Graduation Year
2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ed.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Curriculum and Instruction
Major Professor
William Black, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Howard Johnston, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Shaunessy Dedrick, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Judith Ponticel, Ph.D.
Keywords
Culturally Relevant Teaching, Teacher Care, Teacher Reflection
Abstract
A variety of educational reform literature discusses the “ethic of care” and “building relationships,” along with culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy (Gorski, 2013; Guajardo, M., Guajardo F., & Casaperalta, 2008; Ladson-Billings, 1992, 1995). In addition, “Appreciative Organizing in Education (AOE)” (Barrett & Fry, 2008; Burello, Beitz, & Mann, 2015; Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2008) with its emphasis on strengths-based analysis of organizational change shaped my perception that a “Culture of Care” in our schools and with our teachers, administrators, and most importantly students, is necessary.
The notion of “culturally appropriate” (Au & Jordan, 1981, p. 139) pedagogy began over 35 years ago and incorporated aspects of “students’ cultural backgrounds into their reading instruction” (Ladson-Billings, 1992, 1995). However, today’s context magnifies the importance of providing culturally relevant (Ladson-Billings, 1992, 1995) instruction and curriculum for our black and brown children, reflected in the body of work that is read and studied in schools, as well as culturally responsive teaching, defined as “using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for [students]” (Gay, 2010, p. 31).
Despite the literature that suggests schools will struggle to overcome the societal barriers that students bring with them every day (Berliner & Glass, 2014, 2015), there are teachers who are capable of excellent teaching for all students (Ladson-Billings, 1995), by “demonstrating understanding of who students are (and who we are, as teachers), how, and why they operate in the world, and then making decisions about what will be learned based on this information” (Walter, 2018, p. 25)
Scholar Commons Citation
von Ancken, Johan, "An Exploration of Teachers’ Use of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Ethic of Care, and Reflectivity" (2020). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/8322
