Abstract
Prison is an institution characterized by the marginalization of mostly people of color (Davis, 2003), with a disproportionate number of incarcerated minorities within the prison population (Kilgore, 2015). Research on higher education in prison has pointed to the need for college-in-prison teachers to reflect on teaching experiences and adopt teaching practices relevant to this prison population. The study explores college-in-prison teaching experiences through rich descriptions provided by faculty that teach higher education in prisons. University faculty currently teaching within college-in-prison programs offered by universities across the U.S. were recruited for this study, with the desired population being accessed through the National Directory of Higher Education Programs in Prison. The researcher purposively selected ten participants who responded as the sample to be interviewed via Zoom. This hermeneutical phenomenological study employed Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy respectively. Data provide insight into how faculty reflected on experiences with conclusions that revealed a detailed understanding of college-in-prison teaching practices. Findings reveal the significance of both reflection, and culturally responsive teaching with the emergence of three themes including: (a) “reflections on teaching practices;” (b) “challenges experienced;” and (c) “culturally responsive teaching practices.” Twelve subthemes were identified, including: (a) “motivations;” (b) “perceptions/emotions;” (c) “assumptions;” (d) “insights;” (e) “pedagogy;” (f) “preparedness;” (g) “distractions and inconsistencies;” (h) “logistical challenges and limited resources;” (i) “intimidation, bureaucracy, and outsider status;” (j) “experiences with diversity;” (k) “cultural responsivity in class;” and (l) “adapt to students.”
Presenters
Clavette PhillipProfessor, Southern California State University, Armed Forces Americas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Designing Social Transformations
KEYWORDS
Marginalization, Prison Education, Pedagogy
