Peter C. Murrell, Jr. – författare

Responding to a need for greater cultural competence in the preparation and development of teachers in diverse public school settings, this book investigates the critical developmental and social processes mediating students’ academic identities in those settings posing the greatest challenges to their school achievement and personal development. It provides an accessible, practice-oriented culturally responsive framework for teachers in American schools. Murrell proposes a situated-mediated identity theory that emphasizes examining not just the child, not just the school environment, but also the child in-context as the unit of analysis to understand how both mutually constitute each other in the social and cultural practices of schooling. He then develops this theory into an applied psychology of identity and agency development among children and youth as well as their teachers, striving together for academic achievement in diverse school settings. For researchers, professionals, and students in multicultural education, educational and developmental psychology, social and cultural foundations of education, and teacher education, Murrell’s cultural practices approach builds on current thinking about multicultural teacher preparation and provides the practice component underpinning theories about cultural competence.

Responding to a need for greater cultural competence in the preparation and development of teachers in diverse public school settings, this book investigates the critical developmental and social processes mediating students’ academic identities in those settings posing the greatest challenges to their school achievement and personal development. It provides an accessible, practice-oriented culturally responsive framework for teachers in American schools. Murrell proposes a situated-mediated identity theory that emphasizes examining not just the child, not just the school environment, but also the child in-context as the unit of analysis to understand how both mutually constitute each other in the social and cultural practices of schooling. He then develops this theory into an applied psychology of identity and agency development among children and youth as well as their teachers, striving together for academic achievement in diverse school settings. For researchers, professionals, and students in multicultural education, educational and developmental psychology, social and cultural foundations of education, and teacher education, Murrell’s cultural practices approach builds on current thinking about multicultural teacher preparation and provides the practice component underpinning theories about cultural competence.

Sometimes understood as habits of mind, “dispositions” represents a new concept in teacher education. Conversations about professional dispositions in teaching often touch on issues such as attitudes, values, moral commitment, and social justice. Based on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Task Force on Teaching as a Moral Community, this book addresses the philosophical grounding for the concept of teacher dispositions and examines thoughtful examples of emerging practice.

Integrates the historical, cultural, political, and developmental considerations of the African American experience into a theory for the educational achievement of African American children.What can teachers, administrators, families, and communities do to create schools that provide rich learning experiences for African American children? Based on a critical reinterpretation of several key educational frameworks, African-Centered Pedagogy is a practical guide to accomplished teaching. Murrell suggests integrating the historical, cultural, political, and developmental considerations of the African American experience into a unified system of instruction, bringing to light those practices that already exist and linking them to contemporary ideas and innovations that concern effective practice in African American communities. This is then applied through a case study analysis of a school seeking to incorporate the unified theory and embrace African-centered practice. Murrell argues that key educational frameworks-although currently ineffective with African American children-hold promise if reinterpreted.