White College Students’ Cognitive Dissonance When Taught by Immigrant Professor of Color

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated whether White college students experience cognitive dissonance when taught by immigrant professors of color and if so, how do they restore harmony and balance in order to complete the course successfully. Cognitive dissonance refers to feelings of discomfort that arise when a person’s behavior or attitude is in conflict with the person’s values and beliefs, or when new information contrary to their beliefs is presented to them. The participants in this study were 321 preservice teachers who were enrolled in a culturally and linguistically diversity course and a bilingual education course at a large, predominantly White university in the southwestern United States Using three archival instruments including anonymous questions, a guessing activity, a mid-term and end-of-semester evaluations, the students manifested dissonance by “othering” the professor through cultural and racial profiling, questioned the professor’s qualification, professionalism and credentials, and expressed anger and anxiety towards the course. These processes have significant implications for the career trajectory of the immigrant professor of color, while at the same time impacting the knowledge access for White college students.