Cultivating Critical Consciousness in Special Educators: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Latinx Teacher Candidates’ Critical Consciousness
The majority of teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse student populations has focused on the development of beliefs and attitudes of White general education teachers. This leaves much to be understood as to the development of belief systems of teachers with Latinx heritage and how they relate to their students with disabilities. This study applied theories of critical race theory and funds of knowledge to better understand how the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of our teacher candidates were key to fostering the development of their teacher identities. This resulted in the development of the Cultivating Critical Consciousness in Educators Framework (CCCE), a comprehensible framework for understanding the beliefs and practices essential for educators to practice critical consciousness. Findings demonstrate within group diversity of beliefs varying along a continuum of dysconscious to critical consciousness related to systemic racism, ableism, discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender expression, and sociolinguistic issues. Implications for teacher education practice and future research also are shared.ABSTRACT
Contributor Notes
Author Bio
Alta “Joy” Broughton, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Special Education at Saint Mary’s College of California. Her scholarship is grounded Freirian concept of conscientização and humanizing pedagogy. Through promoting the practice of critical consciousness in teacher education, she aims to improve the equitable education of emergent bilingual students who may or may not have learning disabilities. Joy has published works addressing issues of teacher preparation, leadership in special education, and disproportionate identification of emergent bilinguals in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Currently, she is the Co-Principal Investigator on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Capacity Building Grant to establish a LEA-IHE Bilingual General/Special Education Teacher Residency and the CalEPIC Educator Preparation Program Transformation Grant, funded through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Nicholas Catania is an assistant professor at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. His research focuses on teacher preparation for social justice as well as equitable policies and practices for the inclusion, advancement, and dignity of marginalized populations including LGBTQ+ children and families.
Dr. David Hoppey is an associate professor and director of the Educational Leadership doctoral program at UNF. His scholarship focuses on inclusive teacher education, inclusive school reform, special education policy, and school university partnerships, including providing quality preservice teacher education, and ongoing in-service teacher professional development.
David H. Allsopp, Ph.D., is a professor of Special Education in the College of Education, University of South Florida. David teaches at both the undergraduate and doctoral levels and his scholarship revolves around effective instructional practices for students with high incidence exceptionalities and other struggling learners who have not been identified with exceptional needs, particularly related to mathematics and content-based individualized strategy instruction. Another area of research emphasis for David is Teacher Education, particularly as it relates to preparing teachers (at the preservice and in-service levels) to address the needs of students at risk of school failure. David’s scholarship has been published widely in peer reviewed journals, coauthored books, book chapters, policy papers, and technology-related professional development resources.
