A Qualitative Phenomenological Study on Best Practices to Bridge the Academic Achievement Gap

The problem addressed by this study was the academic achievement gap of low-income students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of educators of low-income students participating in the Florida School Choice program and the perceived challenges they face in bridging the academic achievement gap of low-income students. Bandura's social cognitive and self-efficacy theories framed this qualitative study using a phenomenology design to attempt to understand human experiences through a phenomenon. Data were collected through interviews with 15 teachers based on one central research question and two sub-questions. The first research question was the lived experiences of educators of low-income students participating in the Florida School Choice program in bridging the academic achievement gap of low-income students. The second research question was the perceived challenges educators of low-income students participating in the Florida School Choice program encounter in bridging the academic achievement gap of low-income students. The final research question was the best teaching practices suggested to address the academic achievement gaps. The population affected by the study was low-income students with high academic gaps. Fifteen teachers, comprising ten females and five males aged between 30 and 69, participated in the study and shared their perspectives on bridging the academic achievement gap among low-income students. Their responses revealed themes emphasizing the importance of increased instructional efforts, understanding the teacher's role, parental involvement, attendance, personal factors affecting academics, online learning, small group interventions, and differentiated instruction. Teachers must be well-equipped with the resources and skills to support low-income students. [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.]