Case Study of Teachers Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy with African American Elementary Students
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Authors
Mathews, Kimberly Lynn
Issue Date
2024-04-23
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Academic achievement , African American students , Case studies , Cultural competence , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Dissertations, Academic--United States , Education, Elementary , Education, Urban , Elementary schools , School children
Alternative Title
Abstract
A qualitative case study was used in this study to gain insight into six elementary school teachers’ use of culturally relevant pedagogy. The teachers self-identified as culturally relevant teachers who foster high academic achievement, cultivate cultural competence, and develop critical consciousness in students to help them understand and analyze the world’s social order. Through storytelling, interviews, classroom observations, student work, and the participants’ reflections on their practices, this study provides a way to describe how teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy in their elementary classrooms and the approaches they use when teaching African American elementary students. The guiding questions for the research are as follows: What are the experiences of six elementary teachers of African American students who self-identify as using culturally relevant pedagogy in urban elementary schools in the South? What practices do these teachers use to help African American students learn? How do teachers of African American students in urban elementary schools in the South implement culturally relevant pedagogy? The findings provide insight into the practices of those who use culturally relevant practices to improve learning for African American students. The findings showed that each participant provided a picture of how they intentionally built positive relationships in their classrooms by showing care, compassion, and affirmation of praise to students, having high expectations, and pushing their students beyond their comfort zone. Several participants shared their overall purpose and source of motivation for teaching. Each participant shared meaningful ways of engaging students and their home culture while cultivating critical thinking and social awareness through critical content. Provided also were commendations for teacher professional learning, aiming to make their practice of culturally relevant pedagogy more impactful.
Keywords: academic achievement case study, cultural competence, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), critical consciousness, descriptive sketches
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copsyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.