Children’s Literature, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Teacher Identity: An Action Research Inquiry in Teacher Education

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on an action research inquiry that identified ways that a graduate course in multicultural children’s literature contributed to teachers’ meaning-making of such texts, their professional practices, and themselves as educators. Conceptually grounded in culturally responsive teaching and the construct of teacher identity, analysis of course artifacts, participant interviews and a focus group session revealed three emergent themes. First, teachers’ participation in the course deepened insight on how former experiences with texts connected with beliefs about literature. Second, course structures and activities promoted understandings of self as a teacher who values diverse texts and culturally responsive practices. Third, the inclusion of controversial and challenged texts in P-12 classrooms was of professional concern. Recommendations for future research and teacher education are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Multicultural children’s literature
• culturally responsive teaching
• teacher identity
• action research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adrian D. Martin

Dr. Adrian D. Martin is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at New Jersey City University.  His work is informed by his former professional experiences as an urban educator and school leader. His research attends to issues in teacher preparation and development for diverse student populations, equity issues in education, and the self-study of teacher educator practices. His work has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, such as: International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Teachers College Record, Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, and Studying Teacher Education.

Tamara Spencer

Dr. Tamara Spencer is an associate professor in the Justice, Community and Leadership Program/Teacher Education Department and Associate Dean in the Kalmanovitz School of Education at Saint Mary’s College of California. Her work is shaped by her experience as an early childhood educator in Philadelphia and New York City. Her research identifies significant gaps between young children’s demonstrated competency in literacy and what is assumed about them as learners in school. She has been published in a variety of venues, such as: Language Arts, Young Children, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Complementary Methods for Research in Education, and the Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy.