Toward an Ethnic Studies Critique for Teacher Education

Abstract

In an effort to humanize students of color in teacher education research, this study shifts away from the question, “How can we add students of color?” and instead asks, “How might teacher education programs be transformed to make space for students of color?” To begin, we articulate an ethnic studies critique for teacher education based on the demands for ethnic studies in the late 1960s. We then apply this critique in an analysis of the experiences of twelve preservice teachers of color. We argue that teacher education may be structured—institutionally and ideologically—to hinder the success of preservice teachers of color. We conclude with three suggestions for teacher education grounded in the ethnic studies critique, which offers an alternative paradigm for thinking of students of color beyond numbers and statistics.

Notes

¹ The CESA lists the following fields as comprising Ethnic Studies: Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Native American Studies, Arab-American Studies, Latino/a Studies, and Postcolonial Studies. We also recognize that there are other fields, including but not limited to, Chicana/o Studies, Indigenous Studies, Pacific Islands Studies, and Pan African Studies. Our listing is not an attempt to standardize the list of fields but is due to the limitations of space in this article.