Date of Award

Spring 2014

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Terms of Use

© 2014 Rachel Giovanniello. All rights reserved. Access to this work is restricted to users within the Swarthmore College network and may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. Sharing with users outside of the Swarthmore College network is expressly prohibited. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Educational Studies Department, Sociology & Anthropology Department

First Advisor

Diane Downer Anderson

Second Advisor

Maya Nadkarni

Abstract

This thesis examines the identities and practices of teachers committed to the values of critical multicultural education, and the extent to which they feel supported or constrained in their everyday practice. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 9 teachers committed to practicing a "critical multicultural pedagogy" or "teaching for social justice." I examined how teachers understood their pedagogical values to be playing out in practice, and also examined the extent to which they were constrained by factors such as district and state testing policies, administrative support or lack thereof, and the growing trend towards de-professionalization of teachers. I found that while teachers remained committed to the values of critical multicultural pedagogies, they were constrained by structural conditions and found informal and formal networks of teacher collaboration and support to be necessary. My findings echo recent literature on the need for increased opportunities for teacher collaboration and leadership within schools and highlight the importance of having teachers play a role in shaping educational policy, in order for teaching to be a sustainable profession and for teachers to be able to teach in ways that reflect the values of critical progressive pedagogies.

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