To date, qualitative methods have been underutilized as a form of causal inquiry in educational research. Scholars often position qualitative methods as valuable only for descriptive insight and as lacking the potential to identify “regularities” or generalizable findings (Maxwell, 2004, 2012). However, qualitative approaches to causal inquiry do offer unique insights into the role of context in causality and the interpretative understanding (i.e., meaning making) of causal explanations. In this study, we used causation coding (Saldaña, 2013) to systematically identify causal processes regarding how transformative teacher education activities elicited white teacher candidates’ learning about race. This involved identifying the antecedents and mediators to which teacher candidates attributed their emotional and/or cognitive reactions, including shifts in perceptual frameworks and understandings of equitable practices. Findings suggested that the extent to which candidates used transformative activities to challenge problematic perceptual frameworks and learn about racial equity in teacher practice varied. Furthermore, the extent to which social contexts supported antiracist development determined whether and how they utilized the activities. While these findings may have differed depending on the guiding theoretical framework or researcher positionality, we can conclude that social contexts played an important role in supporting or thwarting white teacher candidates’ learning about racial equity. In addition to findings informing teacher educators’ approaches to transformative instruction, we hope that more researchers will consider using qualitative methods to identify causal explanations, including mechanisms that elicit transformation towards racial equity.

Authors:
Alyssa Parr, University of Minnesota, United States
Shana DeVlieger, New York University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Alyssa Parr is a Research Associate at the University of Minnesota's Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. Through research and evaluation, Dr. Parr works to understand policies and practices that dismantle racial inequity.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-parr

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alyssa-Parr-2

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