Preparing Urban Teachers for Culturally Relevant and Responsive Practices: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of practicing teachers, including their origins of mindset related to urban education, and to explore how their preparation for teaching in urban schools enabled them to implement culturally responsive pedagogy in their classrooms. There is ample research on the positive impact culturally relevant pedagogy and teacher quality in urban schools have on academic achievement. Teacher development and the use of culturally responsive pedagogy in urban schools, however, continues to be inadequate and student achievement remains inconsistent for marginalized students as a result. One overarching research question, three questions and one sub-question guided this study: What are the lived experiences of educators utilizing teaching practices who are culturally responsive and relevant to teaching marginalized children in an urban school? (1) What are the mindset and attitudes of teachers towards urban education? (1a) How do these beliefs impact teaching practices? (2) What factors do urban educators see influencing the development of their knowledge, skills, and understanding of culturally relevant and responsive teaching strategies when teaching in an urban classroom setting? (3) How do urban educators describe their teacher preparation to utilize culturally relevant and responsive pedagogies in practice? This study includes a literature review with three streams. A research design method using in-depth interviews of teachers was used to collect data to support recommendations for how to better support teachers in maximizing the impact of culturally responsive teaching. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]