Teacher Ethnicity and Variation in Context: The Implications for Classroom Quality

Abstract

Research Findings: The current study examined the differences in global quality between classrooms with African American teachers and European American teachers. The study included 1,687 classrooms (802 with African American teachers and 885 with European American teachers). Initial analyses revealed significant differences in overall global quality as well as on 2 factor scores: Language/Interactions and Activities/Materials. However, when an analysis of covariance was conducted controlling for numerous structural variables (i.e., level of education, years of experience in early childhood, total number of teachers in the classroom, teacher–child ratio, proportion of children on subsidy, proportion of African American children in the class, and ethnicity of the observer), no differences by race were found. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed with regard to the contextual constraints experienced by African American teachers in preschool classrooms to create high-quality learning environments. Policy implications of classroom inequities by racial/ethnic background are examined.