Signature Pedagogy: Using Equity Audits to Identify Complex Problems of Practice

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of a signature pedagogy used in a doctoral educational leadership class. In this this study, an equity audit was used as a tool for doctoral students to identify areas associated with equality, ethics, or social justice. The researchers examined 39 equity audit presentations through a content analysis lens to identify commons themes. The inquiry lead to doctoral students identifying inequitable areas in their school district and creating action steps to address them. Furthermore, using the equity audit as a tool to examine school districts has started the process for doctoral students to identify a complex problem of practice in the field.