Phát triển chuyên môn nhạy bén văn hóa: Nghiên cứu nhóm giáo viên Mỹ gốc Phi về chủng tộc, thực hành và bản thân

Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology (no new uploads as of Technology Dissertations Jan. 2015) 2-12-2008 Culturally Relevant Professional Development: An Examination of Race, Practice, and Self through an Africa-American Teacher Study Group Charnita V. West Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/msit_diss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation West, Charnita V., "Culturally Relevant Professional Development: An Examination of Race, Practice, and Self through an Africa-American Teacher Study Group." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2008.edu/msit_diss/27 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology (no new uploads as of Jan. 2015) at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.

It has been accepted for inclusion in Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gsu. ACCEPTANCE PAGE This dissertation, CULTURALLY RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: AN EXAMINATION OF RACE, PRACTICE, AND SELF THROUGH AN AFRICAN- AMERICAN TEACHER STUDY GROUP, by CHARNITA V. WEST, was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Advisory Committee.

It is accepted by the committee members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education, Georgia State University. The Dissertation Advisory Committee and the student’s Department Chair, as representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. The Dean of the College of Education concurs. Committee Chair Committee Member _______________________________ ______________________________ Eric Freeman, Ph.

Gertrude Tinker Sachs, Ph. Committee Member Committee Member _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Joyce E. Associate Chair, Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology _______________________________ R. Dean and Distinguished Research Professor College of Education AUTHOR’S STATEMENT By presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the library of Georgia State University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type.

I agree that permission to quote, to copy from, or to publish this dissertation may be granted by the professor under whose direction it was written, by the College of Education’s director of graduate studies and research, or by me. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and will not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential financial gain will not be allowed without my written permission. West NOTICE TO BORROWERS All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University library must be used in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement.

The author of this dissertation is: Charnita Vanée West 3381 Hunter’s Pace Drive Lithonia, GA 30038 The director of this dissertation is: Dr. Fox Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology College of Education Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303-3083 VITA Charnita V. West ADDRESS: 3381 Hunter’s Pace Drive Lithonia, Georgia 30038 EDUCATION: Ph. 2007 Georgia State University Teaching and Learning Ed.

1999 Columbus State University Educational Administration and Supervision M. 1995 Georgia State University Early Childhood Education B. 1992 DePauw University English Literature PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2002-Present Assistant Principal DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia 2001-2002 Reading Specialist and Title I Teacher DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia 2000-2001 4th Grade Teacher DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia 1997-2000 Title I Reading and Math Teacher DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia 1996-1997 6th Grade Teacher DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia 1995-1996 Kindergarten Teacher DeKalb County School System, Decatur, Georgia PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS: Fox, D. Stories matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in literature for young people.

Poster session presented at the Second Annual Cultural Competency Conference, Atlanta, GA. The need for critical knowledge and critical English language teaching. Presented at the Georgia Read Write Now Conference, Atlanta, GA. Marginalization and exclusion in national and international contexts.

Presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Georgia Educational Research Association (GERA), Savannah, GA. PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS: National Council of Teachers of English DeKalb Administrators Association International Reading Association National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education ABSTRACT CULTURALLY RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: AN EXAMINATION OF RACE, PRACTICE, AND SELF THROUGH AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEACHER STUDY GROUP by Charnita V. West This naturalistic investigation examined how the implementation of a teacher study group assisted African-American teachers in instituting culturally relevant pedagogy. Ladson-Billings (1994) coined the term culturally relevant pedagogy to address the need for developing and implementing authentic methods for teaching African-American students.

However, teachers also need opportunities to be engaged in learning experiences that will facilitate their growth in this area. Although teacher study groups are a popular form of professional development (Birchak et al., 1998), research on teacher study groups designed exclusively for African-American teachers is absent from the literature. Informed by tenets of sociocultural theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991), critical race theory (Solórzano & Bernal, 2001), and feminist theory (Belenky et al., 1997; Collins, 2000), this study involved participants in what I have termed culturally relevant professional development. Research questions included (1) What are the characteristics of an African-American teacher study group? (2) What are the topics and themes discussed in an African-American teacher study group that is focused on “culturally relevant pedagogy”? (3) How does participation in a teacher study group inform the participants’ views about (a) literacy and the literacy curriculum and (b) their teaching practices? (4) According to the study group participants, how does the African-American teacher study group compare to other professional development experiences in facilitating their growth as learners? (5) How might the participation of a school administrator in a teacher study group assist teachers in their professional growth? Data sources included audiotaped and videotaped study group sessions, field notes from study group sessions, in-depth interviews, field notes from classroom observations, participant journals, and a researcher’s journal.

Constant comparison and grounded theory methods (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) guided data analysis. Methodological rigor was established using criteria for trustworthiness (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Participants reported that culturally relevant professional development is essential to address the specific needs of African-American students. The teacher study group inquiry centered on ways to support African-American male students, ways to address curriculum mandates, the need for administrative support and parental involvement, the importance of spirituality, the need for collegiality and building relationships, and ways to challenge the status quo.

CULTURALLY RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: AN EXAMINATION OF RACE, PRACTICE, AND SELF THROUGH AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEACHER STUDY GROUP by Charnita V. West A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning in the Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology in the College of Education Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 2007 Copyright by Charnita V. West 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my mother, Vanita L. Wilkerson, who gave me 20 years of tough love and support.

You were my first teacher and I thank you for your willingness to oppose bureaucratic policies when educators did not understand my unique learning style or those of your academically challenged students. People say that my passion for educating the “underdog” mirrors yours, and I hope that I am a fraction of the educator that you were. To my father, Dr. West, who had to abruptly assume the roles of father, comforter, and confidant.

Thank you for nurturing my love of reading with the many trips to bookstores and libraries. Thank you for challenging me to comprehend the words of Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman during a time when I wanted to give up. I hope that you are as proud to be my father as I am to be your daughter. To my baby sister, T’Yanna, who, after our tragic loss, boldly told me that I was obligated to return to college and graduate.

Your love, encouragement, and support have been consistent in helping me achieve my personal and professional goals. I love you!! To my beautiful nieces, Jordaine and Amarya, who kept asking me when I would be finished so that we can play. Last one to the sliding board is a rotten egg! To Dr. Gertrude Tinker Sachs, Dr.

Eric Freeman, Dr. Peggy Albers, Dr. Zaheerah Shakir-Khan, Dr. Blaylock, and Ms.

Taylor for cultivating potential in me when I could not see it in myself. Each of you, through your leadership, allowed me to be myself without extinguishing my fire. You viewed my audaciousness as passion, my stubbornness as determination, and my eagerness as dedication. This project is truly a fruit of your labor.

Pope (my other mother), Linda Weiskoff, Laconduas Freeman, Rena McElrath, Yolanda Anderson, Ebony Cobb, Lois Mayes, Erika Sills, Pamela Allen- Thornton, Jerica Creswell, Kim Williams, Alda Blakeney-Wright, the “Girls Night In” crew, Sabrina Tillman, Rita Williams, and Kim Coady who listened to me brag, fuss, cry, and the go through the gamut of emotions. You prayed for me and with me, and your love helped me through this process. No one could ask for a better support system. To the wonderful teachers at Flagg and Grant Elementary Schools who thought enough of this project to devote hours to making my dream a reality.

Last but not least, I am grateful to God for bringing me to and through this experience. I have felt Your presence throughout my life, and I hope that I continue to be a recipient of Your grace and mercy. Thank you for not giving me “more than I could bear.” ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables .v List of Figures. vii Chapter 1 EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD .1 Statement of the Research Problem and Purpose of the Study.6 Significance of the Study .8 Definition of Terms.10 Overview of the Study and Research Questions.22 2 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.26 History of African-American Education.32 The Context of Current Educational Reform Efforts.35 Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Multicultural Education .44 Teacher Study Groups.49 Teacher Efficacy and Motivation.54 Impact of School Leaders on Teacher Growth and Change .59 The Female as School Leader .62 3 YOU WANT TO SEE THE WIZARD.68 Design of Study.73 Role of the Researcher .77 Selection of Participants .79 Teacher Study Group Guidelines.81 Data Sources and Collection Methods.83 Trustworthiness of Study .90 Writing Up the Study .93 Timeline for the Study .95 iii 4 JOURNEYS OF THE PARTICIPANTS .97 Profiles of the Participants .99 Characteristics of an African-American Teacher Study Group.136 5 THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD UNVEILED .156 Themes of the Teacher Study Group .156 Impact of the Teacher Study Group.183 The Teacher Study Group as Professional Learning .193 Administrator’s Participation in the Teacher Study Group .196 6 A BRAND NEW DAY.201 The Research Questions Revisited.216 From “Ain’t I a Woman?” to Phenomenal Woman.219 An Argument for Culturally Relevant Professional Development .220 Suggestions for Further Research .230 Implications of the Study .263 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Timeline for Data Collection .96 2 Participant Demographic Questionnaire Results .137 3 Participants’ Initial Topic Choices for the Teacher Study Group.184 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Interconnectedness of Theoretical Frameworks .83 3 Five-Point Star Model of Culturally Relevant Professional Development.226 vi ABBREVIATIONS AAVE African-American Vernacular English CO Classroom Observation CRPD Culturally Relevant Professional Development EIP Early Intervention Program FG Focus Group FN Field Notes HBCU Historically Black College and University I1 or I2 Interview #1 or Interview #2 IEP Individualized Education Plan PJ Participant Journal PLU Professional Learning Unit RJ Researcher’s Journal SST Student Support Team TSG Teacher Study Group vii CHAPTER 1 EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD Ease on down … Sometimes teaching can be very lonely.

…I mean, you’re in your classroom, teaching your students. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. … Do they [the students] really get it [the concept being taught] or are they doing a good job of remembering what I am saying so that they can repeat it back to me on a test?