Exploring Culturally Relevant Feedback to African American Students in Mathematics

Abstract

Teacher feedback has a strong correlation to math achievement. However, teachers need to be conscious of the type of feedback given to students during math instruction. Scholars suggest studying teachers knowledgeable of cultural relevant pedagogy (CRP) could supply models for teaching and learning especially for historically marginalized groups of students such as African Americans. Researchers further suggest a need to describe what teacher feedback to students looks like and how it is delivered. Using a qualitative descriptive study and culturally relevant pedagogy theory, the study explores how Arizona elementary teachers describe the development of their culturally relevant pedagogy in providing feedback to students. And how culturally relevant pedagogy is used in providing feedback specifically to African American third through fifth grade elementary students during math instruction. Semi-structured interviews, with 13 culturally relevant teachers and a focus group of four additional teachers, was used to collect data. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study suggest culturally relevant teachers: (a) develop sub skills in cultural competence, critical consciousness, and academic success, (b) development includes a teacher disposition for CRP teacher praxis (c) development is primarily sourced by teacher self-initiated strategies, (d) employ a teacher-based context of culturally relevant feedback, (e) use African American culture to provide feedback, and (f) have specific strategies to deliver corrective and disciplinary feedback to African American students during math instruction. The results highlight the importance of providing culturally relevant feedback.