Content area
The problem addressed in this study was the challenge predominantly White institutions face implementing culturally responsive teaching training within educator preparation programs. The purpose of this qualitative embedded case study was to explore the perceptions of teacher education faculty and pre-service teachers within an educator preparation program at a small, private predominantly White institution in Illinois regarding the implementation of the newly adopted Illinois State Board of Education’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards. Using a conceptual framework that was composed of the culturally responsive teaching framework and the implementation stages framework, the case study was conducted with 11 participants: 5 full-time faculty members and 6 pre-service teachers who engaged in interviews and focus groups. An analysis of applicable documents also took place. The results of the thematic analysis indicate that implementation of the standards within this type of setting can be effectively achieved through explicit communication of programming alignment, goals, and expectations shared with all necessary stakeholders throughout the implementation process to ensure effective research-based programming. Implications of the study’s themes include faculty developing personal efficacy for enacting culturally responsive teaching strategies, providing opportunities for pre-service teachers to address bias, faculty modeling strategies, spaces for purposeful reflection, and focused field experiences that align with faculty mentorship to effectively enact culturally responsive programming within an educator preparation program. Recommendations from the findings include implementation of the CRTL standards within a PWI, highlighting effective strategies for enacting research-based programming, such as CRT within higher education.