Beneath the Skin: A Survey of Black K-12 Educators' Racial Identities, Beliefs, and Culturally Grounded Pedagogy.

Abstract

Black educators are often presumed to possess pedagogical skills that benefit Black students, particularly race- and culture-related practices aimed toward addressing social inequities in schooling (i.e., culturally grounded pedagogy). However, there is limited research on the underpinnings of culturally grounded pedagogy among Black educators. Building on scholarship from both education and psychology, I hypothesized that racial identity undergirds Black educators’ pedagogy and beliefs. I conceptually disentangled racial identity from race-related beliefs and behaviors, and (using the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity) outlined a framework to explain Black educators’ culturally grounded pedagogy. Three questions were addressed: 1) In what ways does racial identity relate to Black educators’ culturally grounded pedagogy? 2) Does racial identity relate to Black educators’ beliefs about African American children and their educational needs (strengths-based, deficit, and colorblind)? And, 3) Does racial identity also relate to culturally grounded pedagogy through associations between racial identity and beliefs? Self-identified Black educators (N=217; 113 teachers, 101 instructional staff; Mage=43.3, range 22-76 years old) were recruited through U.S. professional organizations and completed a survey on racial attitudes, beliefs, and pedagogy. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression models, with beliefs as mediators between racial identity and pedagogy. Descriptive results revealed that Black educators are a diverse group who endorse three dimensions of culturally grounded pedagogy to varying degrees; variation in pedagogy was systematically related to their racial identities and beliefs. First, nationalist ideology was directly associated with Black educators’ culturally enriched curriculum use. Second, oppressed minority ideology was directly associated with culturally responsive teaching, while private regard related to culturally responsive teaching through associations between private regard and strengths-based and deficit beliefs. Third, centrality related to Black educators’ commitment through strengths-based beliefs. Results highlight the importance of conceptually and empirically disentangling racial identity and beliefs from practices to illuminate within-group differences in how Black educators think about themselves and Black students in regard to race and culture. Findings may inform how racial identity is considered in pre-service and in-service teacher training; education research; and contributes to psychology scholarship on how racial identity operates in relation to beliefs and behaviors among Black adults.