Doctoral Dissertation Research: Student Teacher Interaction and Learning

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1435430 Karolyn Tyson Karen Kozlowski University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill This doctoral dissertation research will examine how first grade students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds learn how to "do" school. In other words, it will examine what first graders think success in school is and what kinds of learning behaviors they do in order to achieve academic success. Education aims to provide equal opportunity for upward mobility to students; yet for decades, racial inequality has persisted in achievement outcomes at every level of the educational experience. To more effectively combat these inequalities, it is critical to understand how and why racial inequalities grow at some of the earliest stages in children's schooling. Drawing from two theoretical frameworks, cultural capital mis/match and teacher bias, this project will examine 1) what kinds of schooling strategies are necessary for success 2) how students and teachers view those strategies similarly or differently 3) how students develop their sense of what it takes to be successful 4) how students make sense of interactions with and messages from their teachers 5) how teachers interact with, assess, and evaluate students on the basis of their skills and 6) how these interactions vary by race. To examine these themes, this project uses ethnographic observations of four racially diverse first grade classrooms, as well as semi-structured interviews with teachers, parents, and students in those classrooms. This research contributes to scholars' understanding of two leading explanations of the racial achievement gap by providing more complete definitions and descriptions of what contemporary cultural capital mis/match or teacher bias look like in classrooms and ultimately, which perspective may explain more of the achievement gap. Beyond their intellectual contributions, the results of this project will provide insight to educators about how and why students of different backgrounds perform differently in their classrooms. It will also provide parents and students a more explicit understanding of teacher expectations and how to "do" school in ways that maximize chances for academic success. Findings will be disseminated through project participants and school districts, as well as through scholarly articles, presentations, and publications for the general audience interested in educational practice, outcomes, and inequality.