Cultural values in the home and school experiences of low-income African-American students

Abstract

The present study examined the presence of specific cultural values within the preferred classroom and home activities of African-American upper elementary students. Written scenarios were constructed and used to determine whether students preferred their home and classroom activities carried out under specific cultural terms. Students also reported their perceptions of teachers and parents' cultural value-based preferences for classroom and home activities. With analysis of variance techniques, it was shown that students and their parents have significantly stronger preferences for communal and vervistic activities at home and at school than for individualistic and competitive activities. Perceived teacher classroom preferences, however, were significantly higher for individualistic and competitive activities. Such findings underscore the presence of cultural mismatch in the classroom experiences of African-Americans and illustrate a need to enhance school-based efforts to appreciate and utilize cultural value variation.

The influence of student perceptions of parenting and coping on achievement and classroom behavior among African American children

“…The examination of parenting strategies in the current sample adds to a very limited body of research, as less attention has been given to family factors that influence academic achievement in African American children (Mandara, 2006;Taylor & Lopez, 2005). Burgeoning research focuses on the link between parenting and school outcomes to understand academic achievement disparities in low-income and ethnic minority children (Taylor & Lopez, 2005;Tyler, Boykin, Miller, & Hurley, 2006). One area of debate is the question of the types of parental strategies that are most beneficial for low-income, African American children (Connell & Prinz, 2002).…”

Designing culturally sensitive dietary interventions for African Americans: review and recommendations

“…This refers to learning preferences for visual, auditory, tactile, and motor channels simultaneously; rhythmic and creative behavior; and a simultaneous focus on multiple concerns rather than only one . African American parents and children prefer cultural value‐based communal and vervistic activities in home and school settings over individualistic and competitive practices reflective of mainstream values . Exposure to culturally matched strategies enhances academic performance .…”

Cultural Discontinuity: Toward a Quantitative Investigation of a Major Hypothesis in Education

“…For example, African American parents and their school-age children have reported that communalism, verve, and movement are relatively absent from public school classrooms (Tyler, Boykin, Miller, et al, 2006). Similarly, teachers also have reported or are perceived to endorse mainstream classroom learning behaviors significantly more than cultural value-based behaviors such as communalism or verve (Tyler, Boykin, Miller, et al, 2006).…”