Facilitating Science and Mathematics Teachers' Talk About Equity: What Are the Strengths and Limitations of Four Strategies for Professional Learning?

We investigated a 2.5-year professional development effort designed to support practicing science and mathematics teachers in understanding equity and enacting equitable practices. Our purpose was to inform the research base on effective equity professional development, toward the goal of better supporting science and mathematics teachers in transforming their views and practices. Because talk is central to learning, we examined how four strategies for professional learning facilitated or constrained teachers' shared equity talk: (1) engagement in teacher research, (2) reflection on personal experiences, (3) modeling of reform-based instructional practices, and (4) examination of school/state/national data on student course taking and achievement. We asked: How did teachers' shared equity talk vary across these strategies? To answer this question, we qualitatively analyzed recorded seminars, teacher interviews, and written reflections to determine the opportunities each strategy afforded teachers to talk about equity, and the length and substance of teachers' equity talk as a result. We found that, despite teachers' construction of a shared equity discourse and the iterative implementation of professional learning strategies, the type of strategy implemented did indeed matter. Although all four strategies provided teachers similar opportunities to discuss equity, some strategies were more effective than others in facilitating equity conversations.