Research-Based Methods for Evaluating Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices in Teacher Education

• In Event: Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers for Equity-Oriented Classrooms: How Do We Evaluate Their Effectiveness and Our Own?

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes
This poster provides three research-based strategies for teacher educators to utilize for evaluating the efficacy of culturally responsive teaching practices.
Theoretical Framework
Culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 2014) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP; Paris & Alim, 2017) have drawn national attention to the need to implement culturally rich teaching practices that honor, validate, and integrate multiple perspectives in curriculum and instruction. However, research is lacking on methods for evaluating the efficacy of infusing equity-based curricula into teacher preparation programs, and often this research oversimplifies understandings of what it means to be a culturally responsive educator (Sleeter, 2016).
Modes of inquiry & Data sources
A thorough review of current literature on culturally responsive teaching in teacher education guided the conclusions of this study. An electronic university library search containing 217 databases with the filters set for “peer reviewed articles” helped to limit results.
Substantiated Conclusions
The following three research-based methods for assessing the efficacy of culturally responsive teaching in educator preparation can guide efforts to promote equity. First, gather formal and informal feedback data from students regarding course objectives, policies, procedures, and activities (Mitchell, 2013). One method for data collection is a focus group midway through the term, which can help faculty reflect on whether the pedagogical methods and activities are helping to meet the course learning objectives, especially surrounding topics of equity (Song, Loyle-Langholz, Higbee, & Zhou, 2013). Additionally, adding a course objective specifically related to giving and taking meaningful feedback can enhance student learning (White, 2014).

Second, integrate culturally responsive practices into student-based assessments, course objectives, activities, and rubrics (Adams, Rodriguez, & Zimmer, 2018). For instance, a professor might include a rubric criterion for cultural integration or require students to revise a lesson plan to make it more culturally relevant. In one study, preservice teacher educators who participated in a workshop on culturally responsive teaching were able to generate numerous instructional strategies that supported workshop content as well as new and innovative content (Smith, Ralston, & Waggoner, 2018).

Finally, preservice teacher educators must commit to engaging in honest self-reflection and questioning of our own biases as educators and dive into the work needed to make changes. Williams (2016) advocates for radical honesty, which includes truth-telling regarding our own multiple identities. This “awareness, reflexivity, and critical thought” (p. 72) can engage students and teachers in deep learning. Furthermore, it is also important to critically choose textbooks and course materials. The continued prevalence of European American-dominant perspectives in textbooks (Sleeter & Grant, 1991), in addition to a “we” versus “them” mentality even in multicultural textbooks (Uzum, Yazan, & Selvi, 2018) highlights the need to diversify curriculum by providing choices, integrating diverse perspectives, and checking for biases.
Significance
Teacher preparation programs must do more to diversify the teacher pipeline and to prepare culturally relevant teachers. Methods for self- and course-evaluation of the efficacy of culturally relevant teaching can help improve equitable practices that help all students.

Authors

• Rebecca Smith, University of Portland

• Nicole Ralston, University of Portland

• Jacqueline C. Waggoner, University of Portland