Teaching Culturally Diverse Students

The Role of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Preparation of Secondary Teacher Candidates for Successful Teaching of Diverse Learners: A Multiphase Mixed Methods Case Study

“…This is important because meeting the needs of these learners and positively influencing learning outcomes most likely occurs best when teacher candidates know their learners and the circumstances of their lives (Cochran-Smith, 1997;Correa, 1991;Garcia et al, 2010;Steele, 2009). The combination of these ideas that learners possess expertise and that this expertise can scaffold new learning lends itself to Gay's second proposition, cultural context teaching.…”

“…When teachers enter the profession, they must be conscious of the fact that our nation's public schools serve diverse learners, and they must be capable of meeting their educational needs (Correa, 1991;Darling-Hammond, 2010a). In our nation's schools, it is no longer as Ladson-Billings (1999) states, "Public School Way Back When" (p. 220), when the school-aged population was predominantly White.…”

“…Many scholars draw attention to the fact that as our school-aged population grows more and more diverse, our teaching corps lacks the diversity of our classrooms and our nation (Ball & Tyson, 2013;Bell, 2010;Correa, 1991;Gay, 2002Gay, , 2010aLadsonBillings, 2006b;Latham, Gitomer & Ziomek, 1999;Villegas, & Lucas 2002a, 2002bMilner, 2009;Nieto, 2000Nieto, , 2003Sleeter, 2001). Given the demographic shift in our school-age population and the static nature of the population of teaching professionals, a research study that explores how teacher education programs prepare teachers to work successfully with diverse learners is necessary.…”

“…Research on improving educational outcomes for diverse learners draws attention to the teacher as having an indispensable role in student learning (Cochran-Smith, 2002Correa, 1991;Darling-Hammond, 2010a;Delpit, 2006Delpit, , 2012Futrell, 1999;Howard, 2010;Ladson-Billings, 1994;Ravitch, 2010). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 clearly articulated that every classroom must have a highly qualified teacher.…”

“…Nowhere is this more pervasive than in America's classrooms where curriculum is laden with White middle-class values (Green, 2009;hooks, 1994;Howard, 2010). Even today, teaching continues to be a predominantly White, middle-class, monolingual, female profession (Achinstein & Anthanases, 2005;Ball & Tyson, 2013;Bell, 2010;Cochran-Smith, 2002;Correa, 1991;Gay, 2002;Latham et al, 1999;Milner, 2009;Nieto, 2003;Sleeter, 2001Sleeter, , 2008Sleeter, , 2013Taylor et al, 2001). What this means to and for diverse students is a historical legacy of being viewed as a national problem (Delpit, 2012;DuBois, 1994;Ladson-Billings, 1994), when in fact, the system has failed to meet its legislative and moral commitments (Ladson-Billings, 2006b).…”