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1. White intellectual alibies in use: A critical analysis of preservice teachers’ rhetoric.

   Carlsruh, R. ( January 2021 , Proceedings of the Eleventh International Mathematics Education and Society Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   The demographic disconnect in the U.S. between the majority white, female teacher workforce and the diverse students they serve perpetuates white supremacy in various ways. These relationships can be especially problematic in mathematics settings, where race issues are often disguised behind discourses of neutrality, intelligence, and meritocracy. To further understand how white supremacy is enacted in educational spaces, we applied Leonardo’s theory of “white intellectual alibis” to critically analyze interview data involving a pair of white-identifying preservice teachers engaging with novel hypothetical scenarios. Findings show that participants utilized various alibis that reinforced racist narratives and silenced possible antiracist conversations. Implications for teacher education are discussed. 

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2. Families Matter: Family Learning as a Central Component to Equity in STEM Education

   Pattison, S ; Ramos_Montañez, S ; Tolbert_Smith, D ; Cardella, M ; Dou, R ; Cian, H ; Calabrese_Barton, A ; Sedawi, W ; Tan, E ; López_Burgos, V ; et al ( March 2024 , National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST))

   In this related paper set, our goal was to advance a more holistic vision of equity and social justice in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by drawing attention to an often-overlooked social asset for learners—their families. While families are usually secondary in discussions of equity in STEM education, a growing number of researchers have highlighted the need to consider and partner with families to establish anti-racist, asset-based educational practices in both informal and formal learning environments. In this related paper set, the first two papers directly challenge the ways deficit-based perceptions of families from historically marginalized communities undermine the critical role that family members play in supporting youth STEM engagement, learning, and identity development. In the second two papers, investigators examine how educators and researchers can use insights from families to inform the design of learning environments inside and outside of school. Collectively, the four papers emphasize the critical importance of working with families to address inequities in STEM education and demonstrate the unique opportunities for envisioning new learning possibilities through these partnerships. 

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3. Families Matter: Family Learning as a Central Component to Equity in STEM Education

   Pattison, S ; Ramos_Montañez, S ; Tolbert_Smith, D ; Cardella, M ; Dou, R ; Cian, H ; Calabrese_Barton, A ; Sedawi, W ; Tan, E ; López_Burgos, V ; et al ( March 2024 , National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST))

   In this related paper set, our goal was to advance a more holistic vision of equity and social justice in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by drawing attention to an often-overlooked social asset for learners—their families. While families are usually secondary in discussions of equity in STEM education, a growing number of researchers have highlighted the need to consider and partner with families to establish anti-racist, asset-based educational practices in both informal and formal learning environments. In this related paper set, the first two papers directly challenge the ways deficit-based perceptions of families from historically marginalized communities undermine the critical role that family members play in supporting youth STEM engagement, learning, and identity development. In the second two papers, investigators examine how educators and researchers can use insights from families to inform the design of learning environments inside and outside of school. Collectively, the four papers emphasize the critical importance of working with families to address inequities in STEM education and demonstrate the unique opportunities for envisioning new learning possibilities through these partnerships. 

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4. Race, Gender, and Teacher Equity Beliefs: Construct Validation of the Attributions of Mathematical Excellence Scale

   https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221130999  

   Jacobson, Erik ; Cross Francis, Dionne ; Willey, Craig ; Wilkins-Yel, Kerrie ( January 2022 , AERA Open)

   Teachers’ beliefs can have powerful consequences on instructional decisions and student learning. However, little research focuses on how teachers’ beliefs about the role of race and gender in mathematics teaching and learning influence educational equity within classrooms. This gap is partly due to the lack of studies focused on variation within classrooms, which in turn is hampered by the lack of instruments designed to measure mathematics-specific equity beliefs. In this study of 313 preservice and practicing elementary teachers, we report evidence of construct validity for the Attributions of Mathematical Excellence Scale. Factor analyses provide support for a four-factor structure, including genetic, social, personal, and educational attributions. The findings suggest that the same system of attribution beliefs underlies both racial and gender prejudice among elementary mathematics teachers. The Attributions of Mathematical Excellence Scale has the potential to provide a useful outcome measure for equity-focused interventions in teacher education and professional development. 

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5. Examining interactions between dominant discourses and engineering educational concepts in teachers' pedagogical reasoning

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20563  

   De Lucca, Natalie ; Watkins, Jessica ; Swanson, Rebecca D. ; Portsmore, Merredith ( November 2023 , Journal of Engineering Education)

   N/A (Ed.)

   Background:Engineering's introduction into K–12 classrooms has been purported to support meaningful and inclusive learning environments. However, teachers must contend with dominant discourses embedded in US schooling that justify inequitable distributions of resources. Purpose:Drawing on Gee's notion of discourses, we examine how teachers incorporate language legitimizing socially and culturally constructed values and beliefs. In particular, we focus on the discourse of ability hierarchy—reflecting dominant values of sorting and ranking students based on perceived academic abilities—and the discourse of individual blame—reflecting dominant framings of educational problems as solely the responsibility of individual students or families. We aim to understand how these discourses surface in teachers' reasoning about teaching engineering. Method:We interviewed 15 teachers enrolled in an online graduate program in engineering education. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, we analyzed how teachers drew on discourses of blame and ability hierarchy when reasoning about problems of practice in engineering. Results:Teachers drew on engineering education concepts to reinforce dominant discourses (echoing specific language and preserving given roles) as well as to disrupt (utilizing different language or roles that [implicitly] challenge) dominant discourses. Importantly, teachers could also retool discourses of ability hierarchy (arguing for a more equitable distribution of resources but problematically preserving the values of ranking and sorting students). Conclusions:K–12 schooling's sociohistorical context can shape how teachers make sense of engineering in ways that implicate race, gender, disability, and language, suggesting a need to grapple with how discourses from schooling—and engineering culture—maintain marginalizing environments for students. 

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