Understanding Teachers’ Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices with Students in Schools: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

Ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is essential for youth of color to navigate the racialized world. There is a need to understand teachers’ practices as an extension of family-based ERS. This study explores teachers’ ERS engagement with African American and Latine adolescents attending two large, diverse high schools. Two 90-minute focus groups were conducted ( n = 15), utilizing thematic analysis and inter-coder agreement. Teachers reported nuanced ERS messages and methods. Facilitators and barriers ranged from macro (i.e., institutional), meso (i.e., community), and micro-level (i.e., personal). Findings are understood within congruency or distinction from parental ERS with implications for teacher practices within urban schools.