Children’s Literature, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Teacher Identity: An Action Research Inquiry in Teacher Education

ABSTRACT This paper reports on an action research inquiry that identified ways that a graduate course in multicultural children’s literature contributed to teachers’ meaning-making of such texts, their professional practices, and themselves as educators. Conceptually grounded in culturally responsive teaching and the construct of teacher identity, analysis of course artifacts, participant interviews and a focus group session revealed three emergent themes. First, teachers’ participation in the course deepened insight on how former experiences with texts connected with beliefs about literature. Second, course structures and activities promoted understandings of self as a teacher who values diverse texts and culturally responsive practices. Third, the inclusion of controversial and challenged texts in P-12 classrooms was of professional concern. Recommendations for future research and teacher education are provided.