Culturally relevant pedagogy in practice: using critical whiteness to create critical consciousness in urban education

Abstract

This dissertation examines the purpose of urban k-12 public schools and identifies the explicit and implicit ways in which they disrupt and limit urban students’ opportunities. Through interviews with white teachers in urban schools, the study investigates how white supremacy, inequity, biases, and deficit mindsets curtail student achievement and dispossess students of their education. Based on the research findings, and the framework of critical whiteness, the dissertation examines classroom strategies and pedagogical measures to enhance white urban teachers’ critical practices, enabling them to deploy their power, authority, and privilege to disrupt students’ education enabling them to deploy their power, authority, and privilege to disrupt the education system’s inherent racism. This study also examines how teachers can utilize their positions to foster equity in student achievement, interpersonal relationships, curriculum, and discipline practices. The project presents professional development designed to help teachers navigate issues of poverty, privilege, and policy, creating space for them to shift power and voice to their students. Results demonstrate that such professional development can help urban white teachers implement culturally relevant curriculum and humanistic pedagogical practices.