Novice Teachers’ Knowledge of Racial Literacies

Figures & data

Table 1. Interviewees’ backgrounds.

Interviewee	Education	Teacher Education Context	Race/Ethnicity	Age Range
Felicita	Undergraduate Degree	Suburban	Latino/Hispanic	30–39
Renee	Master’s Degree	Suburban	white	30–39
Cameryn	Undergraduate Degree	Suburban	white	20–29
Danna	Undergraduate Degree	Suburban	Asian (Chinese)	30–39
Carrie	Undergraduate Degree	Urban	white	20–29
Leanna	Undergraduate Degree	Urban	Black	20–29
Jonathan	Undergraduate Degree	Suburban	white	20–29

Table 2. KoRaL Survey Items Measuring the five Domains of Knowledge about racial literacies.

Factor One: Applied Knowledge of Racial Literacies
Contextual Knowledge Domain	N	Mean (SD)	Agree Range (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree Range (%)
1. I know how to communicate with families to learn about my students.	38	3.18 (0.69)	89.47	7.89	2.63
2. I know the ways systemic racism impacts literacy instruction.	38	2.84 (0.86)	71.05	21.05	7.89
3. I know the ways systemic racism impacts students’ literacy development.	38	2.92 (1.05)	68.42	18.42	13.16
4. I know how the cultural and racial backgrounds of my students play an important part in my literacy instruction.	38	3.18 (0.80)	81.58	15.79	2.63
5. I know how my students’ various identities (e.g. family, community, gender) play a role in their literacy development.	36	3.14 (0.83)	83.33	11.11	5.56
6. I know how students’ classroom behaviors during literacy learning convey their needs, interests, and knowledge	38	2.97 (0.82)	76.32	18.42	5.26
7. Media (social media, television, film, books, websites, news outlets) accurately portray race.	36	2.78 (0.93)	8.33	22.22	69.44
8. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) express racism in the same way.	35	2.97 (0.89)	2.86	31.43	65.72
9. I know how to incorporate students’ language varieties in my literacy instruction.	36	2.50 (0.91)	61.11	19.44	19.44
10. The same literacy instruction satisfies the learning needs of all students who identify as BIPOC.	35	2.80 (1.13)	14.29	22.86	62.86
Pedagogical Knowledge Domain	N	Mean (SD)	Agree Range (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree Range (%)
11. I know how to make my literacy instruction responsive to students of linguistically diverse backgrounds.	38	2.74 (0.98)	63.15	23.68	13.16
12. I know how to teach my students how to advocate for their literacy learning needs.	38	2.68 (0.77)	71.05	18.42	10.53
13. I know how to teach my students how to advocate for fairness, equity, and justice in the world.	38	2.97 (0.68)	81.58	15.79	2.63
14. I know how to model critical self-reflection about differing portrayals of race for my students.	36	2.72 (0.85)	58.33	36.11	5.56
15.I know how to design a lesson that engages students in critical examination of differing portrayals of race in text and media.	36	2.44 (1.03)	52.78	27.78	19.44
16. It is respectful to be color blind (i.e. not acknowledge race) when providing literacy instruction.	36	2.50 (1.03)	16.67	30.56	52.78
17. I know how to examine past and present racism with my students in literacy instruction.	36	2.64 (0.80)	55.56	38.89	5.56
18. I know how to make my literacy instruction responsive to students of culturally diverse backgrounds.	38	2.87 (0.81)	71.05	23.68	5.26
Social Knowledge Domain	N	Mean (SD)	Agree Range (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree Range (%)
19. I know how to create a literacy learning environment in which all of my students of diverse backgrounds collaborate and work toward common goals.	38	2.89 (0.86)	73.68	18.42	7.89
20. I know how to create a literacy learning environment that conveys respect for the cultures of all students in my classroom.	38	3.11 (0.69)	86.84	10.53	2.63
21. I know how to create a literacy learning environment that conveys respect for the language varieties of students in my classroom.	38	3.13 (0.62)	86.85	13.16	0
22. I know how to create a literacy learning environment in which I can talk about race with my students	38	2.92 (0.78)	71.05	26.32	2.63
23. I know how to approach conversations about race with my peers in teacher education	36	2.67 (0.99)	63.88	19.44	16.67
24. I know how to approach conversations about race with parents/caregivers of students in my classroom.	36	2.31 (1.14)	47.23	22.22	30.56
Factor Two: Conceptual Knowledge of Racial Literacies
Sociological Knowledge Domain	N	Mean (SD)	Agree Range (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree Range (%)
25. Being color blind (i.e. not acknowledge race) fosters equitable literacy instruction.	38	2.76 (1.22)	18.42	23.68	57.89
26. It is necessary to talk about racism as we examine power and privilege with students.	38	3.47 (0.69)	89.47	10.53	0
27. I know how to modify curriculum to teach my students to recognize and value multiple viewpoints.	38	3.13 (0.53)	92.1	7.89	0
28. I know how to design assessments that capture students’ progress toward critical examination of differing portrayals of race in text and media.	36	2.25 (1.05)	38.89	36.11	25.00
Personal Knowledge Domain	N	Mean (SD)	Agree Range (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree Range (%)
29. Race is important to examine during my literacy instruction.	38	3.55 (0.60)	94.74	5.26	0
30. My views of race were influenced by my previous experiences.	38	2.97 (0.94)	71.05	21.05	7.89
31. Some students, no matter what I do, will not succeed in developing literacy skills and knowledge.	38	2.89 (1.03)	10.53	18.42	71.05
32. Every student I encounter can develop literacy skills and knowledge.	38	3.42 (0.86)	89.48	7.89	2.63
33. My students’ identities are central to my literacy instruction.	36	3.19 (0.79)	77.78	22.22	0
34. Race is difficult to explore with my students in my literacy instruction.	36	2.00 (1.17)	38.89	25	36.11
35. My knowledge of my students’ racial and cultural backgrounds is important to create culturally responsive literacy instruction.	36	3.50 (0.65)	91.66	8.33	0
36. It is important to examine my racial identity and history as I engage in literacy instruction.	36	3.33 (0.72)	86.11	13.89	0
37. I can connect with people from races different from my own in a literacy context.	36	3.14 (0.68)	83.34	16.67	0

Table 3. Mean scores by domain: interview participants only.

Participant	Contextual	Pedagogical	Social	Sociological	Personal	Overall
Renee	4.8	4.88	4.83	4.5	4.88	4.81*
Danna	4	3.88	4.5	3.75	4.33	4.1
Jonathan	3.9	3.88	3.83	3.75	4.77	4.07
Leanna	3.7	3.66	3.5	4	4.44	3.86
Felicita	3.9	3.88	3.66	3.25	4	3.81
Carrie	3.9	3.44	3.33	4	4.33	3.81
Cameryn	4	3.55	3.66	3.75	3.66	3.73
Mean	4.02	3.88	3.90	3.85	4.34	4.03

*Organized from highest overall mean to lowest overall mean.