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ABSTRACT
The single-site case study described herein is part of a two-year professional development (PD) initiative aimed at helping teachers from an urban elementary (K-8) school learn how to implement explicit, transactional comprehension strategy instruction across grades using culturally relevant books. This paper describes the urban elementary teachers’ successes and challenges in their first-year implementation of providing culturally relevant literacy instruction. Three types of qualitative data were collected: (a) researchers’ anecdotal notes during the professional learning sessions; (b) teacher focus groups; (c) teachers’ blog reflection entries. The findings revealed that the professional development for culturally relevant literacy instruction resulted in teachers’ heightened awareness of how identities and social subjectivities are negotiated in and through culturally relevant discourse, the implicit and explicit bias in the school curriculum. Finally, professional development served as a catalyst for facilitating students’ and teachers’ racial and cultural identity development.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Katia Ciampa
Katia Ciampa, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education in the Center for Education at Widener University. Her research interests include supporting pre-service and in-service teachers’ 21st century literacy instructional practices.
Dana M. Reisboard
Dana Reisboard, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education in the Center for Education at Widener University. Dana’s research interests focus upon praxis which investigates (1) core reading programs, (2) children’s literature, (3) the use of critical literacy, (4) mindfulness in education, and (5) best practices in teacher education.