Luận án: Mối quan hệ thầy-trò và ảnh hưởng đến thành tích Toán học của nam sinh Da đen

Concordia University St. Paul DigitalCommons@CSP Concordia University Portland Graduate CUP Ed. Dissertations Research Summer 6-15-2017 Teacher-Student Relationships and How They Encourage Mathematics Achievement Among Black Males Makeba C. Butler Concordia University - Portland, drbutler1913@gmail.com Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/cup_commons_grad_edd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Butler, M.

Teacher-Student Relationships and How They Encourage Mathematics Achievement Among Black Males (Thesis, Concordia University, St. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.edu/cup_commons_grad_edd/84 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia University Portland Graduate Research at DigitalCommons@CSP. It has been accepted for inclusion in CUP Ed. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@CSP.

For more information, please contact digitalcommons@csp. Concordia University - Portland CU Commons Ed. Dissertations Graduate Theses & Dissertations Summer 6-15-2017 Teacher-Student Relationships and How They Encourage Mathematics Achievement Among Black Males Makeba C. Butler Concordia University - Portland Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.edu/edudissertations Part of the Education Commons CU Commons Citation Butler, Makeba C., "Teacher-Student Relationships and How They Encourage Mathematics Achievement Among Black Males" (2017).edu/edudissertations/37 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Theses & Dissertations at CU Commons.

It has been accepted for inclusion in Ed. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Commons. For more information, please contact libraryadmin@cu- portland. Concordia University–Portland College of Education Doctorate of Education Program WE, THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CERTIFY THAT WE HAVE READ AND APPROVE THE DISSERTATION OF Makeba C.

Butler CANDIDATE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Mark Jimenez, Ed., Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee Rebecca Watts, Ph., Content Specialist Anthony Valley, Ed., Content Reader ACCEPTED BY Joe Mannion, Ed. Provost, Concordia University–Portland Sheryl Reinisch, Ed. Dean, College of Education, Concordia University–Portland Marty A. Director of Doctoral Studies, Concordia University–Portland TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW THEY ENCOURAGE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AMONG BLACK MALES Makeba C.

Butler Concordia University-Portland College of Education Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership Mark Jimenez, Ed., Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee Rebecca Watts, Ph., Content Specialist Anthony Valley, Ed., Content Reader Concordia University- Portland 2017 Abstract This research study focuses on positive teacher-student relationships and how these relationships influence the mathematics achievement of African American elementary male students. It identifies some of the characteristics relevant to the establishment and cultivation of the teacher- student relationship and sheds useful insights into how African American male students respond to the interactions with their teachers. Extant literature has increasingly shown that positive- teacher student relationships significantly shape academic progress in Black students. Through teacher surveys and teacher interviews, this dissertation offers a synopsis of how teachers facilitate relationships with their African American male students as well as gives a detailed account of how teacher perceptions influence the relationship.

It also examines whether or how the relationship encourages mathematics achievement among African American male students. Finally and through interviews with African American male students, the doctoral research describes how Black students build relationships with their teachers and how these relationships influence their academic experience. In its final analysis, the dissertation underscores the importance of paying more attention to the teacher-student relationship amongst Black students and how different facets of the relationship shape their academic achievement in mathematics. These insights are critical in formulating relevant interventional pedagogical practices for African American students in the context of mathematics learning.

Keywords: teacher perception, teacher-student relationship, academic achievement, culture, socio-economic status iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my lovely and supportive grandmother, my beautiful mother, my handsome and supportive fiancé, and my “ride or die” twin- I thank you for your support. iv Acknowledgements I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for without him I would not have had the desire or the ability to accomplish such greatness. I know that without Him, I am nothing but with Him, I am everything. To my cohort beauties- Tracy, Danielle, and Debra, you all have played an integral part in motivating me to finish this degree, words cannot express how much I honor and appreciate you.

To my Dissertation Committee- Dr. J, you have talked me off many ledges during this process and I am so glad you agreed to be my advisor. Thank you for keeping me inspired, for pushing me to do “just a little bit more”, and for helping me to see that “you’re almost there.” Thank you for the investment in me. Valley, I handpicked you because my first impression of you was amazing! Thank you for your guidance during this process and for being a part of my academic success.

Watts, you definitely kept me on my toes and through that, made me a better academic writer. Thank you for the push, every step of the way. Pastor Myrue Spivey, you have been my spiritual father since I was a kid. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue this degree, you told me I could do it and…I did! Thanks for being a constant in my life.

I love you, pops! v Table of Contents Abstract. 1 Introduction to the Problem. 1 Background, Context, History, and Conceptual Framework. 3 Statement of the Problem.

5 Purpose of Study. 7 Rationale, Relevance, and Significance of the Proposed Study. 8 Definition of Key Terms. 10 Limitations of the Study.

11 Delimitations of the Study. 12 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature. 14 Introduction to the Literature Review. 16 Teacher-Student Relationships.

19 vi The History of the Black Male, Socio-Economic Status and Cultural Influences. 19 The Effect of the Teacher-Student Relationship. 25 Why the Need for Teacher-Student Relationships With Black Male Students. 27 The Negative Sides of Teacher-Student Relationships.

32 Teacher-Student Stereotypes. 35 Self-Fulfilling Prophecies. 37 The Positive Sides of Teacher-Student Relationships. 39 Culturally Adept Relationships in the Classroom.

40 Equality and Concern Among Students. 42 Student Engagement in the Classroom. 43 Factors that Promote Positive Teacher-Student Relationships. 44 Positive Teacher-Student Mathematics Relationships.

47 Review of Methodological Issues. 51 Synthesis of Research Findings. 54 Teacher Effect of Student-Teacher Relationships. 56 Critique of Previous Research.

62 vii Research Questions. 62 Purpose and Design of the Study. 63 Research Population and Sampling Method. 70 Identification of Attributes.

73 Limitations and Delimitations of the Research Design. 75 Validation, Credibility, and Dependability. 79 Ethical Issues in the Study. 80 viii Conflict of interest assessment.

81 Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results. 84 Description of the Sample. 86 Participant Sample Size. 86 Research Methodology and Analysis.

88 Qualitative Case Study. 89 Summary of Findings. 90 Presentation of Data and Results. 120 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion.

123 Summary of Results. 125 Discussion of the Results. 127 Discussion of the Results in Relation to the Literature. 130 The Facilitation of Positive Relationships With African American Male Students.

131 ix Perceptions and Relationships That Encourage Black Male Student Achievement in Mathematics. 133 How Black Male Students Describe Their Relationships With Teachers. 136 Implications of the Results for Practice, Policy, and Theory. 138 Recommendations for Further Research.

144 Appendix A: Statement of Original Work. 179 Appendix B- Student-Teacher Relationship Scale – Short Form. 181 Appendix C- Permission to use the STRS- Short Form. 182 Appendix D- Teacher Participant Consent Form.

183 Appendix E- Student Participant Consent Form. 184 Appendix F- Interview Protocol- Teacher. 185 Appendix G- Interview Protocol- Student. 186 Appendix H- Consent Form.

187 x List of Tables Table 1 Teacher Participant Data………………………………………………………………88 Table 2 Themes used by Teachers to Facilitate Positive Relationships with Black Male Students……………………………………………………………………………………….105 Table 3 Perception of Themes Evident Regarding the Encouragement of Mathematics Achievement among Black Males…………………………………………………………….112 xi Chapter 1: Introduction Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like (Pierson, 2013) Introduction to the Problem Low academic achievement among Black students is a reoccurring and important issue in education. Scholars such as Ladson-Billing and Tate (1995) as well as Moses-Snipes and Snipes (2005) have observed that much of the literature described Black students as deficit, underachievers, and possessing inferior abilities, especially in the area of mathematics. Even more unsettling is the increasing disparity among Black students in how they learn and understand mathematics (Eddy & Easton-Brooks, 2011). According to Grant, Crompton and Ford (2015), the way students perceive themselves and how this perception shapes the way they conduct themselves in the mathematics classroom contributes highly to the overall academic behavior of Black students, particularly Black male students.

Teacher-student relationships serve as one of the most important influences surrounding a child’s life; in particular, teachers are influential with regard to children’s social, emotional and academic development (Greenberg, Speltz, & Deklyen, 1993; Pianta, 1999). How a teacher connects with their students and how those connections translate into increased student achievement through clearly stated expectations, social relevance, and interpreted perspectives plays an important role in the establishment of intellectually developed students (Davis, 2003). In identifying the poor academic achievement of Black male students and highlighting how teacher-student relationships play a role in student achievement, an important question remains. How do teacher-student relationships encourage the continued academic improvement of Black 1 male students? Going a step further, it is necessary to understand how these relationships encourage mathematics achievement in students in general, and among Black males in particular.

One point that supports the idea of academic relationships is that students who have secure relationships with their teachers have a sense of belonging that contributes to exploring, learning, and mastering goals that are associated with academic learning (Cassidy & Shaver, 1999). Research has also shown that teacher-student relationships are influenced by how the teacher perceives the student (Ferguson, 2003). This research partly underscores the role that student perceptions play in: (a) how the relationship is formed, and (b) how the formed relationship is applied and transferred to the student. One way this role has been viewed as most effective is in the observance of relationships between Black teachers and students.

For instance, Zimmerman et al. (1995) have shown that teachers who are of a different race may view Black male behaviors differently, and that such students experience having more behavioral problems notated by Hispanic or White teachers than by Black teachers. Therefore, how a teacher perceives a student to be behaviorally, can play an enormous role in how that relationship contributes to student success or otherwise. Gibson (2002) found that the more poorly a student performed, the less of a positive regard the teacher held for that student.

Gibson also reported that a student’s perception of the genuine care behind a teacher’s action transferred into causing the student to respond favorably when such performance was related to academic behavior. Hence, Gibson noted that a relationship grounded in “realness” and a strict teaching style has positive effects on students. Howard (2002) focused on the level with which Black students believe their academic 2 achievement was influenced by how a teacher instructs. This belief was necessitated by the idea that students tend to perform better when they know that teachers instruct from a position of care and concern.

In the study, the students reported that the teachers who cared and showed concern with helping them made a big overall difference in their academic learning experience. On a similar note but in the mathematic context, Ladson-Billings (1997) observed that if mathematics education was to be understood teachers must build strong relationships with their Black male students and develop a sense of identification in efforts of building intellectual capacity. Indeed, when students believe that teachers support them in a way that shows genuine care and concern, it not only provides a strong foundation for achievement but also establishes self-esteem and confidence that extend far beyond the classroom (Yeldell, 2012).