Content area
The purpose of this holistic case study was to investigate what happens when African American adolescent males participate in a curriculum that is culturally relevant utilizing culturally relevant literature. In addition, it explores the literacy behaviors of the participants that experience this type of curriculum while also examining the participants; perceptions of the culturally relevant literature featured within the curriculum. The participants in this study were eight eighth-grade African American male students enrolled in an urban public middle school. Multiple data were collected: participant observations, participant and teacher interviews, reflection journal, and a culturally relevant book analysis completed by the participants. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data and results were confirmed through member checking. The role of books and the role of space and discourse were the two overarching themes that emerged from the analysis. Results revealed that the students displayed multiple literacy behaviors and valued specific characteristics of the culturally relevant literature. Additional categories and subcategories of the findings are also presented to give a more complete picture of the results from this study. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by addressing your request to ProQuest, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346. Telephone 1-800-521-3042; e-mail: [email protected]