Abstract
This article addresses first what students and professionals know and do not know about cultural competence and anti-racism. The authors then focus on dispositions (what students and professionals want to know and do not want to know), and then skills (e.g., strategies, techniques, resources). They suggest that being skilled in cultural differences depends extensively on the degree of information known or not known, along with the desire or will to learn (or not) about culture and cultural differences, and how to be anti-racist. They conclude by offering recommendations to school administrators in recruiting and retaining teachers and school counselors that reflect the student population within their schools.
as Black educators—faculty, researchers, and consultants—we have an unwavering commitment and dedication to preparing higher education students and educational professionals to be culturally competent in words, beliefs, and actions. In this article, we explore what it means to be culturally competent, which consists of knowledge, dispositions, and skills, respectively. Readers familiar with these three components of cultural competence will notice that we reordered them. They are almost exclusively presented in this order: knowledge, skills, and dispositions. The order matters, as will we discuss.
To address the on-going and pervasive underrepresentation of some minoritized groups in gifted and talented education (GATE), we assert that educators must be culturally competent. As depicted in Figure 1, we believe that cultural competence and anti-racism result from training and preparation when professors, trainers, and consultants first address what students and professionals know and do not know. From there, we focus on dispositions (what they want to know and do not want to know), and then skills (e.g., strategies, techniques, resources). In other words, being skilled in cultural differences depends extensively on the degree of information known or not known, along with the desire or will to learn (or not) about culture and cultural differences, and how to be anti-racist (Table 1. The Co-Authors’ Preferred Sequence of Cultural Competence Components. Areas of Cultural Competence, Description, and Associated Levels and Degrees.
In our conceptual model (Figure 1), individuals can be knowledgeable—aware and informed—from required and/or involuntary preparation in courses and/or professional development. We do not agree that knowledge alone guarantees positive and asset-based dispositions—attitudes, beliefs, and values—about minoritized populations. To reiterate, competency skills cannot be acquired without the correct knowledge (information) and the right dispositions—culturally responsive and affirming.
Further, one can have positive dispositions regarding one group of color but not another. This is common with Asian students who are stereotyped and pigeonholed as the “model minority” (https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/999874296/6-charts-that-dismantle-the-trope-of-asian-americans-as-a-model-minority). This “positive” stereotype plays a central role in educators’ over-referring Asian students for advanced courses—honors, gifted and talented, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and STEM (Ford, 2010; 2013; Hines et al., 2022). While this disposition may seem positive, it overlooks the humanity of Asian students and is harmful toward their holistic needs. Conversely, deficit-oriented dispositions (e.g., beliefs and attitudes) about other groups of color, especially Blacks, result in a host of inequities—over-referral and over-representation in special education. To note, while special education services are meant to be helpful, for groups of color, especially Black students, they are often punitive and exclusionary in nature, thus contributing to limited opportunities to learn and grow (Hines et al.).
Howell’s (1982) cultural competence typology is useful when addressing knowledge, dispositions, and skills. The model is a two-by-two typology: (a) conscious and unconscious; and (b) incompetent and competent. We equate consciousness with knowledge. According to Howell, the first stage,
People who have reached Howell’s second stage,
The third stage,
Educators who reach
An important caveat is that becoming culturally competent with one racial or ethnic group does not mean that one will be at the same level with another group(s). Concerted efforts must be made to be culturally competent with several groups, particularly one’s students and families. Our students deserve nothing less. They deserve to be seen holistically and have their humanity affirmed. Learning about the cultures of our students/clients is an act of self-care—our students/clients benefit, and we benefit from reaching Howell’s unconscious competence level. While Howell’s (1982) typology is useful we believe that the two dimensions operate on a continuum (less competent to more/very competent; less conscious to more/very conscious) as opposed to being binary.
To better understand our concerns about the importance of educators having both knowledge and dispositions in order to have and use skills: (a) Imagine working with students who have special educational needs when educators’ attitudes and beliefs (dispositions), and skills are lacking to support them; and (b) Imagine working with gifted and talented students when educators have no desire (disposition), and skills are insufficient/inadequate.
Dispositions are willful beliefs and attitudes, not forced, that involve an awareness consisting of intentional thoughts, behaviors, and language (Carroll, 2007; Splitter, 2010). In our experiences, cultural clashes are inevitable and predictable at Howell’s (1982) first two stages. Knowledge and awareness are paramount to facilitating movement toward conscious incompetence, where the desire to learn and support are present.
Educators and practitioners enter spaces with preconceived beliefs and notions that must be examined. This examination can also include an assessment of cultural values and help distinguish the “known” from what is unknown. Dispositions (beliefs and attitudes) work in tandem to produce values that evoke action (Haberman, 1991). The higher the priority, the more likely individuals will engage in that behavior. Opportunities for such reflection through a critical analysis of priorities and motivations can further promote growth, while highlighting barriers limiting progression to the next stage. In sum, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Recommendations
Given the lack of ethnically and racially different teachers and school counselors (in particular, Black educators) in schools across the country, we recommend that school administrators focus on the recruitment and retention of teachers and school counselors that reflect the student population within their schools. It is not enough to recruit minoritized educators. School administrators must work with teachers and school counselors to implement culturally relevant/responsive curriculum and instruction for ethnically and racially different learners. As such, there should be a program of professional development centered on educators and school counselors increasing their knowledge, dispositions, and skills to support their acquisition and refinement of anti-racist, culturally responsive practices. Further, all students need access to high-quality and rigorous programs. These programs may include, but are certainly not limited to, Advanced Placement, gifted and talented, international baccalaureate, dual enrollment, and other college preparatory programs.
School counselors can play an important role in providing professional development to school personnel around cultural awareness and competency given their training in multicultural counseling and counseling skills. School counselors can teach school personnel how to examine their bias and beliefs and how they impact the academic success of students of color, specifically those who are marginalized. Moreover, school counselors can use data to examine where opportunity gaps exist (e.g., under-Knowledge and awareness are paramount to facilitating movement toward conscious incompetence, where the desire to learn and support are present.
representation in advanced courses and over-representation in special education) to speak out against racism and injustices. We want to ensure that educators recognize that cultural competency is a journey and not an endpoint; therefore, continuous examination of one’s cultural competence is needed to continually be impactful and responsive to students and clients.
No Excuses Resources
Even when higher education students and professionals are resistant to acquiring cultural knowledge, dispositions, and skills, we must be persistent; our students/clients are depending on us to be culturally competent advocates and allies. We must be armed with a multitude of strategies and resources. In addition to our own work and those by our universities, we refer readers to toolkits such as the following. This is by no means an exhaustive list. With this wealth of resources, there are no excuses for not becoming anti-racist and culturally competent—knowledge, dispositions, and skills. • Abolitionist Teaching Network https://abolitionistteachingnetwork.org/ • Academics for Black Lives: https://www.academics4blacklives.com/ • Alliance for Resource Equity Toolkit https://www.educationresourceequity.org/toolkit • American Association of Medical Colleges Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit Resources https://www.aamc.org/professional-development/affinity-groups/cfas/diversity-inclusion-toolkit/resources • American Association of University Women Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/governance-tools/dei-toolkit/ • American Counseling Association Anti-racism Toolkit https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/resources-for-counselors/anti-racism-toolkit.pdf • American Psychological Association Multicultural Toolkit https://division42.org/resources/diversity-resources/multicultural-toolkit/ • Anti-Defamation League Challenge Bias https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/challenge-bias • Black Lives Matter at School https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/ • Dismantling Racism: https://www.dismantlingracism.org/ • Diverse Educators EDI Toolkit https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/our-toolkits/ • Diversity Toolkit https://diversitytoolkit.com/ • Learning for Justice https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources • National Association for Multicultural Education https://www.nameorg.org/ • National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators https://www.nasfaa.org/diversity_toolkit • Ohio PTA Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit https://www.ohiopta.org/diversity-and-inclusions/
Footnotes
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
