Baked In Like a Muffin: the Culture of Whiteness in Ontario Elementary Schools
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Authors
Visentin, Elise
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Critical consciousness , Critical race theory , Qualitative research
Alternative Title
Abstract
As a newly certified teacher in 2015, I began my teaching journey in the Peel District School Board with limited experience developing my critical consciousness nor recognizing the importance of doing so. I thought teaching students equitably could be achieved by treating all students the same. One of the many issues with this mentality was my positionality as a white female dictated my understanding of equity in the classroom. My subconscious/conscious biases, assessments, resources, expectations of students and teaching strategies were influenced by the culture of whiteness. This influence and perpetuation stems from the socialization of race and colonialism, which has been ingrained into society for centuries (Goldberg, 1992; Feagin, 2013). This translates to racialized students experiencing racism and oppression throughout their schooling, which leads to lower graduation rates and educational outcomes (Carr, 2008; Dei, 2003; Lopez & Jean-Marie, 2021). Upon personal reflection, I see how I reinforced colonial systems in my teaching. This realization drove my desire to deepen my critical consciousness and conduct this work, as I share white intermediate teachers’ experiences reflecting on the culture of whiteness and systems of oppression within schools in the Greater Toronto Area. The following research questions guide this study: 1A) How is the culture of whiteness perpetuated by white intermediate teachers in the Greater Toronto Area? 1B) How does the culture of whiteness impact the pedagogies and resources teachers use in intermediate classes in Ontario? 2) What tools are white teachers using to mitigate the perpetuation of the culture of whiteness and develop their critical consciousness? 3) What changes need to be implemented to mitigate the perpetuation of the culture of whiteness in teaching (i.e., structural, institutional, and/or systemic)? These questions are addressed through data collected from semi-structured interviews that formed a single case study research design. The findings highlight how the culture of whiteness is maintained, tools to deepen one’s critical consciousness, as well as recommendations to disrupt the culture of whiteness in education.
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ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States