Embedding components of the write on race intervention in a cultural diversity course for pre-service teachers, to increase cultural humility, and the likelihood for future implementation of instructional strategies designed to improve school climate, sense of belonging, and teacher-student relationships for diverse students.

Abstract

The dramatic and exponential demographic shift in the United States is more apparent in the public schools than anywhere else, further magnifying the importance of addressing and acknowledging racial and ethnic disparities in education. The increase in racial and ethnically diverse learners requires that teachers engage in Cultural Humility; a dynamic and lifelong process focusing on self-reflection and personal critique (Tervalon and Murray-Garcia, 1998), as opposed to Cultural Competence which typically suggests an end to learning or the ability to be fully proficient. Cultural Humility provides strategies and skills required to support racially and ethnically diverse students by affirming their personal identity, dignity, and cultural wealth, through instruction, and culturally responsive classroom management. Thus facilitating an inclusive, engaging, and equitable learning environment, where few behavioral problems and tensions arise (Gay, 2013). Using a pretest-posttest design across two cohorts, this study examined the effects of the Write on Race intervention on cultural competence and humility, school climate, sense of belonging and student-teacher relationship for pre-service teachers when embedded in their teacher preparation curriculum. Findings are discussed, along with implications and future directions for educators and teacher preparation programs regarding training teachers to effectively serve diverse learners.