Northern Illinois University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education

Razak K. Dwomoh
Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Research Interests

My line of research is investigating how educators envision inquiry-based curricula and instructional approaches to foster students’ civic readiness and engagement. My research area intersects teacher preparation, professional development, English learning, culturally sustaining pedagogies, diversity and equity and how multicultural and democratic citizenship are conceptualized, rationalized and taught in different educational systems.

Education

• Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University
• M.S. Ed., Elementary Education, Eastern Illinois University
• B.Ed., Social Science, University of Cape Coast

Recent Publications

Book Chapter

• Osei-Tutu, A. Z., Dwomoh, R., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Oudghiri, S. and Bell, T. (2022). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in a Time of Crises: A Reflection on Educators’ Perspectives of Critical Theory and Social Justice Issues. In A. Lewis., K. Banda., M. Briseno., and E. J. Weber (Eds.), The Kaleidoscope of Lived Curricula: Learning Through a Confluence of Crises (13th ed., pp. 367-382). Information Age Publishing.

Refereed Articles

• Dwomoh, R. K. and Tawiah-Sarpong, B. (2023). Graduate student instructors coping strategies and concurrent impact on learning, teaching, and research. The Journal of Multicultural Affairs, 9(2), 1-24.
• Johnson, C. S., Maaeda, Y., Sdunzik, J., Gyimah, G., Dwomoh, R., and Lu, C. (2023). Charters as counter publics: Addressing the civic side of charter schooling. Journal of Social Studies Education Research (JSSER), 14(3), 258-286.
• Zhou, L., Chhikara, A., Oudghiri, S., Osei-Tutu, A. Z., Dwomoh, R. K. (2023). Teachers’ perceptions on women in STEM: Breaking the stereotypes. Journal of STEM Teacher Education, 58(1), 1-20.
• Dwomoh, R. K., Osei-Tutu, A., Oudghiri, S., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Bell, T. (2023). Teaching emergent bilinguals: How in-service teachers’ perception of first language acquisition theories inform practice. Research in Educational Policy and Management, 5(1), 33-52
• Dwomoh, R., Osei-Tutu, A., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Oudghiri, S., Bell, T. (2022). Critical understanding of English learners: Experience and practice of educators in a professional development course. TESOL Quarterly, 57(4), 1401-1433.
• Dwomoh, R. (2022). Social studies in non-western contexts: The development, appraisal, and implications of Ghana’s social studies curricula. The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies, 83(1), 1-29.
• Chhikara, A., Osei-Tutu, A.A.Z., Zhou, L., Oudghiri, S., Dwomoh, R. and Bell, T. (2022). In times of crisis: Our story of resilience. Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis, 11(3), 1-15.
• Dwomoh, R. (2021). Service-learning during the Covid era: A perspective of a GK-12 Student Coordinator. Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement, 8(1), 57-64.
• Bickford, J. H. and Dwomoh, R. K. (2021). Trade books’ evolving historical representation of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Journal of Social Studies Research, 45(3), 181-193.
• Bickford, J., Bickford, M., and Dwomoh, R. (2020). Middle-level students’ responses to a guided inquiry of the weeping time. History Teacher, 53(2), 255-318.
• Dwomoh, R. (2020). Fostering an interactive social studies classroom instruction during a pandemic: Experience, practice, and advice. Journal of International Social Studies,10(2), 141-150.

Selected Presentations

International

• Dwomoh, R., Osei-Tutu, A., Oudghiri, S., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Bell, T. (2022, May 18-22). Teaching emergent bilinguals: How in-service teachers’ perception of first language acquisition theories improve practice. [Roundtable Presentation] accepted to the 18th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana, IL.
• Dwomoh, R. (2021, May 19-22). Ghanaian Graduate Student Instructors (GGSIs) Coping Strategies and The Concurrent Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Research.[Paper Presentation] accepted to the 17th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana, IL.
• Osei-Tutu, A. A.Z., Dwomoh, R., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Oudghiri, S., and Bell, T. (2021, May 19-22). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in a Time of Crises: A Reflection on Educators’ Perspectives of   Critical Theory and Social Justice Issues. [Paper Presentation] accepted to the 17th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana, IL.
• Bickford, J. H. and Dwomoh, R. (2021, February 27). Trade Books’ Evolving Historical Representation of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.[Paper] at the International Society for the Social Studies (ISSS).

National

• Dwomoh, R. (2023, October 18-20). Identifying, diagnosing, and addressing middle graders’ barriers to civic readiness. [Paper Presentation] at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA). Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Dwomoh, R. (2023, October 20). In-Service Teachers’ Perception of the Definition and Importance of Civic Readiness in the 21st Century U.S. Democracy.[Virtual Paper Presentation] at the 24th Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference. Hyatt Place State College, PA.
• Dwomoh, R. (2023, October 13). Strategies secondary social studies teachers employ to prepare students for civic readiness. [Paper Presentation] at the Illinois Council for the Social Studies (ICSS) 2023 Fall Conference. Harper College, Palatine, IL.
• Dwomoh, R. (2023, February 23). Teaching with inquiry: Social studies instructional strategies that foster the civic readiness of middle graders. [Holmes Preconference Academic Job Talk] at the 75th American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting Holmes Pre Conference. Indianapolis, IN.
• Oudghiri, S., Osei-Tutu, A.A.Z., Dwomoh, R., Zhou, L., Chhikara, A. (2022, April). Understanding and working with immigrant population: Engaging educators with critical theory. [Paper Presentation] at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
• Dwomoh, R. (2022, March 3-6). Teaching with inquiry: Social studies instructional strategies that foster the civic readiness of middle graders. Dissertation Funding Competition (DFC) at the 74th American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting Holmes Pre Conference. New Orleans, LA.
• Dwomoh, R., Osei-Tutu, A., Oudghiri, S., Chhikara, A., Zhou, L., Bell, T. (2022, March 3-6). Teaching emergent bilinguals: How in-service teachers’ perception of first language acquisition theories improve practice. [Roundtable] at the 74th American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting Holmes Pre-Conference. New Orleans, LA.
• Chhikara, A., Osei-Tutu, A., Zhou, L., Oudghiri, S., Dwomoh, R., and Bell, T. (2021, October 20-23). Our story of resilience in (sur)real times. [Paper session]. Curriculum and Pedagogy, McAllen, Texas.
• Johnson, C. and Dwomoh, R. (2021, April 12). Assessing the Civic Performance of Schools of Choice.[Paper] at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
• Johnson, C. and Dwomoh, R. (2021, April 11). Charter Schools as Counter Publics.[Paper Presentation] at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
• Dwomoh, R. and Johnson, C. (2021, April 9). Changing the Narrative: Civic Efficacy of Urban Charter [Roundtable Presentation] at AERA Annual Meeting.
• Dwomoh, R. (2021, April 2). Ghanaian Graduate Student Instructors (GGSIs) Coping Strategies and The Concurrent Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Research.[Paper Presentation] at the 20th Berkeley’s Annual Graduate School of Education (GSE) Research Day, University of California.
• Dwomoh, R. (2021, February 24-26). Ghanaian Graduate Student Instructors (GGSIs) Coping Strategies and The Concurrent Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Research.[Paper Presentation] at the 73rd American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting Holmes Preconference, Seattle, WA.
• Dwomoh, R. (2019, February). The development and implications of social studies and history curricula in Ghana. [Paper Presentation]. History-Social Sciences Teacher Symposium-Illinois Council for the Social Studies (ICSS) Spring Conference. Illinois State University, IL.

Courses Taught

• MLTL 432 Methods and Materials of Instruction for Middle Level Social Science
• TLEE 530: Teaching Social Studies in Elementary School (M.A.T.) Graduate Level

Awards

• Holmes Scholar, Purdue, 2020-2023
• Paper, 2023 edition of Purdue’s InnovatED magazine, 2022.
• Boilers Work Internship Award, Purdue, 2022
• AGSERS 2021 3MT Conference Presentation Award 2nd runner-up, 2021
• Boiler Changemaker Award, Purdue, 2021
• Hamand Society Scholar, Eastern Illinois University, 2019
• Distinguished Student Award, Eastern Illinois University, 2019
• Distinguished International Student Award, Eastern Illinois University, 2019
• International Student of the Year Award, Eastern Illinois University, 2019
• GSAC Scholar, Eastern Illinois University, 2019