Systematic versus informal application of culturally relevant pedagogy: Are performance outcomes different? A study of college students

Abstract

In a field study, the effects on academic performance of two different applications of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in the classroom were measured. As per the requirements of such pedagogy, both entailed modes and contents of instruction that attend to the specific cultural characteristics of the learners. However, in one condition (systematic CRP application), emphasis on culturally relevant contents extended to both instruction and assessment, whereas in another condition, they were largely confined to instruction (informal CRP application). Students of Middle Eastern descent who were enrolled in either a history or a critical thinking course were exposed to one of the two conditions. During the first half of the semester, midterm and assignment performance did not significantly differ. However, performance during the second half of the semester and attendance rates were higher for the systematic CRP condition. These findings suggest that emphasis on culturally relevant content encompassing both learning and assessment can be beneficial to academic performance but its fruits become tangible only with sustained exercise.

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“…Although it is a challenging proposition to implement, CRP is believed to be an effective pedagogy for facilitating learning inside and outside the classroom, providing students with diverse opportunities to acquire and demonstrate knowledge, helping students to appreciate their culture in relation to dominant cultural frames, and enhancing engagement and classroom management (Howard & Rodriguez-Scheel, 2017;Pilotti & Al Mubarak, 2021;Siwatu, 2007;Walker, 2019). CRP has attracted strong advocates among instructors who are looking for alternatives to traditional teaching methods, while skeptical instructors regard CRP as just another educational fad (Royal & Gibson, 2017).…”

“…However, most of the research on the effectiveness of CRP tends to rely on interviews and observations, and to focus on the logistics and challenges of the implementation of such pedagogy, thereby resulting in largely descriptive studies (Morrison et al, 2008;Young, 2010) where instructors' experiences take the spotlight. Action research methodologies have had limited use at best (Lee, 1998;Pilotti & Al Mubarak, 2021;Sheets, 1995).…”

A Corruption Course through a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: The Need for an Assessment That Fits

“…A student-centered approach to instruction in higher education is generally considered ideal [1][2][3][4]. As the label suggests, the needs and abilities of the learner are its focus.…”

The Effect of the Blended Project-based Learning Model and Creative Thinking Ability on Engineering Students' Learning Outcomes

“…However, the absence of these two factors results in the lack of interest to improve their learning outcomes (Nasution, 2018;Pilotti & Al Mubarak, 2021;Tarbutton, 2018). This finding is in line with research by Lailiana and Handayani (2017) and Hapsari (2017), which stated that two factors needed to obtain academic achievement are group goals or motivation for success and individual responsibility.…”