COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Pamela Freeman

TITLE: FEAR OF FACING OUR WORST SELF: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY ON TEACHERS’ IDENTITIES, IDEOLOGIES, AND RESPONSE TO INCREASED DIVERSITY IN A MAJOR

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Suburban school districts have experienced apparent demographic changes over the past 10 years. However, there is limited research exploring how suburban teachers are responding to such changes or examining how teacher identities and ideologies impact teacher responses. The qualitative research method will address the extent of engaging in reflective practices to examine cultural assumptions. Research Method/Approach: The researcher will take a qualitative approach and conduct a narrative inquiry of a large suburban district in the Houston Metropolitan area that has experienced a significant change in demographics. To gather data, the researcher will conduct interviews with four to six participants representing various grade levels, years of experience, and ethnicity. The researcher will transcribe and analyze the data. This qualitative method will enable the researcher to learn directly from teachers and will look only at the use of one to one personal interviewing thus, the use of focus groups will not be included in the analysis. From the study, the expected find is there are unintentional factors such as identity and ideologies that affect teachers’ response to demographic change. The findings from the research may result in developing curricula that nurture the development of culturally competent teachers who confidently engage in practices specific to the needs of their students.

Keywords: Teachers’ identities, ideologies and response to diversity

Location Online:

Zoom Link: https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/99521628771?pwd=hk5bp5gZcENGarR5DAgaJJcjIW4WGm.1

Meeting ID:995 2162 8771,

Passcode: 410345