Positioning Positionality in Research on Novice Teachers of Color: Current Practices and Future Directions

This paper offers a systematic review of researcher positionality in 94 studies addressing the experiences of novice teachers of color in K-12 settings. We explore how explicitly these studies articulated researcher positionality, the types of information included, and how researchers linked their positionality to the topics, methods, data, and analyses of their studies. We discuss the importance of critical reflection on researcher positionality in future research on novice teachers of color designed to support the quality, sustainability, and diversity of the teacher workforce. A table summarizes the review findings by synthesizing the positionality criteria examined across the reviewed studies. In addition to summarizing the literature, this table can serve as a practical guide for researchers moving beyond from simply reporting demographic characteristics to develop more comprehensive positionality statements by encouraging reflection on how researcher identities inform research questions, methodological decisions, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.