Give Us a Clear Vision, Time, Space and Have Our Backs: Supporting Grades 7-12th Social Studies Teachers in Their Transition Toward More Culturally Responsive Instruction

Abstract

This capstone sought to determine the ways in which a public school district’s leadership could support their secondary social studies teachers in their transition toward becoming more culturally responsive in their practice. Specifically, school leaders sought to find what encourages and discourages teachers from transitioning from traditional teaching toward becoming more culturally responsive. Fourteen educators participated in this mixed methods project through focus groups, interviews and completing both a Likert scale and open ended survey. This study found that teachers who had applicable training, time and space to collaborate with colleagues, administrative support and an understanding of the district’s goals were more willing and able to transition toward more culturally responsive teaching. This capstone recommends that school leaders articulate their vision and goals for culturally responsive instruction as well as provide dedicated time and space for teachers to collaborate and professionally develop. This project contributes a review of the literature on culturally responsive instruction and teacher professional development. It also provides a conceptual framework rooted in the theories of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Socio-Transformative Theory.