CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES: INFLUENCING TEACHERS’ DISCIPLINARY AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

Abstract

All school students deserve an equitable, rigorous, and meaningful education experience. Too often, in classrooms, traditionally underachieving students do not have that experience. In the qualitative participatory action research project and study, I examined the degree to which culturally responsive practices (CRP) using equity-driven strategies influenced teachers' disciplinary and pedagogical practices. The theory of action (ToA) posited: if teachers can identify culturally responsive practices and take intentional steps to analyze their current practices, then they can effectively implement CRP in their classrooms. In the participatory action research (PAR) project and study, based upon action research and equity-based protocols, the data sources included observations, post-observation conversations, field notes from meetings, community learning exchange (CLE) artifacts, and reflective memos. After analyzing data from two cycles of inquiry, the finding is: Connections between teachers and students through use of proximity, nonverbals, and effective discipline moves were uneven and largely ineffective; as a result, disciplinary practices dominated the classroom experience. The finding contributes to our knowledge and skill in shifting narratives and practices related to culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers need to attend to students with a culturally responsive discipline stance (Hollie, 2018) that supports instructional outcomes. If teachers cannot engage students in content due being inundated with behavior issues, they cannot focus on student learning, a key determinant in the trajectory of students' lives and well-being.