The power of an intersectionality framework in teacher education

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the use of an intersectionality framework to analyze and incorporate teachers’ lived experiences into critical professional development. Design/methodology/approach Researchers used qualitative coding based on the matrix of oppression and privilege (Ferber and O’Reilly Herrera, 2013) to analyze teachers’ multicultural autobiographies. Connections between multicultural autobiographies were then made between other course reflections and lesson plans that were developed throughout the 150 h of professional development. Findings Findings evidence the multiple sites of oppression and privilege, the importance of spaces and relationships in locating ourselves and others on the matrix and the possibilities for transferring knowledge to professional practice. Research limitations/implications The authors do recognize the limitations of their study. Although the participants were from differing educational contexts and backgrounds, the sample size was small. Additional studies of this nature can expand our understanding of privilege, oppression and the impact of critical professional development for educators. Our society, and therefore the education system, continues to become more culturally and linguistically diverse, and it is incumbent upon us as educators and researchers to identify effective approaches for preparing both teachers and students for a changing world. Practical implications The power of the matrix framework in pedagogical settings is that it facilitates the recognition and analysis of individual social locations and their relationships to various systems of inequality. Most importantly, analyzing both privilege and oppression allows individuals and instructors to reflect on their own experiences and initiate conversations that reduce the animosity toward those who have different experiences. Originality/value This study is significant, in that it offers a framework that addresses the perceived disconnect between teachers and their increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse student population (Banks and Banks, 2013; Darling-Hammond and Bransford, 2005).

Investigating Arabic language teaching materials based on Indonesian folklore: an ethnographic study on the folktale of “Bandung”

“…In 2019, a study was conducted on Arab-Israeli teachers' perception of multicultural issues and education in the Jewish-Arab relationship (Rudin, 2020). In addition to the Middle East, several regions in the United States have focused on highlighting cultural diversity in schools (Leckie and Buser De, 2020). The role of foreign languages in education has also been studied, particularly in the context of multicultural English language curricula for Hebrew-speaking (majority) and Arabic-speaking (minority) students (Awayed-Bishara, 2018).…”

Breaking the silence: The lived experiences of rural women teachers

“…When using the term oppression, I am using Leckie & De's (2020) definition of "privilege as the conference of power, dominance, resources and rewards, whereas oppression is defined as the systematic process of devaluing, marginalizing and disadvantaging social identity groups" (p. 118). While Lecki & De's (2020) focus in on privilege as the natural pairing to oppression, I will instead focus on power.…”

“…Hill Collins & Bilge (2016) warn there is no "tidy methodology for intersectional research" (p. 28) and that those seeking to analyze through an intersectional lens must be attentive to the guideposts of social inequality, power relations at intersections and across domains, relationality that rejects binaries, social context, complexity, and social justice. Based on the work of Hill Collins & Bilge (2016) In studying women teachers, I cannot ignore that they are overwhelmingly white and middle-class, and this has a profound impact on both the profession and their work within school organizations and communities (Leckie & De, 2020;Rodriguez, et al, 2016;Atewologun, et al, 2016). An intersectional feminist lens honors the agency and intuition of the participants and examines how their lived experiences inform and guide their leadership, personal values, and community engagement while still examining how the "fairly homogenous teaching force in the USA contrasts with the diverse racial, cultural, economic and linguistic backgrounds of their students" (Leckie & De, 2020, p. 117).…”

“…It was in the process of versus coding of the longer interviews that it became apparent some stories shared by women went far beyond the coding of "conflict or tension" or even "oppression." In using Leckie & De's (2020) definition "oppression is defined as the systematic process of devaluing, marginalizing and disadvantaging social identity groups" (p. 118), the stories of seven women went so far beyond "devaluing, marginalizing, and disadvantaging" that I sub-coded their experiences of oppression with the term "abuse." This term use is directly because of my memoing after interviewing Josephine and her stated connection between growing up in an abusive home and how her administrator yelled at her, and the feelings listening to her story filled up in me:…”