District Certified Culturally Responsive Elementary Teachers and Their Mathematics Teaching Practices

In this case study, the researcher examines how three elementary teachers, all certified by their school district in culturally responsive teaching (CRT) through professional development (PD) opportunities, implement CRT in mathematics. The study was designed to understand 1) the CRT certification process and structures that were intended to support teachers in the focal district, and 2) how the teachers were enacting CRT in mathematics based on these experiences. Data were collected via interviews, questionnaires, observations, teacher journals, and other reportable data. The teachers were enacting CRT practices that aligned with Hammond's (2015) Ready for Rigor framework, which includes awareness, learning partnerships, community of learners, and information processing. Yet, at times, the teachers engaged in CRT practices that were more thoroughly captured in other literature, including that in mathematics education. Thus, the researcher created an adapted model to display these findings about practice across four quadrants. From these findings, researchers in mathematics education may gain a more informed understanding of how elementary teachers may enact CRT in mathematics based on their backgrounds and experiences with a district-developed and applied certification model, rather than a researcher-designed PD with selected participants of practicing teachers.