Education Researchers Receive Grant To Address Race Literacy In Elementary Schools, Kennesaw

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Oct 14, 2020

Education researchers receive grant to address race literacy in elementary schools

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Oct 14, 2020) — Kennesaw State University elementary teacher educators and researchers Sohyun An and
Scott Ritchie of the Bagwell College of Education are working to help elementary school
teachers conduct meaningful classroom discussions about social issues and the impact
that racism can have on their students.

Sohyun An
Through a $50,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation, a leading supporter of education
research, An and Ritchie will conduct a case study analysis of three local elementary
school teachers who successfully teach racial literacy. In this pilot study next year,
they will address questions related to the teachers’ beliefs about race, teaching
racial literacy, and their practices around race-related content.

“We want teachers to be able to have open and honest dialogue with their students
on issues of race, racism, white supremacy, power and privilege when they arise during
class discussions,” An explained. “From these experiences, students can learn how
to become informed, engaged citizens and change makers for an anti-racist, anti-oppressive
world.”

An, professor of social studies education, and Ritchie, associate professor of language
and literacy education, have examined the relationship between language, power and
identity as depicted in various texts such as social studies books and children’s
picture books.

Their goal is to help better prepare teachers in engaging learners of a rapidly increasing
multicultural world by incorporating more of the students’ backgrounds and experiences
into the curriculum. The research team will study how elementary school teachers can
effectively cultivate and facilitate powerful and meaningful conversations on race
and racism during lessons, most prevalent in language arts, writing and social studies.

“Race and racism are considered taboo topics in elementary schools in the U.S.,” said
Ritchie. “Yet, studies indicate that children recognize race and internalize racism
at an early age, signifying that discussions of race in schools could help children
learn how to combat racism.”

Scott Ritchie
Ritchie further noted that, although teaching racial literacy has proven successful
in the secondary, post-secondary, and community settings, almost no resources are
available for elementary school settings.

“By gathering data on successful elementary teachers of racial literacy education,
we will build theory and develop new foundational knowledge that may have a lasting
impact on educational discourse on how to teach racial literacy to elementary students,”
said Ritchie.

From this initial work on a conceptual framework for racial literacy education at
the K-5 level, An and Ritchie plan to translate their project results into a larger
study focused on elementary school teachers from around the country who also exhibit
best practices for teaching racial literacy.

“The more concrete everyday stories and examples of anti-racist pedagogy at the elementary
level that we can highlight through our research, the more powerful the impact will
be on other elementary teachers who are willing to take the difficult, and too often
less-traveled road, but are unsure where or how to start,” An said.

– Joëlle Walls

Related Stories

• Professor earns NIH grant for neurological research

• 3D Printing Farm Cultivates Collaboration Among KSU Art and Engineering Students

• Professor blends engineering and healthcare through research

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.