Studying the “I” in our Teaching and Learning: Influences of identity on pedagogy for faculty of color at a rural university

Abstract

We report how the cultural identities of three Black professors influence their pedagogy at a rural, predominantly white, university in the USA. Two critical friends seek clarification prior to the analysis, critique the primary researchers' narratives, and add their voices to the discourse. The primary participants' narratives reveal how values shaped by religion, family, ethnicity, and society intersect in their personal and professional selves to influence their educational philosophy, praxis and student-centered pedagogy. The benefits of collaborative self-study in building community among and between minority and other faculty are explored.

Keywords:

• Caribbean
• cultural identity
• teacher education
• US university
• Black
• people of color
• culturally responsive teaching