Teacher awareness of culturally responsive pedagogy and minority student outcomes

2018-08-09According to Critical Race Theory, racism is an endemic and a permanent part of the social structure within the United States (Crenshaw, 2011; Delgado, 1989). The focus of this study therefore was to perform a mixed methods evaluation of teacher perceptions regarding their own levels of cultural awareness and how that awareness may be impacted by personal beliefs and values. Through the use of Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework, this study evaluated the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that affect teachers’ capacity to deliver culturally responsive pedagogy in the classroom environment. The methods used to examine the cultural awareness of educators in the classroom included a quantitative 20-item online survey administered by Qualtrics followed by a 35-minute semi-structured interview session during which participants were asked about their capacity to implement culturally responsive teaching practices in the classroom. The research findings revealed that participants displayed high levels of declarative knowledge and moderate levels of metacognitive knowledge about the use of culturally responsive pedagogy in the classroom. The research findings indicate that it is important for teachers to identify their bias beliefs and how those beliefs effect their motivation to utilize strategies that promote cultural inclusivity in the classroom The literature reviewed and data collected further suggest that cultural awareness impacts student learning outcomes. School leaders and teachers benefit from professional development opportunities that challenge deficit thinking and foster culturally responsive pedagogical practices