What it means to be a white pre-service teacher [thesis]

Julie Kenny Calzini
This research implements and evaluates the effectiveness of three scaffolds: critical theories in classes, critical friends groups to discuss white identity, dominant ideologies, anti-racist practices and diverse field based experiences. These scaffolds provided white pre-service teachers the opportunity to reconcile how their identities influence their instructional practice and how their identities affect students with marginalized identities (i.e. sexuality, race, religion, national origin,
more » ... nd any intersection therein). The research questions were designed to foster critical discussions and reflection on whiteness. The results will not only impact the current white preservice teachers, they also have implications for PreK-12 students across Massachusetts and for the training of future white pre-service teachers. If the white pre-service teachers that serve students are unable to recognize their own relationship to power and privilege, no progress will be made (Sleeter, 2017) . Dominant ideologies will persist and inequities will continue to plague schools. The scaffolds will provide an effective learning framework for White teachers to deeply understand, explore, and take positive productive actions around their power and privilege, so they have the power to become advocates and change agents for their future students (Blaisdell, 2016) .
doi:10.17760/d20439269 fatcat:ujwezz7cp5apzd6a2skqnsqqbu