Promoting equity literacy: shifts in teachers’ attitudes towards students in poverty following a research-practice partnership

The present study is part of a broader research-practice partnership (RPP) with an Israeli high school network focused on developing critical, poverty-aware pedagogical practices to promote equity within schools. As part of the RPP, homeroom teachers participated in 10-session workshops introducing a critical approach to poverty. The workshops included discussions on poverty-related school events and the incorporation of reflexive action and thought. Our goal in the present study was to evaluate the impact of the workshops on teachers’ conception of poverty. We utilised the Poverty Awareness Scale, a validated tool, and employed a quasi-experimental design to compare poverty awareness levels in trial and control groups before and after the workshop. Our analysis revealed that teachers’ critical understanding of poverty’s aetiology and relational effects increased significantly following the workshops. Additionally, teachers attested to higher levels of reflexivity and awareness concerning challenges associated with poverty within the school environment.