Critical Praxis Círculos: The Impact of Culturally Responsive Teacher Development

Building positive relationships with students and employing relevant pedagogy informed by Community Cultural Wealth will undoubtedly contribute to a more engaged community of learners that are vested in their community and academics. Aronson and Laughter (2015) amongst many others, studied and analyzed over 200 studies on the topic of culturally relevant education (CRE), and found convincing results that speak to the academic outcomes that are consistently reached whenever teachers employ CRE in the classroom (Cammarota, 2014; Covarrubias, 2017; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012; approaches have demonstrated success, they are not being practiced and replicated in many parts of the state and country (evidenced by the persistent achievement gap), and it is not clear as to how administrators and teachers can work together to ensure that CRE practices are discussed, learned, and employed in school settings (Covarrubias, 2017). This mixed methods study will explore ways in which a school can impact teacher ideology and disposition toward prioritizing and supporting culturally responsive practices; using Participatory Action Research methodologies. Research that explores these topics is important, being that educators need to do a better job addressing success (or lack thereof) for students of color in California and in the entire United States