Student Teachers Enact Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for Immigrant Learners in a Culture of Standardization

• In Event: 26.079 - Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: 26.079-3 - Diverse Approaches to Culturally Responsive Teaching

Abstract

This dissertation case study examines four student teachers as they participate in a community of practice focused on culturally relevant pedagogy for immigrant students in an urban elementary school. In the months prior to the onset of the study, a scripted standardized literacy curriculum that limited teachers’ abilities to enact culturally relevant pedagogies was adopted by the school administration. Coined “weaving”, participants developed a system in which they attended to the “non-negotiables” of the standardized curriculum while incorporating themes that reflected their diverse students’ lived experiences. Findings indicate that student teacher participation in a low-stakes community of practice resulted in improved culturally relevant pedagogy for immigrant learners despite competing mandates from school administration.

Author

• Michelle Benegas, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities