The Role of Teachers in Culturally Responsive Schooling for American Indian and Alaskan Native Students

• In Event: Does Color Know Color? A Historical and Contemporary Examination of Teachers of Color

Abstract

In this paper we examined the role of culturally responsive pedagogy as reported by American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) teachers in high-density and low-density schools, as well as their relationship
with AIAN student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The National Indian Education Study (NIES), the only large-scale study focusing on the educational experiences and academic outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native youth, reflects four
dimensions of teachers’ culturally responsive pedagogy that are associated with better academic outcomes among students of color (Banks, 2004; Castagno & Brayboy; 2008; Gay, 2000; Stritikus & Garcia, 2004). They include: (a) acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students' dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning
and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum; (b) using the home experience as a bridge that provides relevance for school experiences; (c) using a wide variety of instructional strategies that
reach students with different learning styles; and (d) an incorporation of cultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills routinely taught in schools.

We found that there is a higher proportion of AIAN teachers in high-density schools, and that they also reported higher levels of Culturally Responsive Schooling (CRS). The teacher survey developed for the NIES included questions about the extent to which teachers integrated (1) AIAN culture, language, and activities to instruction; (2) lessons and materials about contemporary AIANs into reading or language arts curriculum; (3) literature with AIAN themes; (4) fiction or non-fiction by AIAN authors; (5) discussions or readings about contemporary issues of concern to the AIAN community; (6) opportunities to write about students’ own experiences as AIANs; and (7) integration of AIAN language into instruction. Teachers were also asked to report the degree to which families were invited to
share their history as part of the instructional program.

Authors

• Francesca Lopez, The University of Arizona

• Julian Vasquez Heilig, The University of Texas - Austin

• M. Jacqueline Schram, Marquette University