Dear Educator,
My name is Heather Tyler, and I am a doctoral student at The University of Arizona Global Campus pursuing a PhD in Education. As an educator with a deep interest in correctional education, I am conducting a research study to better understand how teachers describe their use of culturally responsive teaching practices in prison classroom settings.
For this study, culturally responsive teaching simply means recognizing and adapting to the unique cultural dynamics of prison environments, things like institutional routines, norms, restrictions, and power structures. I’m especially interested in learning how educators like you adapt and shape your teaching in response to these factors.
This study focuses on your lived experiences as a prison educator and how your instructional approaches have been influenced by the needs of incarcerated learners and the realities of your teaching environment. By sharing your insight, you’ll help identify meaningful practices that can support both current and future educators in creating effective, inclusive, and responsive learning spaces for incarcerated students.
Who can participate:
- Educators with at least one year of teaching experience in a prison classroom.
What’s involved:
- A confidential 45-minute interview held over Zoom at a time that works best for you.
- Your identity will be protected through pseudonyms, and no identifying details will beshared.
- There are no known risks to participation, and while there is no financial compensation, your voice will help shape a better understanding of effective teaching in correctional settings.
If you’re interested, you can reach me directly at heather.tyler@student.uagc.edu or by text at 602-791-5487. I’ll follow up with a consent form and help schedule your interview at a convenient time.
If you have any questions about the study, you’re also welcome to contact my dissertation chair, Dr. Ellen Beattie, at ellen.beattie@faculty.uagc.edu.
Thank you for the work you do every day, and for considering this opportunity to share your perspective. Your experience matters, and it can help inform and support others teaching in similar spaces.
Thank you,
Heather Tyler
Doctoral Student, PhD in Education
The University of Arizona Global Campus
heather.tyler@student.uagc.edu | 602-791-5487