Three Decades of Literacy Preservice Teachers' Engagement in Research: Operationalizing Critical Reflexivity to Explore Possibilities for Increasing Racial Literacy

Y

29

Preservice Teachers; Literacy Education; Student Research; Action Research; Racial Factors; Literature Reviews; Race; Teacher Characteristics; Student Characteristics; Research Methodology; Multiple Literacies; Foreign Countries; Diversity; Elementary Secondary Education

United States; Canada; United Kingdom (Great Britain); Australia; Austria; Spain; Chile; Mexico; Turkey; China; Israel

1559-9035

In this paper, the author analyzes 89 studies published from 1990 through 2020 that focused on literacy preservice teachers' involvement in action research as part of learning to teach. In doing so, the author provides an example of why critical reflexivity is necessary in qualitative literature review methods. The author relies on a social practice view of race and uses activity theory to answer the questions: How have researchers considered race as a factor in research on literacy preservice teacher education? How can preservice teachers' experience with research be (re)designed to help develop their racial literacy? Findings demonstrate that in the reviewed studies, 51% of researchers addressed preservice teachers' race, and 34% addressed K-12 students' race. Far fewer studies, however, acknowledged their own race or that of field supervisors and mentor teachers, which ultimately minimized their roles. Findings also emphasize four design principles for literacy teacher education programs that aim to include research: collaboration between K-12 partners and universities; selective teacher educator scaffolding; engagement with diverse communities; and extensive time spent as part of the pathway toward racial literacy. The implications and uses of an existing literature base that reflects shifting reporting standards related to race are also examined.

As Provided

2022

EJ1358017