A Culturally Consonant Tone: African American Teacher Theorizing on Character Education Policy

Abstract

In this article, I describe the influence race, historicity, and culture had on an African American social studies teacher's agency and negotiation of character education policy. Situated in a teacher personal theorizing framework, I use a three-dimensional narrative inquiry space (temporal, personal/existential, and place) to excavate this teacher's culturally consonant character theory and practice. Data collection was comprised of interviews, conversations, observations, field notes, and archival data. Findings suggested that Black womanist values steered this character educator's : (a) curricular/instructional decision-making, (b) motivation, and (c) teaching and learning expectations. She did, though, incorporate aspects of contemporary character education policy (neo-classical, communitarian, and feminist) in her practice.