Professional Development for Providing Time and Opportunities for Change in U.S. Teachers’ Ethnic-Racial Identity

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe teachers’ perceptions of changes in their ethnic-racial identity after completing professional development designed to support facilitation of a school-based ethnic-racial identity student curriculum – the Identity Project. We analyzed interview data from 11 U.S. high school educators (four Teachers of Color; seven White Teachers) who completed 32 training hours and post-program individual interviews to reflect on the impact of the program on their ethnic-racial identity. Based on reflexive thematic analysis, we found that the program influenced teachers’ ethnic-racial identity by offering them time and opportunities for change through guided self-reflection. This included participating in all aspects of the Identity Project that is designed for students and learning from and sharing with colleagues. The program (a) served as a reminder reinforcing prior learning about one’s ethnic-racial identity, (b) leveraged unique benefits of reflecting in community about issues of ethnicity, race, and identity, and (c) activated curiosity to learn more about one’s ethnic-racial identity and its connections with supporting students. Nevertheless, there was teacher-specific variation in these findings that illustrated nuanced experiences. Our findings illuminate paths forward for fostering teachers’ ongoing ethnic-racial identity development in the service of promoting students’ learning and well-being.