepted within their respective colleges. Findings show that while CRP is embraced, there is still a need for more training to help better prepare many of the faculty members. The findings also indicate that the faculty of color have a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of CRP and are thus better positioned to implement it in their programs. That finding, along with the persistence of whiteness that was found, shows a need for more faculty and students of color in general, and specifically more Black faculty and students. Ultimately, if these programs want to fulfill their missions of being dedicated to diversity, equity, social justice, and successfully implementing CRP, there is still more work that needs to be done.