Transformative learning for racial justice: enacting radical change through professional development

Abstract

ABSTRACT Professional development (PD) is a key catalyst for supporting educators’ growth and development in education, yet evidence of PD’s impact in enacting sustained change over time remains challenging to understand. In the United States context, racial inequities plague all aspects of society and are maintained by the education system. Teachers are part of a collective group that serves on the front lines of societies’ efforts to promote equity through education. Thus, identifying strategies to ensure their mindsets and practices are inclusive of all students’ identities, specifically their race/ethnicity, is paramount for the field of teacher PD. This critical theoretical paper will explore how Transformative Learning Theory and Critical Race Theory may be integrated to address racial inequities in education through PD.