Race Education in Wauwatosa and Multiracial Identity Development Presentation by Antonia Arney 1
Introduction ◍ My name is Antonia Arney and I am a recent graduate of Wauwatosa East. ◍ Through my AP Research class, I spent last year researching and collecting data for my research paper entitled “Race Education and Multiracial Identity Development:Fostering Strong, Positive Identities in Multiracial Elementary School Students”. ◍ Today, I will be presenting an overview of my research and its conclusions. 2
Problem Statement There is a problem with the way elementary schools in southeastern Wisconsin address race and multiracial identity in the classroom. Despite access to teaching practices that could be put in place to support multiracial students, these children are statistically more likely to develop anxiety and depression. Perhaps a study that implements beneficial teaching practices into upper elementary school classrooms and observes the results would shed some light on how to remedy this issue. 3
Research Question Could implementing positive multiracial education practices in elementary schools foster a stronger, more positive sense of identity in multiracial children in southeastern Wisconsin? 4
Important Definitions ◍ Multiracial children ◍ Race Education ◍ Identity Development ◍ Strong Sense of Identity ◍ Positive Multiracial Education Practices 5
Hypothesis Multiracial elementary school students in Wauwatosa will be positively impacted by adding positive race education practices to their existing race education curriculum. 6
Methods: Inquiry Process ◍ Data was collected in two phases. ◍ Phase 1: ◌ Interview with two 5th grade teachers ◌ Interviews with 5th grade students in their class ◌ Analysis of Second Step curriculum ◍ Phase 2: ◌ Distribution of survey to Wauwatosa East high school students ◌ Distribution of survey to a population of local adults 7
Influential Sources Annotated Bibliography Final Bibliography Piper, R. E. (2019). The Power of Interactive Multicultural Read-Alouds with Elementary-Aged Children. Education Sciences, 9(2), 141. doi: 10.3390/educsci9020141 ◍ This is a good model for the kind of research I’m doing ◍ Mixed method, primarily qualitative Renn, K. A. (2008). Research on Biracial and Multiracial Identity Development: Overview and synthesis. New Directions for Student Services , 123(1), 13–21. doi: 10.1002/ss.282 Used to create rubric for content analysis. Has a lot of good information about Multiracial identity ◍ devel opment. Goth, K., Foelsch, P., Schlüter-Müller, S., Birkhölzer, M., Jung, E., Pick, O., & Schmeck, K. (2012). Assessment of identity development and identity diffusion in adolescence - Theoretical basis and psychometric properties of the self-report questionnaire AIDA. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health , 6 (1), 27. doi: 10.1186/1753-2000-6-27 ◍ Justification/model for the way I’m assessing identity development ◍ The questions in here can be tweaked to ask 5th graders
Results: Overview Interviews: Surveys: ◍ 2 5th grade teachers ◍ 110 student responses ◍ 7 5th grade students ◍ 68 adult responses ◌ 1 multiracial female student Content analysis: ◌ 2 multiracial male ◍ A rubric was created students and used to evaluate ◌ 2 monoracial male students the race education ◌ 2 monoracial female curriculum at this students school. 9
Key Points: Teacher Interviews ◍ Teachers assumed the lessons about personal identity (Second Step) would apply to the students’ racial identities, and these lessons would impact their thoughts about race more than history lessons. ◍ Throughout the interview, the teachers revealed some discomfort around talking about race in the classroom. 10
Results: Student Interviews “Sometimes, I guess. When I had to go in a group with somebody, and I didn’t “I’m not multiracial, know them, they were African American. I’m part Puerto Rican” I got scared because they were all African American” “Yeah, sort of. I don’t “Sometimes. Basically, like going think it’s important for through different friends. Being them to understand where I around different groups of people come from” I sometimes feel uncomfortable” 11
Key Points: Student Interviews ◍ Multiracial students revelvealed a lack of awareness of multiraciality, as well as a discomfort around talking about race. ◍ During the interviews, monoracial students showed extreme discomfort while talking about race and racial issues at school. ◍ Extreme discomfort and lack of knowledge around discussing multiraciality was prevalent in five out of the seven interviews. 12
Results: Curriculum Analysis The Second Step curriculum encourages discussion among peers about individual differences, but it does not encourage racial discussions specifically. Based on the rubric, Second Step scored a two out of ten. The curriculum defines prejudice, but does not address racial prejudice specifically, nor does it discuss the history or source of prejudice. The term ‘race’ is never defined, and no racial language is used in any lesson. Racial identity is not mentioned at all. Privilege is also not addressed or defined throughout the curriculum. 13
Key Points: Curriculum Analysis ◍ Second Step is not sufficient race education. The results of the analysis support the hypothesis that students would benefit from further multiracial education. ◍ Results disprove the assumption that students in this district have a basic understanding of race and racial issues. 14
Key Points: Student Survey Multiple Choice Responses ◍ Of the students exposed to Second Step, 38% have no memory of race education in elementary school. ◍ Of the students that cited elementary school as their first experience with race education, 92% of students cited some sort of history lesson as their first experience with race. ◍ 10.9% of students reported actually participating in racial discussions in elementary school. 15
Results: Student Survey Narrative Responses “ It was probably during 6th grade “I think for me it’s more of a thing social studies class. There were where I don’t feel like I should definitely times there would be racial speak on it as a white person, but at slurs said during school time or during the same it’s expected to be recess that I would hear but I never discussed in classes of all or mostly made a note of it.” white kids which just perpetuates the issue” “I remember discussing MLK Jr. Day in elementary school.” “Nervous and ambivalent, I think we've been taught from a young age to feel discomfort when confronted with “Like I didn’t get to have a this topic so I definitely felt say/opinion because I’m half white and uncomfortable, and also frustrated half Asian so I’m not a ‘minority’” about some things people said.” 16
Key Points: Student Survey Narrative Responses ◍ Responses show a general feeling of inadequacy around students’ experiences with race education. ◍ Many students had answers that displayed feelings of white fragility. ◍ 82.4%, of students expressed discomfort when discussing race at school. ◍ The majority of students displayed signs of having an insecure racial identity. 17
Key Points: Adult Survey ◍ 86.8%, of adults believe race should be discussed in elementary school or before. ◍ The majority of the adults stated in some way that children have an awareness of race that should not be ignored ◍ I can assume the community would support discussing race more extensively in elementary school. 18
Conclusion 1 Wauwatosa’s race education curriculum does not adequately educate students about race and racial issues. 19
Conclusion 2 Students in Wauwatosa would benefit from more extensive race education that aims to foster strong, positive racial identities in all students. 20
Limitations ◍ School closures and social distancing requirements necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic made collecting data more complicated. ◍ Because of the closures, I only interviewed a small sample of elementary school students and teachers. ◍ The majority of respondents to the surveys self identified as White. ◍ Shortened time for data collection meant I could not observe the results of the curriculum on the same group of students over time. 21
Future Recommendation 1 I recommend a more extensive inquiry into the environment around race education in Wauwatosa. Specifically, I recommend a more extensive inquiry into the discomfort observed in elementary school and high school students. 22
Future Recommendation 2 After a more extensive inquiry is carried out, I recommend the district make efforts to develop a new race education curriculum with the help of a race education expert. I recommend the new curriculum educates elementary school students about race and racial issues and aims to help students develop a strong, positive sense of their own racial identity. 23
Future Recommendation 3 Finally, I recommend the district support a study that investigates the impact of implementing a new race education curriculum. 24
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