A qualitative case study exploring high school teachers' perceptions of culturally relevant pedagogy on fostering equitable and inclusive classrooms.

Inadequate equity and inclusion preparation in teacher education programs (TEPs) and the lack of professional development (PD) for in-service teachers contribute to poor outcomes, such as high dropout rates, for diverse students (Gay, 2002; 2010; Sleeter, 2001; 2012; Lewis & Diamond, 2015). Despite student populations becoming increasingly diverse, teachers are not being prepared to teach diverse populations, which hinders progress toward equitable and inclusive classrooms (Gay, 2010; Sleeter, 2017). Bridging the cultural gap between teachers and students must be addressed to ensure student achievement in diverse student populations. This qualitative holistic single case study explored how high school teachers perceive culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) for fostering equitable and inclusive classrooms, using Ladson-Billings (1995a, 1995b) CRP theoretical framework. The qualitative design allowed me to collect rich data from five participants from a medium-sized school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, using a self-assessment questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. I conducted a thematic analysis of their responses to answer the following research questions: RQ1: How do public high school teachers perceive their use of culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom? RQ2: How do public high school teachers describe strategies for fostering an equitable and inclusive classroom through culturally relevant pedagogy? Key findings from this study conveyed the importance of integrating CRP into TEPs for preservice teachers and PD for in-service teachers. The participants perceive their use of CRP as vital in contributing to student achievement. They noted confidence, being proactive, and consistency as key in their use of CRP. The findings revealed that some participants felt confident using CRP while other participants felt limited in their ability to implement CRP. The recommendations from this study include incorporating CRP into PD through training and workshops led by experts in the field, providing support for using CRP with fidelity, and using a practical application component to integrate CRP into TEPs. These findings and recommendations are intended to aid teachers in implementing CRP with proficiency to foster equitable and inclusive classrooms that are conducive to achievement for all students.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Gillis, Monique N., 1973-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dixon, Kellie M.

• Equity.
• Inclusion.
• Teacher education programs (TEPs)
• Diverse students.
• Culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP)
• Equitable classrooms.
• Inclusive classrooms.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13172

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13172