ERIC Number: ED627162
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 40
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Learning to Decenter Whiteness in Schools through Teacher Professional Development: A Systematic Review
Lindsay M. Fallon; Patrick Robinson-Link; Tyler A. Womack; Laura A. Alba; Ryan Sunda; Staci Ballard; Margarida Veiga; Austin H. Johnson
Grantee Submission
Racism is enmeshed within the fabric of U.S. public education, making it critical to identify and dismantle. One way to do this is to provide professional development (PD) to teachers targeting anti-racism to build awareness, decenter whiteness, and advance racial equity in schools. This systematic review is a synthesis of anti-racism PD studies, summarizing the: (a) topics and activities integrated; (b) participants; (c) settings; and (d) outcomes associated with participation. Thirty-eight studies published from 1981 to 2020 met study criteria. Results indicated that study participants were most likely to be white educators from urban, public elementary schools who received, on average, nearly 18 hours of professional development. Training included authentic learning and reflection opportunities, with many participants reporting increased critical consciousness and improved racial literacy after PD. However, results also illuminated: (a) inconsistencies in the way white teachers responded to training, likely aligning with their own readiness to learn and racial identity development; (b) that school leadership has a key role in creating a safe, trusting, well-resourced environment for this work; and (c) white teachers may need assistance moving from talking about decentering whiteness to taking anti-racist action. We conclude with implications for research, practice, and policy. [This paper will be published in "School Psychology Review."]
Related Records: EJ1431866
Publication Type: Information Analyses
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324B170010