CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES: CASE STUDIES OF TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF THIER PRACTICES AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

[摘要] This multiple case study employed interviews to examine how three selected secondary social studies teachers in an urban center in the Southeastern United States describe their culturally responsive practices and how they perceive these practices are influenced by their higher education experiences. Culturally responsive approaches to teaching are known to provide more equitable learning experiences to low-income students of color, the majority of whom live in urban areas (Gay, 2010; Grant & Sleeter, 2011; Ladson-Billings, 2009; Milner, 2010).Teacher education programs may be able to improve curriculum and instruction if they understand how former students engage in culturally responsive pedagogy once they are in-service teachers.Secondary social studies as a content area lends itself to culturally responsive practices, and while research on culturally relevant practices in the secondary social studies classroom exists, little is known about how current teachers relate such practices to their higher education programs. Findings indicate the formation and evolution of critical consciousness can occur throughout teachers’ lifetimes if provided opportunities for reflexivity once they are in-service teachers.Second, the culturally relevant practices of the social studies teachers in this study include providing students with multiple perspectives and utilizing constructivist practices in activities and assessments to meet the needs of diverse learners.Other findings support the notion that social studies teachers need training to engage in discussions of inequity (Bickmore & Parker, 2014) and that culturally relevant teachers need collegial and administrative support to sustain their practices.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh