Culturally Relevant Teaching and African American Literacy

Introduction

Culturally relevant pedagogy has emerged as one of the key interventions for enhancing the learning outcomes of diverse student populations. The concept grew from reform initiatives in educational programs across the country, contributing to the development of various instructional interventions and programs. Ladson-Billings (1995) developed this concept and defined it as the inclusion of aspects of students' cultural environment in the arrangement of and instruction within the classroom. Culturally relevant pedagogy can play an important role in student engagement and achievement in the modern learning environment.

Byrd (2016) contends that culturally relevant teaching is a potent strategy for lessening achievement gaps and improving student engagement and achievement. While culturally relevant pedagogy could help narrow gaps in student achievement, today's learning environment is still characterized by disparities in student outcomes. The academic outcomes of African American students are significantly lower than those of Latino, White, and Asian American students in both special and general education classrooms. This paper argues that culturally relevant pedagogy should be adopted in urban educational settings to support the literacy development of African American students.

Problem Statement

Since the 1980s, the learning environment in the United States has continued to experience significant changes, including demographic shifts brought about by a substantial increase in the number of children born to minority group members. Today's classrooms comprise students from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Although the number of minorities in the classroom has continued to grow rapidly, the majority of both students and teachers remain White. African American students account for more than 16.5% of the student population in general education classrooms and 28.7% of students in special education classrooms (Howard, 2001). African American teachers, by contrast, account for only 6% of the teaching population across the country (Howard, 2001).

Because African Americans make up a significant percentage of the modern student population, American teachers face new demands and must adopt teaching practices and instructional strategies that meet the learning needs and styles of all students, particularly Black students. As the number of Black students in the modern classroom increases, the discrepancy in academic performance continues to widen. Efforts by educators and other stakeholders to enhance the academic outcomes of all students have been relatively ineffective precisely because of these persistent disparities.

The U.S. public school system has witnessed a growing achievement discrepancy in which certain groups are more likely to excel than others. Howard & Terry Sr. (2011) contend that African American students continue to lag behind their peers — including Asian American, White, and Latino students — in academic performance. Black students are disproportionately affected by current approaches to learning, as evident in their relatively poor academic performance compared to other student groups. African American students in urban settings are less likely to excel academically than students in other groups. Despite being enrolled in urban schools, 52% of African American students come from rural areas with single-parent homes, and 62% come from low-income families (Paulk, Martinez & Lambeth, 2014). Their experiences in rural communities therefore appear to affect their literacy development even when they are placed in urban learning environments. The gap in academic performance is an indicator of systematic racism within the school system, a conclusion supported by a review of existing literature and surveys on academic performance.

The discrepancy in academic outcomes among different student populations has been the subject of numerous studies. Existing research has examined this issue from multiple perspectives, including the potential causes of achievement gaps and how they can be addressed. Paulk, Martinez & Lambeth (2014) identify cultural factors as one of the major contributors to achievement gaps between African American and White students. African American students have distinct communication patterns that affect their socialization and learning. These cultural factors shape their learning needs and affect their learning styles, especially when they are placed in a diverse classroom. According to Ladson-Billings (1995), the learning and academic achievement of African American students is strongly influenced by their home and community cultures. Language interaction patterns in home and community settings shape their socialization, which in turn influences learning and academic achievement.

Review of Existing Literature

Paulk, Martinez & Lambeth (2014) further suggest that current classroom approaches and cultural mismatches between teachers and students contribute to achievement gaps. Existing instructional methods do not adequately account for the diverse cultural backgrounds of these students. For example, teachers often do not consider the language interaction and communication patterns of African American students when developing teaching strategies. Additionally, cultural differences between teachers and students make it difficult for educators to adopt approaches that genuinely address students' needs (Gay, 2010). These issues have drawn the attention of scholars, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the field of education.

As evidenced in existing literature, the discrepancy in academic performance between different student populations is attributable to a variety of factors. Cultural differences are seen as one of the major contributors to the poor academic performance of African American students. Paulk, Martinez & Lambeth (2014) contend that African Americans generally have a unique communication pattern that differs from the patterns adopted in most classrooms. This unique communication pattern — Ebonics (African American English), sometimes parsed as "Ebony Phonics" — has in some ways contributed to a breakdown in communication between teachers and students stemming from their different cultural backgrounds. The cultural backgrounds of teachers and students diverge in terms of communication patterns, socialization, and language interaction. These differences affect classroom communication and how students understand instruction. Together with race and socioeconomic status, culture generates tensions between teachers and students across multiple dimensions, including academic achievement.