Teacher Preparation and Certification Through Marginalized Intersectional Identities

Abstract

Well-prepared teachers with marginalized identities are critical to supporting diverse students in P-12 education; currently, a significant gap exists between the number of diverse students and diverse teachers in schools, demonstrating a need to identify ways to increase the number of marginalized teachers in the profession. This study analyzes the identity-based strengths that support marginalized teacher candidates in navigating through teacher preparation and certification, while identifying barriers that must be overcome for their success. This study contributes to research in the field by investigating multiple marginalized identities combined in unique ways through an asset-based lens using mixed methodology through the theory of CRT, sub-Crits of LatCrit, TribalCrit, and DisCrit, through the frame of intersectionality. While research exists on specific identities in teacher preparation and disparate exam outcomes for certification, none could be identified that bridge the teacher preparation through the certification experience; this study addresses this gap by centering the voices of marginalized teacher candidates through rich counter-storytelling to yield recommendations for improvements to policy and practice around teacher preparation and certification. By surveying and interviewing recent graduates from an Elementary Education bachelor’s degree program in the southwestern United States, and interviewing faculty and staff who work with students in this program, quantitative and qualitative insights were generated that speak to the importance and value of marginalized identities, of grow-your-own programs to increase college and teacher preparation access for marginalized groups, and of policies and practices that are needed to support marginalized teacher candidates through teacher preparation and certification.