Preparing Anti-Racist Teachers: A Case Study of Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Racism and Program Coherence in Equity-Centered Teacher Preparation

This case study explored the perceptions preservice teachers had regarding racism in educational contexts, how those perceptions were shaped by their teacher education program, and to what extent their teacher education program had coherence in preparing anti-racist teachers. Within the context of a large, minority serving institution in the Southwest preparing teachers for one of the most racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse districts in the country, the need to prepare anti-racist teachers who are able to recognize and remedy opportunity gaps for multi-marginalized students is evident. Because little research has focused on the perceptions and lived experiences preservice teachers have regarding coherence of their programs in preparing future teachers for equity-centered and opportunity-oriented teaching, teacher preparation programs cannot be sure that what is espoused in the mission and vision statements is being implemented throughout the programs and what is learned by their students. Using frameworks of Critical Race Theory and Opportunity Centered Teaching, this case study sought to understand how preservice teachers perceived the coherence of their program related to equity and how teacher educators modeled and prepared their preservice teachers to enact Opportunity Centered Teaching for the benefit of the diverse students in their future classrooms. Data collection methods included document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observations of preservice teachers in coursework with teacher educators. Preservice teachers (n = 6) and teacher educators (n = 5) were interviewed. The findings indicate participants who engaged in different contexts (less diverse and more diverse school settings) had a burgeoning awareness of racism even though all spoke in race evasive ways. The findings also indicate that a lack of coherence centered on equity produced preservice teachers who had minimal understandings of how white supremacy culture functions in education and how or why they should enact anti-racist pedagogies. Consequently, elementary preservice teachers were unable to articulate strategies beyond relationship cultivation to increase opportunities for diverse students in their future classrooms.