What Does a Good Teacher Do? African American Students' Perspectives on High-Quality Instruction

• In Event: 46.085 - Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: 46.085-17 - Achievement of Students Placed at Risk: Implications for Teacher Training

Abstract

This investigation sought to understand student perspectives of teacher excellence, inform teacher professional development initiatives by considering student voice, and deepen the conversation about how the persistent achievement gap can be addressed for low-income minority students. A qualitative examination gathered open-ended survey data regarding perceptions of effective teaching from 462 minority students. An exploratory content analysis illuminated themes within the student responses. Findings revealed that students value a number of asset-based strategies (e.g., teacher-student relationship quality, affective and instructional support, high teacher expectations, and meaningful learning). This research has potential implications for teacher training by suggesting that student perspectives can be used to more fully inform programming for teacher education, professional development, and overall student academic achievement.

Author

• Adrian Wayne Bruce, Capstone Institute at Howard University