From involvement to solidarity: Community engagement to foster culturally-proactive and constructivist pedagogy

Abstract

Demographic differences between teachers and students and the need for pedagogical approaches that address issues of equity, power, and justice have bolstered arguments for community-engaged teaching in U.S. schools. Recent literature indicates that community-based experiences during teacher education may introduce teacher candidates (TCs) to more diverse people and spaces, develop TCs’ multicultural awareness, and prepare TCs to address issues of justice and equity in their teaching. In this study, we draw on sociocultural theory and culturally-proactive teaching to frame our development of a community engagement project at two large public universities in the U.S. Specifically, we analyze TCs’ experiences and reflections during their participation in the project to consider how their characterizations of community and community-engaged teaching shifted over time. We then draw on our findings to consider the conceptions of community-engaged teaching TCs held after engaging in the project and to identify implications for teacher education.

Keywords:

• Teacher education
• secondary education
• cultural pedagogy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meghan E. Barnes

Meghan E. Barnes is Assistant Professor of English Education at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses on teaching English to secondary learners, the politics of language and writing, teacher research, and young adult literature. In her research, Meghan draws on sociocultural theory to consider pre-service teachers' developing conceptual understandings of teaching and literacy, as well as community engaged approaches to both teaching and research. Meghan's recent work has been published in Teaching and Teacher Education, Journal of Teacher Education, English Education, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and English Teaching: Practice and Critique.

Rick Marlatt

Rick Marlatt is Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary English Language Arts Education at New Mexico State University. His work bridges the fields of English education, creative writing, literacy, technology, and cultural studies. His recent interests include the promotion of critical digital pedagogy for English teachers, incorporation of poetry writing into secondary teacher education courses, and the implementation of video games to enhance literature study for high school students. His most recent work appears in Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Multicultural Perspectives. In addition to sharing his research in publications and at conferences, he is the author of three poetry collections: November Father from Finishing Line Press; Desired Altitude, winner of the Standing Rock Cultural Arts Poetry Award; and How We Fall Apart, winner of the Seven Circle Press Poetry Award. He regularly publishes works of literary criticism and has also earned film credits for screenwriting and art direction.