Caring, Race, Culture, and Power: A Research Synthesis Toward Supporting Mathematics Teachers in Caring With Awareness

Abstract

In this article, the author draws on theories of care to lay out a theoretical map of sorts on what an effective, caring teacher–student relationship that supports student learning might “look like.” In so doing, theories of culturally relevant pedagogy are considered, as these not only illustrate effective practices caring teachers employ but also because such theories provide models of classroom practices that consider explicitly issues of race, culture, and power. The author aims to illuminate the complex, nuanced, and, at times, overwhelming descriptions of what it means to be a caring teacher in the service of student learning. The author concludes by considering models of professional development that hold potential for supporting mathematics teachers in developing teacher–student relationships reflective of “caring with awareness.”