Daring to Differ: A Culturally Responsive Research Study of Self

Abstract

Self-study is an inherent component of culturally responsive teaching, but most scholars and educators do not specifically highlight its process. This is an essential time for teachers to improve their practice and craft a culturally responsive pedagogy. As the number of students of color in schools continues to increase, the teaching force remains overwhelmingly White, and gaps between White students and students of color persist. In exploring a process of self-study, I sought to answer this question, Can purposeful engagement in self-study foster culturally responsiveness in culturally unresponsive educators and create resiliency in students of color? This question challenged me to interrogate personal experiences as a case example of the experiences of Black women and girls in the U.S. education system. This interplay between personal interpretation and broader social contexts is a tenet of autobiographical research. Data analysis revealed trauma induced by racism can have lasting effects on self-perception, health, and academic success and that it takes intentionality to recover. The findings suggested that self-study can foster a deeper culturally responsive practice for teachers already on a path to transformational teaching, and that self-study can lead to resiliency for those who chose to acknowledge a deeply reflective process.