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Challenging Their Conceptions of Intellectualism: Exploring the Relationship between Race and the Motivation to Teach for STEM Educators

Abstract:This article seeks to advance the knowledge base providing equitable education to all children vis-à-vis a more diverse teaching staff. To that end, this article explores what is known about how individuals’ racial identity influences their decision to enter the teaching profession. Based on a yearlong study conducted in a large school district serving primarily African American and Latino students, the article describes the motivations to teach for a cohort of alternatively prepared middle school mathematics and science teachers who have previous professional experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The study found that African American participants expressed their race as an initial motivation to teach whereas White participants came to realize the influence of race on their teaching experiences in the midst of their first year in the classroom.