Making the invisible visible: Race, gender, and teaching in adult education

The purpose of this study was to understand how the societal position of African American women affects their experiences when teaching mathematics to adults in postsecondary institutions. A qualitative research design used in-depth interviews and classroom observations with 7 African American women teachers in technical schools and community colleges. The results were that the teachers' positionality affected their experiences by (a) producing a teaching philosophy based on a history of marginalization, (b) raising issues of credibility with students because of the teachers' race and gender, and (c) directly affecting their classroom interactions and teaching strategies. It was concluded that there are no generic teachers but, rather, teachers whose experiences are affected positively and negatively by their positionality in society.