Open AccessCrossing Borders in Initial Teacher Education: Supporting Translations in the Inner-City Practicum
Author(s) -
Jeannie Kerr,
Katya Adamov Ferguson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
education, language and sociology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2690-3652
pISSN - 2690-3644
DOI - 10.22158/elsr.v2n3p16
Subject(s) - practicum , coursework , privilege (computing) , colonialism , pedagogy , indigenous , white privilege , teacher education , sociology , study abroad , mathematics education , psychology , political science , gender studies , racism , ecology , law , biology
Research examining teacher candidates’ preparation to teach in high-poverty, urban contexts marked by diversities and inequalities, throughout North America and internationally, is predominantly focused on examining and changing problematic attitudes based in white normativity and privilege. While this is extremely important, there has been a noted absence of research that supports translations of critical ideas from coursework into the practicum experience. In this article we share a case-study of eight teacher candidates supported by a practicum team approach designed to support these translations into the inner-city teaching practicum. The study is designed and analyzed through decolonial, settler-colonial, critical, and Indigenous theories and philosophies. The authors found common deficit perspectives in the practicum site, but that a relational focus across university and school contexts supported the translation of critical ideas into practice. This study recommends a more explicit engagement with settler colonialism and white privilege within both the practicum and coursework.