Stepping out of the norm: an examination of praxis for a culturally‐relevant pedagogy for African‐American children

Abstract

This paper examines two Anglo teachers' understanding of their praxis as they attempted to present a culturally‐relevant physical education programme to a class of African‐American 6^th‐grade students. In this case, the content was ‘stepping’, a branch of the African‐American vernacular dance tree. Five specific themes emerged: teacher apprehension; concerns about teacher legitimacy; resolution of apprehension and concerns; the unique nature of the content; and continual ethical uneasiness. The teachers expanded their understanding of praxis beyond thinking, acting, and reflecting to consider the political and social aspects that impact curriculum, pedagogy, and students.

Keywords:

• culturally‐relevant education
• postcolonial
• African‐Americans

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank David Kirk and Doune Macdonald, as well as the reviewers of this paper, for their generosity in providing invaluable advice in the preparation of this manuscript.

Notes

1. ‘Muscular Christianity’ can be defined as a Christian commitment to health and manliness. Its origins can be traced to the Christian New Testament.

2. Squires (2003) suggests that current educational discussion uses the term praxis in ways other than what Aristotle meant. He suggests a more appropriate construct for teaching would be technai.

3. The enrolment was ∼ 97% African‐American. The school was listed as a Title 1 school. Such designation requires that over 75% of students are eligible for free‐ or reduced‐priced lunches, an indication of a predominantly low SES community; 99% of the students were eligible for free‐ or reduced‐price lunches.

4. We had commitments at the school with field‐experiences from methods classes and other service‐learning projects.

5. The typical cheerleader is white, maintains a B average, and comes from a two‐parent middle‐class household (McNeal 1998).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter A. Hastie

His research has focused on the teaching of sport within physical education with specific reference to the Sport Education curriculum model. His ongoing research deals with the study of class ecologies within physical education.

Ellen Martin

Her research has focused on curriculum and instruction with underserved populations. Her ongoing research deals with creating motivating learning environments for young children.

Alice M. Buchanan

Her research has focused on physical education teacher education and curriculum and service‐oriented ethnographic inquiry. Her ongoing research deals with service learning and teaching for responsibility in movement settings.