Abstract:
Developing characteristics of culturally responsive teaching in mathematics is a complex endeavor. Although the field of research on culturally relevant pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching in mathematics is vast, few studies have specifically addressed the transformation of mathematics teachers as they strive to implement culturally relevant pedagogical practices to improve learning for historically marginalized students. Grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and culturally responsive mathematics teaching, this research study was designed to capture the experiences and instructional practices, through narrative inquiry, of five middle school mathematics teachers as they move towards integrating culturally relevant pedagogical practices into their classroom instruction. This study also aimed to understand teachers' perception of how professional development opportunities influence their teaching practices. Data were collected from multiple sources, namely, semi-structured interviews, member check, and relevant school districts' documents pertaining to equitable educational practices. I also maintained a personal research journal. The key findings from this study indicate that emerging culturally relevant and responsive teachers 1) set high expectations for their students to promote academic growth and development, and 2) desire to have meaningful and ongoing professional development opportunities that connects content knowledge with cultural knowledge. Some findings were consistent with the literature on culturally relevant pedagogy tenets and the dimensions of culturally responsive teaching. Implications and recommendations are provided in an effort to strengthen teachers' practices and increase academic mathematics achievement and success for all students.
