A local and national concern in education is the persistent achievement gap between African American and Caucasian middle school students. Despite numerous reforms, the gap continues to show African American middle school students performing lower in reading. The purpose of this mixed methods study, framed in the theoretical perspective of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, was to examine teachers' expectations and the relationship between those expectations and the educational outcomes of African American middle school children. Data were collected to identify pedagogical practices, examine teacher expectations, and determine the relationship between those expectations and student Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores. Nineteen middle school teachers volunteered to take the Regalla Adaptive Teachers' Expectation Survey, which quantified teachers' expectations for student achievement using items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = strongly agree with high expectation statement). Pedagogy was examined through 12 classroom observations and archival data provided CRCT scores for 650 African American students. Based on survey results, the mean score for teacher expectations was 4.47 out of 5.00. Observations established that 8 out of 12 teachers were rated proficient in terms of instructional plans. Correlation analysis determined a significant and direct relationship between teachers' expectation scores and middle school students' scores on the CRCT (p < .05). The results highlight the importance of teacher expectations for student achievement. The implications for social change include using the findings at the local site to communicate to teachers the importance of having high expectations for all students to improve the achievement levels of all middle school students and close the achievement gap.

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<p>  </p> <p>This study examined preservice teachers’ culturally responsive literacy teaching self-efficacy changes during the field experiences in relation to the sources of self-efficacy. I delved into the meanings under the theoretical frameworks of culturally responsive teaching and social cognitive theory. I explored 84 preservice teachers’ experiences over three semesters, who have been working with K-5 students from diverse backgrounds. Mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was adopted. In the quantitative phase, I administered a culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy survey before and after the field experiences. Additionally, sources of self-efficacy were studied using a source of self-efficacy inventory scale. Results of the quantitative study indicated that four different types of clusters exist: self-efficacy increased, self-efficacy high-stable, self-efficacy decreased, self-efficacy low-stable. In the qualitative phase, I investigated one preservice teacher from each cluster. This phase shed light on the reasons for the different self-efficacy change patterns among the preservice teachers. Findings from both phases (quantitative, qualitative) have implications: 1. It is crucial for both teacher educators and preservice teachers to understand their culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and its changes. 2. Culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and the sources of self-efficacy display reciprocal interaction. An awareness is critical of how preservice literacy teachers’ experiences in the field affects their culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and other sources of self-efficacy. In light of the findings of the current study, teacher educators may wish to consider helping preservice teachers form informed and realistic culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy. </p>

This was a qualitative study that used the procedures of case study design while incorporating ethnographic techniques of interviewing and non-participant observation in classrooms with six selected students, six teachers, and eight interviews of selected administrators and staff members in one middle school in a large Texas urban school district. The purpose of this study was to understand the educational experiences and perceptions of selected immigrant students and their mainstream teachers. Following the method of case study design, the educational experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) students were examined in the naturally occurring context of the school and the classroom. Because the goal of case studies is to understand a given phenomenon from the perceptions of the participants (referred to as “emic” perspective) all participants were interviewed in-depth in order to understand their unique perceptions. The study took place during a five-month period in the spring of 2002. Data were analyzed concurrently during data collection and were framed by Geneva Gay's (2000) characteristics of culturally responsive teaching. The findings and interpretation of data are divided into three parts that encompass the results of the five research questions that guided this study. Part one presents the teachers' perceptions and addresses the themes that arose from research questions one and two: what are teachers' perceptions of the academic problems facing (ELL) students as they enter the mainstream classroom? What instructional practices do regular teachers use to meet the academic needs of students? Part two presents the students' perceptions and addresses the findings from research questions three and four: what are (ELL) students' perceptions of the academic challenges facing them in the mainstream classroom? What are the ELL students' perceptions of the instructional practices used by mainstream teachers to meet their academic needs? Part three addresses the fifth research question that guided this study: What administrative policies and procedures are in place in the school and district to meet the educational needs of ELL students?

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Kay Ann Taylor / This qualitative case study investigated the teaching strategies that improve science learning of African American students. This research study further sought the extent the identified teaching strategies that are used to improve African American science learning reflect culturally responsive teaching. Best teaching strategies and culturally responsive teaching have been researched, but there has been minimal research on the impact that both have on science learning, with an emphasis on the African American population. Consequently, the Black-White achievement gap in science persists. The findings revealed the following teaching strategies have a positive impact on African American science learning: (a) lecture-discussion, (b) notetaking, (c) reading strategies, (d) graphic organizers, (e) hands-on activities, (f) laboratory experiences, and (g) cooperative learning. Culturally responsive teaching strategies were evident in the seventh-grade science classrooms observed. Seven themes emerged from this research data: (1) The participating teachers based their research-based teaching strategies used in the classroom on all of the students’ learning styles, abilities, attitudes towards science, and motivational levels about learning science, with no emphasis on the African American student population; (2) The participating teachers taught the state content standards simultaneously using the same instructional model daily, incorporating other content areas when possible; (3) The participating African American students believed their seventh-grade science teachers used a variety of teaching strategies to ensure science learning took place, that science learning was fun, and that science learning was engaging; (4) The participating African American students genuinely liked their teacher; (5) The participating African American students revealed high self-efficacy; (6) The African American student participants’ parents value education and moved to Success Middle School district for better educational opportunities; and (7) Teachers were not familiar with the term “culturally responsive teaching,” but there was evidence that several aspects of it were present in the seventh-grade science classroom environment. Critical Race Theory (CRT) was the framework for analysis and interpretation of this research study. The findings support the following tenets of CRT: (a) racism is normal, (b) interest-convergence or colorblindness, (c) contextual-historical analysis, (d) storytelling or counterstorytelling, and (e) social transformation. These findings indicate that racial inequalities remain an issue in the underachievement of African Americans and may be the solution to improving science learning of African Americans. The outcome of this study contributes to the limited research on utilizing culturally responsive teaching along with best teaching strategies to improve academic achievement of African American students, and CRT exposes the issues that contribute to the Black-White achievement gap in science widening.

This thesis explores the applications of a drama-based intervention program for very young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents. Drama-based pedagogy and practice is merged with behavioral principles from the world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to create an interdisciplinary program tailored specifically for the unique learning needs of children with ASD. This document offers a comprehensive overview of the history of diagnosis and treatment of ASD and the many factors that can influence relationships between children with ASD and their parents. A drama-based intervention program was designed specifically to address the communication and social skill deficits in children with ASD. In addition, the drama-based intervention program encouraged parents to use responsive teaching strategies to enhance and extend creative play with their child. The document concludes with recommendations for essential components of a drama-based intervention program for very young children with ASD and their parents. / text

本研究主要目的為探討原鄉教育路對幼師生涯發展的影響，透過四位烏來地區非原住民幼師的個案研究，瞭解幼師的生涯發展、影響幼師生涯發展因素、幼師的原鄉教育路及原鄉教育路如何影響幼師生涯發展，期望能提供到原住民族地區任教的其他非原住民教師在生涯規劃上的參考或協助。 本研究探討教師生涯發展主要以三位學者的理論為依據：Newman的週期論、Katz的階段論，與Fessler的循環論。影響幼師生涯發展因素則從以下的面向做討論：工作內容、人際交往、經濟報酬、文化因素等。幼師的原鄉教育路則分別從四個面向做討論：政策與制度、原鄉幼教師資、幼師與社區的關係與文化回應教學。 本研究採個案研究法，輔以半結構訪談方式蒐集資料，本研究綜合分析結果發現：個性、志向與家庭是影響教師生涯發展的風向球。個性、專業與關注方向會影響教師生涯發展模式的改變。人際關係、經濟報酬與福利影響幼師職涯變動。選擇原鄉教育路與幼師過去經驗有關。角色衝突與文化認同主宰文化回應教學的成效。 / The main purpose of this study was exploring the influences for the career development of preschool teachers working in indigenous areas. To understand the career development of preschool teachers, teacher career development factors, the working situation of preschool teachers in indigenous areas, and the influences for the career development of preschool teachers working in indigenous areas through four non-indigenous preschool teachers in Wulai. Hopefully, this study can be a reference to the preschool teachers when they plan their career development or make the career decisions. This study investigated that teacher career development mainly based on the theories of three scholars: the phase theory of Newman, the stage theory of Katz, and the cycle theory of Fessler. Career development factors of preschool teachers were discussed as follows: work content, interpersonal relationship, finance, and culture factors. The working situations of preschool teachers in indigenous areas were discussed as follows: policies and institutions, the profession of preschool teachers, the relationship between preschool teachers and community, and culturally responsive teaching. This study adopted multiple-case study, combined with semi-structured interviews to collect data. The results of this study were summarized as follows: Personality, ambition and family influence teachers' career development. Personality, profession and concerns will affect the model of teacher career development. Interpersonal relations, finance and welfare effect the career decisions of preschool teachers. Working in indigenous areas is related with the preschool teachers’ past experiences. Role conflict and culture identity dominate the effects of culturally responsive teaching.

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