Colorblind Racial Ideology Among Teachers of Gifted Students and Its Relationship With Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Abstract

Culturally responsive instruction is recommended to mitigate disparities in the retention of racially and ethnically diverse students in gifted programs. However, the endorsement of colorblind racial ideology is associated with lower multicultural teaching competency and the adoption of deficit perspectives of students of color. The present study examined the relationship between colorblind racial ideology and multicultural teaching competency among a sample of 2,323 Texas teachers who report providing instruction for students identified as gifted and talented in either general or gifted-specific settings. Multiple regression analysis found that racial colorblindness, sex, and multicultural teaching knowledge predicted the self-reported implementation of culturally responsive instruction when teaching gifted students, while gifted-specific training and school diversity had no effects. Implications relate to the necessity of addressing teachers’ racial beliefs and ensuring that gifted-specific professional development equips teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary for meeting the needs of diverse gifted students.