Exploring Educators’ Commitment to Racial Equity in School Discipline Practice: A Qualitative Study of Critical Incidents

Understanding Educators’ Implementation of an Equity-Focused PBIS Intervention: A Qualitative Study of Critical Incidents

“…Andersson and Nilsson (1964) have provided empirical support validating the method’s capacity to generate reliable and comprehensive descriptions of a variety of psychological processes. ECIT has been used to understand what experiences increase educators’ commitment to equity in school discipline practice and assess the acceptability of equity-focused classroom strategies (Bastable et al, 2021; Bastable et al, 2019).…”

“…Although there is now evidence of interventions that can significantly decrease discipline disparities (Bradshaw et al, 2018; Cook et al, 2018; Gion et al, 2020; Gregory et al, 2016; Knochel et al, 2020), implementation of school approaches have proven challenging in practice (Augustine et al, 2018; Gregory & Evans, 2020). Variables such as an individual’s willingness to acknowledge racial inequities (DiAngelo, 2018; Singleton, 2015) and organizational and cultural factors in schools may limit educators’ capacity to address disciplinary equity in their classrooms or school-wide (Bastable et al, 2021; Sander & Bibbs, 2020; Wiley et al, 2018).…”

Using an Embedded Mixed Methods Design to Assess and Improve Intervention Acceptability of an Equity-Focused Intervention: A Methodological Demonstration

“…There were no significant differences in ratings by gender, race, U.S. region, role, or years in education. Given the reluctance of some educators to implement equity interventions (Bastable & McIntosh, 2019; DiAngelo, 2011) and regional variations in perspectives regarding racial disproportionality (Shaw & Braden, 1990), the strong acceptability indicates promise for ReACT. Moreover, the four teachers who implemented the intervention (and completed the PIRS after implementation) had mean scores slightly higher than those who only heard about it.…”

“…When all CIs were reviewed, coded, and placed in operationally defined categories, we initiated a series of credibility checks to determine trustworthiness, as used in other CIT studies (Bastable & McIntosh, 2019; McIntosh, Kelm, & Canizal Delabra, 2016). Our credibility checks served as important quality indicators of this type of qualitative approach (Brantlinger, Jimenez, Klingner, Pugach, & Richardson, 2005).…”

“…However, individuals in U.S. society generally remain reluctant to address issues related to race or ethnicity (DiAngelo, 2011; Goff, Jackson, Nichols, & Di Leone, 2013). Educators, like the rest of U.S. society, are reported to be ambivalent or avoidant toward examining race and equity in schools (Bastable & McIntosh, 2019; Singleton, 2015; Tatum, 2017). Therefore, it is necessary to assess and improve how educators perceive the effectiveness and feasibility of equity-focused school interventions.…”