Date of Award
11-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Copyright Status, No Creative Commons License
All Rights Reserved
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities
Department
Education
School
School of Education and Human Services
Abstract
Today, American K-12 classrooms are becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, creating a vital need for culturally relevant pedagogical (CRP) approaches and teacher training to support the achievement of all students. However, despite an expanding body of literature on creating culturally responsive schools, implementation remains challenging for many educators. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how, if at all, a group of six English and Social Studies teachers in two demographically different high schools, one a predominantly Black school and the other a predominantly Asian school, within the same district enact CRP and navigate issues of race, equity, culture, power, and whiteness in their pedagogical practice. My findings revealed that teachers generally have varied understandings of CRP and often struggle to implement all three of its core aspects—high academic expectations, cultural competence, and socio-political consciousness. Additionally, CRP practices differed significantly in their application to Black and Asian students, suggesting that teacher training placed greater emphasis on Black students while often overlooking the specific needs and experiences of Asian students in this district-wide context. This research has implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training programs that critically re-evaluate their CRP training to support the decolonization of Whiteness in educational spaces and to provide context-specific training based on school demographics.
Related Pillar(s)
Study
Recommended Citation
Farrell, Betyne Bordes, "Navigating Race, Equity, and Whiteness: A Case Study Exploring the Culturally Relevant Practices of English and Social Studies Teachers in a Long Island School District" (2024). Theses & Dissertations. 210.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/etd/210
