Fostering the Transformation of Pre-service Teachers’

Awareness & Understanding of Diversity Through the Use

of Young Adult Literature

LRA 2013Dorene Huvaere, Christopher Palmi, & Deborah Augsburger

withJennifer Woods and Melissa Vranicar

Expectation, Experience, Encouragement

Concerns leading to the study• Our standards: each candidate will be a transformative,

critical, multicultural educator, and social justice advocate.• Our pre-service teachers do not share characteristics with

students they will teach.• Resistance to multicultural ideas

o inequity in schoolso white privilegeo personal prejudices and biases

• Resistance to academic works dealing with multiculturalism or equity pedagogy

• Belief that schooling is fair: o Schools are neutralo Candidates are neutral; color-blind

Expectation:We sought to foster a

broader perspective of microcultures and equity

issues in a motivating rather than “threatening” way.

Adolescent Literature:AccessibleRelatable

Potential for building empathy

Theory Base• Some pre-service candidates deny their prejudices and see

little need to explore diversity (Banks, 1993)

• Need for multiple, repeated, varied experiences to build awareness, responsiveness, and commitment to equity pedagogy (Kidd & Muccio, 2009; Hill-Jackson, 2008)

• Accomplished when we share our stories and respect the views and values of others and when we commit to the development of a community of practitioners who encourage virtuous activity in each other (Furman, 2002)

• Mitigate resistance by providing exposure to multicultural students’ experiences through story rather than argument (Nel, 1992; Jetton and Savage-Davis, 2005; Landt, 2006)

• Student population rapidly changing (Banks, 2010)

• 38% K-12 students are from ethnic/racial minority; 90% teachers are not (Zeichner, 2009).

• Cultural gap puts teachers and students at disadvantage (Banks, 2010; Gay, 2002).

• Teachers need to become comfortable incorporating various cultures in their classroom (Delpit, 2012).

• Adolescent literature has potential to develop multicultural awareness (Nel, 1992; Savage-Davis, 2005; Landt 2006; Polk & Howard, 2009).

Research Questions• What are pre-service teacher candidates’ beliefs

about various issues related to multiculturalism?• How are their beliefs affected by reading and

responding to multicultural education?• What part do they perceive the multicultural

literature will eventually play in their individual classroom?

Context• Midwestern; faith-based institution• Predominantly white pre-service teacher

population• Increasingly diverse schools in

urban/suburban/rural settings surrounding the university

• Demographic Datao Total Participants: 196 informants • 95 Literature Participants• 101 Comparison Group

Participants• Gender

o 53% female: 45% males; 2% non-disclosed• Racial identity

o 89% white; 6% color; 3% bi-racial; 2% non-disclosed

• Age 19-53; 21 median age• 68% undergraduate; 32% graduate• Current SES

o 1% poor and lowero 21% workingo 53% middleo 23% upper middleo 2% non-disclosed

Methods• Instructional Strategies course (comparison

group) graduate and undergraduate candidates, completed surveys but did not read literature.

• Pedagogy and Assessment course (participants) graduate and undergraduate candidates, completed pre/post survey and read selected YA literature.o Participation in literature circle discussionso Required written responses to literature

• Pohan & Aguilar’s (2001) Beliefs About Diversity Scales o Professional and Personal beliefs o Likert scale o Administered at beginning and end of:

• Instructional Strategies (introductory methods course) comparison group.

• Pedagogy and Assessment (education course prior to student teaching) participants.

o Coded for anonymityo Data analyzed primarily using Cross tabulation

Literature Selected• Criteria included

o Authentic voiceo Recognized as quality literature o Avoids either negative or positive stereotyping o No white “savior”; avoids reinforcing stereotypeso Solution derived by self or others – but not from majority

populationo Contemporary and fairly recently publishedo Characters in middle or high school o Variety in gender and cultural voices represented

• All participants read o Bauer, M. D., ed. (1995). Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the

Silence.

Literature groups read one or more:

• Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

• Budhos, M. (2006) Ask Me No Questions• Draper, S.M. (2001). Romiette and Julio • Flake, S. (2000). The Skin I’m In• Herrera, J.F. (1999). Crash Boom Love• Lee, M. (2001). Finding My Voice • Myers, W.D. (2005). The Autobiography of My

Dead Brother • Williams-Garcia, R. (2009). Jumped

Critical Reflection Essay Prompt

• Critical pedagogy examines how education can give individuals the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society. Reflect on the characters, settings, and themes found in the readings and identify at least one example of when these goals were and one example when they were not achieved.

• Furthering your reflection on critical pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching, explain how these readings have influenced you as an educator. How will use this information to design and implement culturally sensitive lessons in your future classroom.

Experience: Qualitative Analysis of

Essays

Emerging Themes in Essays• UOS, Unfounded Opinions or Stereotype; • LC, Lack of Confidence; • BP, Best Practices; • MI, Multicultural Insight; • AP, Application; • TR, Transformative.

Unfounded Opinion/Stereotype

• “I realize that many students of low income socioeconomic background will most likely not have parent support at home for school work.”

We are concerned that candidates’ preconceptions and assumptions about characteristics of groups may prevent them from seeing the parents and students with whom they will work as individuals, and that some candidates continued to associate groups of individuals with a marginalizing set of characteristics.

Lack of Confidence & Best Practices

• “humor not only helps students to relax but also influences them to be more willing to learn the material and stay engaged.”

• “Math classrooms are usually lecture based but after learning of the many new styles and looking into the helpfulness of working with peers, I will strive to incorporate group as much as possible.”

• “will always remember to ask my students the big question”

We note candidates have concerns about their future effectiveness as teachers in general.

Multicultural InsightMost robust category• “No matter the situation, it is important for me, as a

future educator, to continue to be aware of the cultural, personal, and social issues that students can carry with them.”

• “Good book to teach acceptance and address ignorance.”

• “As a teacher, I will be unaware of my students’ sexual orientation. On the other hand this will be of concern to their peers…It is important that all students are not only informed but also educated about differences whether they agree with them or not.”

• “For this reason, and all of the reasons that hatred for homosexual exists, people, teachers and administrators particularly, need to advocate for students that are unable to advocate for themselves.”

• “The code switching in the novel is noteworthy, for it reminds us that bilingual students like Cesar, Miguel, Carlos and Margarita really live dualities in every aspect of life.”

Candidates possibly growing awareness of the complexities and potential difficulties students who identify with varied microcultures may face in a school environment that has traditionally assumed students would represent and embrace a dominant monoculture.

ApplicationSpecific plans of action for incorporating multicultural concepts into their future classrooms The fiction they read held some applicability for the school systems in which they would one day be employed.

• “Ask Me No Questions would definitely be part of the canon selected for the multicultural literature circles because it is an important medium for conquering generalizations and biases about Middle Eastern individuals…I feel there are several references in this book that could serve as teachable moments to help students better understand the Muslim culture.”

• “…it is important to note that the themes and ideas presented in the books can be readily applied to issues that exist within the current school system…Educators and administrators alike would benefit from teaching about these characters and their daily struggles so as to learn more about the lives of their students.”

• “I plan to make my lessons culturally relevant for the students that make up my classroom. I will not only focus on the white male scientists but also incorporate the ideas and discoveries of women and people of other ethnicities.”

• “…I might instead make my problems related to saving for a used car so the students who work can see if it’s a possibility for them.”

• “I believe in a classroom that the most important weapon a teacher has is information; a teacher needs to have some degree of cultural education in the classroom. I would try to inform students about the difference between world cultures but also the shocking similarities we share with people from the other side of the globe.”

Transformative• “As educators it is our job to give students the tools that

they will need in order to live in a world that is not homogeneous but is diverse in its peoples, religions, and other aspects of life, This has to start in the classroom and in a school…so that when they go out into the world, they will be prepared not only to live in it but to make a difference as well.”

• “As teachers, we need to teach empathy and help students learn that we do not have entitlement over others,”

• “this is a call for teachers to reach out to more than just middle class white Americans – to accept diversity into our classrooms and to be elevated by those differences.”

• “the differences that educators see in their students are actually the tips of metaphorical icebergs; we may take note of a language barrier, but we may fail to see the wealth of other challenges that students face every day.”

Informants believed their goal was not only to help students learn the content of the subject area but also to teach their students the value of others. The tone of their essays along with specific statements imply these candidates comprehend the strengths and challenges of working with students whose social, political or economic backgrounds are different from their own experiences.

• “I believe we need to show our students that where we come from doesn’t determine where we will be in the future. We have to fight for a just and equal school system for all our students.”

Transformative statements spoke strongly for educators to look beyond their own experiences and communities and create school environments and curricular materials that would help bring about social change.

Essays in this category addressed the role of education in creating a more just and egalitarian society.

Transformative: Addressing Biases and Prejudices

Reading the adolescent literature raised their own awareness of their biases and prejudices.

• “I often wonder if I will be able to leave the bias at the door of my classroom and teach all students equally;”

• "I need to realize that not everyone is the same as me in terms of sexual preference, and I can’t assume everyone is heterosexual.”

Informants who wrote comments such as these, expressed concern about how to deal with their own preconceptions and the role their biases might have on how they interact with their students, the choices they make in selecting content, and the examples they will use in their classrooms.

Results: Pohan & Aguilar’s Beliefs About Diversity

Scales

Analysis of Covariance

• Few significant differences o More differences were seen on items not of concern for

this study, such as those addressing ability level and gender differences

o One-way analysis – one item on ability was significant at p=.05

• Two-way analysis: Some significance in items moderated by o Age/education level

• Graduate students and Seniors benefitted more from participating than did other level/grade groups

o Experience • Those with moderate or little past experience with

diversity showed more growth

Informal Exploration of Change

• Look at movement from pre- to post-survey:• Number of respondents who changed response• Positive and negative changes noted

o Notable items:• Professional Beliefs Item #3: Gays and lesbians should

not be allowed to teach in public schools. • Personal Beliefs Item #9: In general, white people place

a higher value on education than do people of color. • Professional Beliefs Item #9: Tests, particularly

standardized tests, have frequently been used as a basis for segregating students.

• Professional Beliefs Item #10: People of color are adequately represented in most textbooks today.

Beliefs about Sexual Orientation

Stro

ngly

Disagr

ee

Disagr

ee

Undec

ided

Agre

e

Stro

ngly

Agree

Parti

cicpa

nt pr

e

Parti

cipan

t pos

t0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

110

8 1 0 1

67 72

19

16

5 1 0

22 13

1

1

21 1

1 4

Gays and lesbians should not be allowed to teach in public schools. (PRO Q3)

Strongly AgreeAgreeUndecidedDisagreeStrongly Disagree

POST TEST SCORE

PRE

TEST

SCO

RE

Personal Item 9 Theoretical/philosophical Belief

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree

pre post0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

17

2 1 0 0

3023

31

94

0 0

3337

10

8

31 1

11 1610

516

1 0

20 15

In general, white people place a higher value on education than do people of

color. (PER Q9)

Strongly AgreeAgreeUndecidedDisagreeStrongly Disagree

POST TEST SCORE

PRE

TEST

SCO

RE

Theoretical Beliefs• overall positive beliefs at onset• idealism of pre-service teachers regarding the

nature of schools • awareness of the importance of multicultural

education in our college standards

If they believe that schools are culturally neutral, have little experience to show them otherwise, and know that we expect them to value multicultural education, it is not surprising that their responses are relatively positive and stable on items that address abstract ideas.

Professional Question 9: Applied Belief

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree

pre post0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 3 311

311

304

18

18

2

22

18

1

3

14

53

9

46

56

0

0

1

13

12

1314

Tests, particularly standardized tests, have fre-quently been used as a basis for segregating

students. (PRO Q9)

Strongly AgreeAgreeUndecidedDisagreeStrongly Disagree

POST TEST SCORE

PRE

TEST

SCO

RE

Professional Question 10: Applied Belief

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree

pre post0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

8 93 0 0

16 167

29

87

0

39 37

4

10

1314

1

1716

3

10

824

2

15 19

0

1

2

3

6

6 2

People of color are adequately represented in most textbooks of today. (PRO Q10)

Strongly AgreeAgreeUndecidedDisagreeStrongly Disagree

POST TEST SCORE

PRE

TEST

SCO

RE

Applied Beliefs• The overall movement toward more positive

belief about the inequities involved in testing diverse students is encouraging, as was informants’ evidence of similar application statements in their essays.

• Movement without positive change indicates confusion and inexperience with multicultural representation in textbooks.

• Limited experience in the field? • Idealistic expectations for the quality of the

content of textbooks?

Survey Results• Professional beliefs are still more resistant to

change than personal beliefs.• Past experiences highly influential• Participants who read literature moved from

undecided to positive beliefs• Comparison group clustered closer to undecided• Movement to more positive beliefs evidenced in

relation to sexual orientation vs. racial/ethnic identify

Encouragement: Some Lessons Learned

• Some recognition of marginalization within society; confusion regarding what is happening in schools

• Empathy with challenges of poverty, bullying, ELL

• Psts beginning to recognize the need to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy

• Literature:o Provides means of discussing sensitive issueso Serves as a bridge to academic articles

• Pre-service teachers more willing to change beliefs regarding special education and access than those about race, culture, or language

• Professional beliefs more resistant to change than personal beliefs (this was a surprise)

• Experience with Diversityo Some prior experience identified more

positive attitudes o Extensive experience with diversity saw little

change• Participants report liking the books but hesitate

to consider using them with their own students

• Addressing diversity needs to be a multi pronged approacho Literature can open conversation about

diversity in non-confrontational manner.o Exposure to diversity and varying perspectives

must be embedded• Field experiences• Curriculum • Working with K-12 teachers who are diverse

• Important to hire and support diverse faculty o Influence/importance of individual professors

Limitations/Considerations

• Incorporation of diversity literature in Assessment course presented challenges

• Students appear to be attempting to provide what they think we expect in essays and discussions – Hawthorne Effect

• Uneven distribution of groupso Group size and participation dependent on enrollment in

given class• Influence of individual professors• Potential for texts to reinforce stereotypes or

deficit views• Texts become outdated

Selected Resources • Banks, James, A., (2005). Multicultural Education:  Development,

dimensions, and Challenges. Phi Delta kappan 75(1) 22-28.• Bradford Smith, Earl. (2009). Approaches to Multicultural Education in

Preservice Teacher Education: Philosophical Frameworks and Models for Teaching. Multicultural Education, Spring, 45-50.

• Chevalier, Marsha., Houser, Neil, O., (1997). Preservice Teachers’ Multicultural Self-Development through Adolescent Fiction. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 40(6), 426-436.

• Jetton, Tamara, L., Savage-Davis, Emma M., (2005). Preservice Teachers Develop an Understanding of Diversity Issues Through Multicultural Literature. Multicultural Perspectives, 7(1) 30-38.

• Landt, Susan M., (2006). Multicultural Literature and Young Adolescents:  A kaleidoscope of Opporunity. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 49(8) 690-697.

• Lazar, Althier, Pegler, Kathryn. (2009). The Possibilities and Challenges of Educating Literacy Teachers Toward a Critical-Social Equity Orientation. National Reading Conference paper.

• Pohan, Cathy, A., Agular, Teresita, E.,  (2001). Measuring educators’ beliefs about diversity in personal and professional contexts. American Educational Research Association Journal, 38(1), 159-183.