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The knowledge, skills, motivation and organizational factors that teachers need to support African American boys in public preschool: an evaluation study
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Content
Running head: TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
1
THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, MOTIVATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS THAT
TEACHERS NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS IN PUBLIC PRESCHOOL:
AN EVALUATION STUDY
by
Ayanna Ewunike Davis
_______________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2017
Copyright 2017 Ayanna Ewunike Davis
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
2
DEDICATION
I dedicate this dissertation to my son, Joshua, my parents, family, friends and study
group. Grandmother Joyce Shipman, you have always been my rock and strength. I love you,
dearly. I appreciate the patience and understanding from the staff at both of my Early Education
Centers.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank all the people who prayed, coached, encouraged, and supported me
with writing this dissertation.
First, I would like to thank the members of my family for proof reading through my work
at several stages of my writing. I thank you for allowing me to share my ideas and thoughts with
you regarding my dissertation topic. Not only did you support me through this process but also
you’ve supported me while Joshua was completing his Bachelor’s Degree at Xavier University
of New Orleans.
Secondly, I would like to thank my best girlfriend, Karen Rowley Brooks, who’s there to
motivate and encourage me and navigated me through. You spoke strength, power, and
endurance into me when I did not have any.
Thirdly, I would like to thank my coworkers for being proud of me, loving me as your
administrator, and embracing this process of growth in leadership. We are truly a work family
that provides exemplary care and instruction for preschool children.
Lastly, I could not have accomplished this Doctorate degree without the guidance from
Dr. Melora Sundt, Dr. Tyrone Howard, and Dr. Eugenia Mora-Flores. To the best study group
ever, I love you Lynn, Crystal, Maleta, Kim, Corey and Mike D. I could not thank you all
enough for seeing me through and you are the best study group that a doctoral student could ever
have.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 6
Abstract 7
Chapter 1: Introduction 8
Introduction to the Problem of Practice 8
Organizational Mission and Context 18
Organizational Performance Goal 20
Related Literature 21
Importance of the Evaluation 21
Description of Stakeholder Groups 22
Stakeholder Group of the Study 25
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions 25
Methodological Framework 26
Definitions 27
Organization of the Dissertation 27
Chapter 2: Literature Review 28
Conceptual Framework 29
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Factors 30
Summary 52
Chapter 3: Methodology 53
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions 53
Conceptual and Methodological Framework 54
Figure 1. Knowledge, motivation, and organizational conceptual framework 55
Assessment of Performance Influences 55
Validation of Knowledge Performance Influences 56
Validation of Motivation Factors 59
Validation of Organizational Factors 61
Site Selection 65
Participating Stakeholders 66
Purposeful Sampling Plan 67
Data Collection 69
Data Analysis Plan 72
Credibility and Trustworthiness 74
Role of Investigator 75
Ethics 75
Limitations and Delimitations 77
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
5
Chapter 4: Results and Findings 79
Participating Stakeholders and Sites 82
Document Analysis 85
Observations 85
Results and Findings for Conceptual, Metacognitive, and Procedural Knowledge 86
Causes
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes 92
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes: Utility Values, Self-Efficacy, and 93
Emotion Theory
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Motivation Causes 100
Results and Findings for Organization Causes: Cultural Models and Cultural 102
Settings
Synthesis of Results and Findings 108
Chapter 5: Recommendations, Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan, and 111
Conclusion
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 111
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 131
Conclusion 148
References 150
Appendices 159
Appendix A: Interview Protocol 159
Appendix B: Recruitment Letter 162
Appendix C: Observation Behavioral Tool 163
Appendix D: Recruitment Flier 165
Appendix E: Permission Request for Principal (Email) 166
Appendix F: Scale of Teachers’ Early Education Experience Survey 167
Appendix G: Evaluation Tool (Survey) During and Immediately After 169
Professional Development Training
Appendix H: Informed Consent Form 170
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 24
Table 2. Assumed Knowledge Needs of Teachers 40
Table 3. Assumed Motivational Needs of Teachers 45
Table 4. Assumed Organizational Barriers and Facilitators on Teacher Performance 51
Needs
Table 5. Summary of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Assumed 62
Influences, Assessments and Strategies
Table 6. Wonderland Early Education Center Teacher Demographics 84
Table 7. Lambs Early Education Center Teacher Demographics 85
Table 8. Results of the Motivation Influences Survey 94
Table 9. Special Needs and Challenging Behavior Observation Document 105
Table 10. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 113
Table 11. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 120
Table 12. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 126
Table 13. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 134
Table 14. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation 135
Table 15. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 137
Table 16. Components of Learning for the Program 142
Table 17. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 143
Table 18. Evaluation Tool 144
Table 19. Professional Development Implementation Program 146
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
7
ABSTRACT
School readiness involves socio-emotional competencies and behaviors, including relationships
with peers and teachers, which are generally predictors of later academic performance and the
ability to adapt to school for preschool children. This study found that teachers who have the
ability to create positive preschool classroom environments and instructional strategies to
develop socio-emotional competency in African American boys in public preschool, specifically,
those in low socioeconomic backgrounds are more motivated to meet job performance goals. To
support African American boys in low-income areas conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge is required for teachers to understand the concepts of socio-emotional development
and how to respond to children’s behavior. The study reveals that teachers need considerable
support to design classroom management and instructional strategies to promote growth. This
study, using Clark and Estes’ gap analysis method, evaluated the state of which early education
center teachers achieve job performance goals to provide structured and unstructured
opportunities for African American boys to cultivate socialization and emotional competence to
improve their resilience, confidence and persistence with tasks. Triangulation of the data
collected shows that teachers in the Pyramid Unified School District are lacking the knowledge
and skills needed to support African American boys in public preschool.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
8
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem of Practice
Researchers suggest that when a young child meets expected target goals, including
developing physically, acquiring a positive attitude towards learning, attaining basic knowledge
of language and math, and obtaining social-emotional competence by the age five, the child is
ready for elementary school (Raver & Knitze, 2002; Brooks-Gunn, Martin, & Razza, 2010).
Michlea and Michalca (2007) categorize these goals into three skill sets of school readiness:
cognitive, social-emotional and physical. A child’s successful development of those three
readiness skill sets meet expectations for entering kindergarten. Children who do not meet these
expectations are identified as being at risk, later, of dropping out of high school (Michlea &
Michalca, 2007).
The development of these skills arises from a learning environment that includes
nurturing, intentional, and responsive teaching practices and engagement that supports school
readiness (Henderson & Strain, 2009). The creation of this environment is the responsibility of
early educators in partnership with parents (Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004).
According to The National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness [NCCLR] (n.d.),
many programs are without the critical fundamentals for all children. In fact, research suggests
that there are disparities within the education systems that African American boys, in particular,
are confronting (Howard, 2015). There are reports of high suspensions and expulsions rates
from as early as preschool (Kunjufu, 2011). The data suggests that African American males who
attend preschool programs are not benefitting from the advantages that studies reveal that early
learners are projected as having when attending a well-designed early learning environment
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
9
(Araujo & Strasser, 2003). This project explores the knowledge, motivational and organizational
factors teachers need to create in these well-designed learning environments for African
American preschool boys. The study specifically focuses on quality preschools in regards to
teacher-child interactions. In regard to teacher-child interactions, the factors of quality
interactions include: teachers’ ability to provide a positive classroom climate, teachers’
sensitivity toward African American boys, and teachers’ regard toward African American boys’
perspective.
The Achievement Gap in Preschool
For several years, the Pyramid Unified School District, PUSD, a pseudonym, a large
public school district in the United States, and districts nationwide have reported a persistent gap
in achievement and graduation rates between African American boys and their male counterparts
of other ethnicities (Howard, Rose, & Barbarin, 2013; Kunjufu, 2011). To clarify, the
achievement gap refers to disparities in educational performance in the U.S. as measured by
indicators such as grades, standardized test scores, high school graduation rates, reading levels,
math competency, suspension and expulsion rates (American Psychological Association, 2014).
In fact, the gap appears for African American boys across the nation and is prevalent as early as
preschool. This gap is referred to as the school readiness gap. Gilliam (2005) reported that
African American children were expelled from preschool at twice the rate of other students.
Gilliam (2005) further reported that 91% of the expelled children were boys. The researcher
additionally reported that preschool boys were expelled at three times the rate of children in
kindergarten through 12th grade (Gilliam, 2005). Not to mention, Gilliam (2005) reports that
African American boys make up 48% of all children expelled, yet they represent only 18% of the
children enrolled in preschool.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
10
Preschool suspension. The effects on preschool children of being suspended and/or
expelled are powerful. When preschool children receive such harsh punishment as suspension,
the consequences include missing the opportunity to learn developmental skills and a
compromise of their self-efficacy and self-esteem, both of which affect learning (NCCLR, n.d.).
Longer-term effects, according to Kunjufu (2011), show that 12% of African American boys are
proficient in reading compared to 38% of White boys; 80% of the African American students
identified as special needs students are boys; and 66% of students suspended are African
American boys. As a result, African American males compared to White American males are
more likely to live in impoverished conditions, drop out of high school and be unemployed
(Fergus, Noguera, & Martin 2014).
The Effect of High-Quality Preschool Programs on the Achievement Gap
Research suggests that a high quality program enriched with a nurturing environment
during the most critical period of any child’s development can mitigate the consistent widening
of the school readiness gap between African American boys and their White peers (California
Department of Education [CDE], 2008). The key factor to prevent the gap is access to early
education programs, specifically in low socioeconomic areas, where children are in dire need of
remedies to offset their conditions as at-risk children. The research suggests that when children
have access to early childhood programs chances are their development influences their behavior
later in school (Henderson & Strain, 2009). For some children, specifically those who are at risk,
present undesirable behavior is a major roadblock to maximizing their development in the early
childhood setting. When young children display challenging behavior predictions they will
underperform academically and face difficulties socially.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
11
Opportunity gap. According to The National Center on Cultural and Linguistic
Responsiveness (n.d.), the term opportunity gap is defined as the disparities in educational
opportunity associated with race, ethnicity, class, commonwealth, and other factors. In contrast,
the achievement gap refers to disparities in reading and math test scores for school-age children
and school readiness skills for preschool children, both cognitively and socially (Henderson &
Strain, 2009; Fergus et al., 2014; Howard, 2010). The concept, opportunity gap, places
accountability on early childhood educators and settings and less on the children.
Positive teacher-child interaction. Central to the concept of the opportunity gap are the
resources provided by the early childhood program, most notably the quality of instruction.
Research suggests that a core component of effective preschool instruction is the creation of a
solid teacher-child relationship (Garner & Waajid, 2012). It is primarily through this
relationship that a child’s socialization and emotional skills are built (Garner & Waajid, 2012).
When teachers are not held accountable for building an optimal teacher-child relationship,
greater are the chances that children will adopt a negative attitude towards school and begin to
display undesirable behavior in the classroom (CDE, 2008). According to the California
Department of Education (CDE, 2008), any child who is not developmentally ready for school
will have challenges adapting to the demands of elementary school and fall behind academically.
Furthermore, when children are lacking socio-emotional and academic skills, greater are the
chances of a long school career of suffering with low self-esteem, and poor relationships with
peers and other adults (Koblinsky, Kuvalanka, & Randolph, 2006).
Low socio-economic status and school readiness. Undoubtedly, there is a persistent
school readiness gap between children in urban, low socio-economic, circumstances and their
peers from more advantaged areas (Araujo & Strasser, 2003; Howard, 2015). The school
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
12
readiness gap is ever present in early math, literacy, and socio-emotional skills that are needed to
adapt to the academic demands of an elementary school. In fact, the very children and families
served by the Pyramid Unified School District’s Early Education programs are families who are
at or below 70% of the state’s median income (PUSD website, 2016).
Research reveals that there are major components impacting a child’s overall
development and cognitive skills, which are the home environment, including income status, and
whether or not a child has attended a high quality preschool program (Isaacs, 2012). Although
research suggests that the home environment plays a significant part in a child’s development
and academic success, studies reveal that attending a high quality preschool program can lessen
the impact of living in low socio-economic conditions. Therefore, being introduced to early
learning foundations and school settings improves the development of the child who is at risk of
being developmentally delayed. In addition, when children and their families participate in early
childhood programs, often they develop a positive attitude and connection to school (CDE,
2008).
High quality support in preschool. The emotional development of a child is
compromised when there is a lack of emotional support from the adults that children first
encounter in their earlier years (Raver & Knitze, 2002). When children are not provided high-
quality emotional support, they are often culminating on to kindergarten and lacking the skills
needed to be resilient, confident and able to adjust to a kindergarten program. Likewise, when
children are delayed at developing socio-emotional readiness skills, they are likely to have
problematic behavior in school settings, receive harsh discipline and possibly get suspended.
Therefore, it is relevant for scholars in the field of early childhood development to evaluate the
degree to which preschool teachers provide quality teacher-child interactions with all children in
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
13
relationship to meeting the needs of all children in their classrooms. The PUSD is one of the
largest districts in the nation and services most of the city’s disadvantaged families. In addition,
PUSD hosts a larger number of preschool settings than any other district. Therefore, chief
responsibility is placed on the early education division to prepare teachers to ease the
complexities that elementary and secondary teachers face when children enter schools with
deficits.
The focus of this study is to explore the role of early education teachers in the
development of socialization and emotional readiness skills for urban African American boys
attending PUSD early education programs. If teachers do not develop meaningful relationships
with urban African American boys during preschool, elementary and high school, those students
may experience feelings of disconnect and not belonging, and as discussed earlier, begin
engaging in anti-social behavior and poor academic performance, resulting in suspension,
retention, or expulsion (Kunjufu, 2011; Noguera, 2009). For example, 5,000 children are
expelled from preschool annually and 90% are male (Kunjufu, 2011). According to recent
findings from the California County of Education, teachers who are ineffective at providing
emotional support, sensitivity, and a regard for all students, deny children the development of
optimal socio-emotional school readiness skills to function in kindergarten. The National Center
on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (n.d.), Howard (2015) and Kunjufu (2011) suggest
that teachers who attain knowledge and skills of relevant pedagogical practices and different
learning styles of their students may promote better classroom interaction and engagement
between teachers and African American boys.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
14
Historical Overview of Legislative and Legal Decisions Impacting Black Children in the
Public School System
Government intervention has been instrumental in influencing the opportunity for
academic growth and development of African American children in public school systems. As
early as 1954 to 2000, courts have made decisions on behalf of underprivileged and
disadvantaged children of color. The outcome of many cases mandated states to end unfair
practices in public school systems. Laws to provide equality and equity for all individuals who
are entitled to free education guided public schools. Prominent cases such Brown v. Board of
Education, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873 (1954) and Williams v. San Francisco
Unified School District, 340 F. Supp. 438 (N.D. Cal. 1972) forced public schools to allow
minority children the same opportunity to be educated with quality instructional materials,
quality teachers, and safe and adequate school facilities. The outcomes of the two cases allowed
disadvantaged students an opportunity to have access to a learning environment enriched with
academic rigor. Indeed, receiving a quality education similar to that of their socio-political
privileged counterparts, allowed African Americans to become job competitive and college ready
(Williams, 2005).
Legal Impact on the Education of Black Children
The decision from Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed.
873 (1954) impacted the public education system by providing equal access for African
American children, in particular. Many motivating factors led early civil rights leaders to pursue
ending segregation in the southern region of the United States. According to Boozer, Krueger,
and Wolkon (1992), from 1890 and 1910, the public schools that African American students
attended were in relatively poor condition compared to those attended by White students. To
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
15
explain, the quality of a school’s condition was determined according to the expenditures per
student, average class size, and the length of the school term (Boozer et al., 1992). In fact,
research reveals that the gap in race and school quality is linked to the gap in earnings between
Black and White workers (Boozer et al., 1992).
Although the outcome of the Brown decision changed the conditions for both African
American and White Americans in public education, there are two specific outcomes exposing
“separate but equal” as inherently unequal. First, the Brown decision exposed that segregated
schools meant those attending schools for African Americans were attending schools with fewer
instructional materials and resources, and differences in pupil-teacher ratio. As a result, students
who had limited to no access to instructional materials and those who were deprived of a
sufficient amount of pupil-teacher interaction received poor quality education and failed to
develop skills to successfully navigate through college and/or be competitive in the job market
(Williams, 2005).
Race, ethnicity, and educational accountability. Monumental cases have influenced
public school districts to design accountability systems that provide equity and equality for all
students’ academic achievement. Over time, a persistent disparity in the academic success and
attainment between marginalized and White students and between those from higher-income and
lower-income families is the recent driving force to create accountability systems (Beneke &
Cheatham, 2015). Over time, accountability systems expanded to monitor public education
agencies and their responsibility to teach students both cognitively and socially (Stecher, Kirby,
Barney, Pearson, & Chow, 2004). Accountability systems additionally include monitoring
school building and safety codes, teacher certification, student textbooks, teacher-child ratio and
mandated state and federal government programs. Nonetheless, the decision from Brown v.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
16
Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873 (1954) was the landmark case
that first attempted to close the achievement gap between White and Black children.
Racial trends in school systems have caused certain groups of students to feel isolated
and inadequate which in turn caused these students to have negative attitudes towards school
(Fergus et al., 2014). Schools that intentionally or unintentionally ostracize certain groups of
children continuously perpetuate the widening of the achievement gap due to lack of knowledge
of cultural relevant practices, lack of understanding of African American male learning styles,
and the lack of motivation to reflect on one’s own cultural values and beliefs (Howard et al.,
2013; Kunjufu, 2011). A prime example of the results of certain populations of students who felt
that the public education systems failed to meet their overall academic need is the Williams v.
San Francisco Unified School District, 340 F. Supp. 438 (N.D. Cal. 1972). The Williams Case
brought forth legal mandates for school districts in California to create an accountability
structure that reinforces the expectation that all schools provide effective instructional materials
for each student.
In 2001, under the Bush Administration, an initiative, No Child Left Behind, was created
in an attempt to address a national concern for low academic achievement and the consistent
widening of the achievement gap between races and ethnicities (Darling-Hammond, 2007). The
law intended to assist those who are performing at a low standard; however, the law hindered the
very students whom the law intended to help. In 2010, a new initiative, Race to the Top,
provided financial resources, instructional coaches, and professional development, which can
possibly address some concerns of equity in school systems for those students who are
persistently falling behind.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
17
Teacher-child interactions. The CDE (2008) suggests that the goal for preschool
children is to learn how to behave appropriately so that they are cognitively and socially school
ready. There are identified foundations for growth in social-emotional development which
include: self-awareness, self-regulation, cooperation and responsibility, social and emotional
understanding, empathy, caring, interactions with peers, friendship, group participation, initiative
in learning, attachments to parents, close relationship with teachers and caregivers, and
interactions with familiar adults (CDE, 2008). Acquiring these competencies is quite different
from developing competencies for reading and math (CDE, 2008). Within the PUSD early
learning programs, services are provided for some of the most diverse children in the state of
California. Teachers who work with at-risk children need to be skilled and knowledgeable in
preparing culturally-relevant activities that meet the needs of the various levels of development if
those children are to succeed (Koblinsky et al., 2006).
Again, quality programs for preschoolers encompass many factors. However, there are
basic components that researchers commonly find best to support the development of preschool
children. The recipe for quality programs incorporates the knowledge of families’ cultures,
intentional teaching, family engagement strategies, and teacher-child relationships (NCCLR,
n.d.). Research suggests that teachers who lack the ability to implement positive teacher-child
interactions, at the earliest stages of development for children hinder children from developing a
positive attitude towards school. The California Department of Education (CDE, 2008) reports
that preschool children develop strong emotional ties with teachers in early childhood programs,
and although these ties are not exchangeable with the bond created with parents, the attachments
are similar (Henderson & Strain, 2009).
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
18
The magnitude of the teacher-child interaction is so great that researchers suggest that a
child’s ability to feel secure and supported is directly linked to the quality of his or her
relationship with the teacher (Emig, 2000). Children rely on teachers for confidence and
reassurance and want to avoid criticism and ridicule at all times (Emig, 2000). When a child has
on-going conflict with a teacher, a child is predicted to perform poorly academically and may
display challenging behavior years later (Kunjufu, 2011).
Organizational Mission and Context
The mission of the Pyramid Unified School District is to provide high-quality instruction
and a coherent and rigorous curriculum in every classroom to facilitate student learning and
achievement (PUSD website, 2016). The mission of the Early Education Division is to provide a
high-quality early education program to maximize school readiness (PUSD website, 2016).
The Early Education Division is centrally located at the central office of PUSD. To
achieve its mission, the Early Education Division offers seven different types of preschool
programs that service young children. The programs offered are: Early Education Centers,
California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-Safe), California State Preschool
Programs, Expanded Transitional Kindergarten, California Universal Preschool (CAUP),
Preschool Collaborative Classrooms, and Transitional Kindergarten. Early Education Centers
service families who are at or below 70% of the state median income and must be either
attending school for career readiness or a college degree. Additional qualifying requirements are
actively seeking employment, employed, homeless, and/or incapacitated. Most Early Education
Centers serve children from ages two through four years old.
The Cal-Safe programs are programs designed to service expectant and/or parenting teen
students and their infants and toddlers (ages six weeks to two-and-a-half years of age). The
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
19
program provides young parents an opportunity to complete high school while receiving high-
quality infant and toddler care for their children.
The California State Preschool Program is a three-hour, part-day, program for three- and
four-year-old children. These educational programs are housed at elementary schools where
children are engaged in appropriate curricula to develop skills for kindergarten (PUSD website,
2016).
The California Universal Preschool (CAUP) programs are part-day programs at
approximately 20 elementary sites that service four-year-old children. CAUP is funded by First
5 LA, established by Proposition 10 and operates 180 days per school year. The program
operates for 3 hours per day, five days a week and supports preschool children with school
readiness skills for kindergarten.
Preschool Collaborative Classrooms is an inclusive program at Early Education Centers
providing a least restrictive environment for four-year-olds with moderate to severe needs.
Lastly, expanded transitional and transitional kindergartens are both six hours, 180 school day
programs modeling the elementary classroom schedule. These programs are designed to provide
children who turn five years old between September 2nd and December 2nd with a high-quality
foundational early education program. The intent of these programs is to prepare children for a
successful experience in kindergarten.
The Organizational Goals to Remedy the Gap
Since there is an overwhelming focus on the academic achievement and overall treatment
of all marginalized students attending PUSD schools, the school district-based one of five
organizational performance goals, which is to achieve 100% graduation rate for the 2016-17
school year (PUSD website, 2016). By the same token, the Early Education division, in support
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
20
of the goal to achieve a 100% graduation rate, has created a comparable goal “to lower the
dropout rate and increase high school graduation rates by cultivating, at a very young age,
personal qualities that improve children’s resilience, confidence, and persistence to a task”
(PUSD website, 2016).
Organizational Performance Goal
The Early Education Division’s goal is that all early education programs will lower the
dropout rate and increase high school graduation rates by cultivating, at a very young age,
personal qualities that improve children’s resilience, confidence and persistence with a task. The
Executive Director established this goal because the School Readiness Language Development
Program (SRLDP) closed at the end of the 2014-15 school year. Since the closure of SRLDP,
Expanded Transitional Kindergarten programs have replaced the language development program
with an overall early childhood enrichment program that has been allocated $42.8 million dollars
(PUSD website, 2016).
The PUSD focuses primarily on mitigating the increase in high school drop out rates and
to ensure that all students are college prepared and career ready. For these reasons the Early
Education Division has created goals to address the organization’s problem.
The PUSD identified five organizational goals, which are to achieve 100% graduation
rate for the 2016-17 school year; proficiency for all; to ensure school safety; to increase parent
and community engagement, lower the dropout rate; and increase high school graduation rates by
cultivating at a very young age, personal qualities that improve children’s resilience, confidence,
and persistence to a task (PUSD website, 2016). For the purpose of this study, the researcher
chose both goals that address lowering the high schools’ dropout rate.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
21
Related Literature
Research suggests that three aspects of school readiness — cognitive readiness, social-
emotional readiness, and physical readiness — are significant predictors of a child’s future
academic success (Michlea & Michalca, 2007). Isaacs (2012) found that poor children in the
United States begin school at a disadvantage in early literacy and math skills, as well as in
emotional behavior. Furthermore, problematic behavior of young children in school is reported
as consuming 10% of the school day, disrupting the daily classroom operations (Isaac, 2012).
Yet, studies focused on early education centers servicing low-income young children suggest
that the rate of daily problematic behavior is 27% higher than the rate within preschool of more
affluent areas (Raver & Knitze, 2002). Ultimately, low self-esteem and lack of exercising self-
control in a child can cause behaviors of aggression and emotional difficulties, including anxiety,
depression, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Brooks-Gunn et al., 2010).
Importance of the Evaluation
It is important to evaluate the PUSD’s early education centers’ progress toward achieving
the performance goal of providing structured and unstructured opportunities for children to build
socialization and communication skills with other children and with adults. Likewise, it is
significant to gain an understanding on the degree at which the PUSD’s Early Education
Division is meeting its goal of providing a high quality early education program to maximize
school readiness as a strategy to obviate the disproportionate rate of marginalized students
dropping out of high school and meeting the overall organizational goal to achieve a 100%
graduation rate from high school. If the early education programs fail to meet their goal and
continue to provide mediocre emotional support, preschool children will be ill-prepared in social
and emotional competence, leading to a trajectory of disconnection to school beginning in
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22
kindergarten (Kunjufu, 2011). Therefore, evaluating the state of the organization’s performance
will allow the researcher to examine possible knowledge, motivational, and organizational
elements that may impede early education teachers’ ability to improve performance in
developing socio-emotional skills for all preschool children.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
There are several stakeholder groups within PUSD, including administrators, students,
and teachers, who contribute to the organization’s ability to achieve its mission and goals. The
district employs approximately 563 early education center teachers and 44 early education center
administrators, and has approximately 10,500 early education center preschool students (PUSD
website, 2016). The ethnic demographics of the district is reported as 72.5% Latino, 9.8%
White, 8.4% African American, 6.0% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, and 0.2% Native American,
and 2.7% other. The dynamics of such a culturally diverse school district provide an opportunity
to foster an environment that embraces different cultural perspectives and ethnic expressions
from all stakeholders.
The role and contribution of the early education center administrator towards meeting the
district goals is to supervise and coordinate all personnel assigned at centers and to maintain the
adult-to-child ratio. In response to managing student behaviors, administrators are to implement
a plan for School-wide Positive Behavior Support, which sets expectations for modeling
appropriate behavior for students (PUSD website, 2016). Students are to learn and recognize
challenging behavior as well as the consequences given for such behavior. Lastly, PUSD
expects school leaders to possess the ability to work successfully with all racial, ethnic,
linguistic, disability, and socioeconomic groups (PUSD website, 2016).
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23
Early education center students, as stakeholders within PUSD, receive age-appropriate
instruction to become successful at attaining school readiness skills upon entering kindergarten.
Furthermore, preschool students are encouraged to participate and contribute to an engaging
academic environment. By attending school daily, children contribute to their development of
school readiness skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration,
and creativity. Lastly, preschool students of the PUSD are responsible for participating and
maintaining a safe, healthy, sanitary, and respectful environment for all.
Early education center teachers within this school district are responsible for developing
school readiness skills for preschool children in academic and socio-emotional skills. Early
education center teachers are also responsible for managing student behaviors by adhering to the
school-wide positive behavior support plan. In addition, preschool teachers are to maintain a
developmentally age-appropriate environment where all classroom and outdoor areas are
academically engaging, well supervised, safe, and healthy. Lastly, early education teachers are
at the forefront of education for young learners and affect children’s learning. Ultimately, when
building relationships with children, teachers help children learn socialization skills, develop
self-esteem and to foster positive self-awareness and perception (CDE, 2008).
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Table 1
Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The Pyramid Unified School District will provide high-quality instruction and a coherent and
rigorous curriculum in every classroom to facilitate student learning and achievement.
The mission of the Early Childhood Education Division is to provide a high-quality early
education program to maximize school readiness.
Organizational Performance Goal
All Early Education programs will lower the high school dropout rates by cultivating, at a very
young age, personal qualities that improve children’s resilience, confidence, and persistence to
a task.
Stakeholder 1:
Early Education
Teachers’ Global
Goal
Stakeholder 2:
School-Site
Administrators’ Global
Goal
Student Global Goal
Preschool Children District Global Goal
By June 2018, 100%
of all early
education center
teachers will
improve at effective
teacher-child
interaction in the
area of emotional
support (positive
climate, teacher
sensitivity, and
regard to student
perspective) for all
children.
By June 2018, all early
education center
administrators will
support early education
programs by leveraging
Teachstone as a tool to
supervise and support
teachers with improving
the quality of interactions
between teachers and
students in preschool
classrooms.
By June 2018 all
preschool students in
early education
centers will improve
in Social Emotional
Domain of the
Desired Results
Developmental
Profile (DRDP).
By June 2018,
District will enroll
and train 80% of
early education
centers on the
Classroom
Assessment Scoring
System and
Teachstone to
improve and to
provide a high
quality of emotional
support for all
preschool students.
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Stakeholder Group of the Study
While a thorough analysis concerning all stakeholders is necessary to improve the
program quality of early education centers, teacher practices drive the children’s day-to-day
experiences for school readiness. Therefore, the focus stakeholder group for this study is the
early education teachers in early education centers. The early education teachers’ goals,
supported by early education center principals, are to improve the quality of teacher-child
relationships and become more effective at providing emotional support (positive climate,
teacher sensitivity, and regard for student perspective) for all children, specifically African
American males, on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which teachers in PUSD’s early
education programs are meeting the organizational goal of cultivating in children, at a very
young age, socio-emotional skills that improve children’s resilience, confidence, and persistence
to a task. Specifically, the study concentrates on the knowledge and skills, motivational and
organizational issues that facilitate or hinder teachers’ ability to engage in effective teacher-child
interaction. By gathering and analyzing data from both CLASS and DRDP assessment tools,
teachers are able to examine the findings of children’s social and emotional development along
with their ability to provide positive interaction with students. The project focused on teachers’
capabilities in utilizing the assessment tools’ Emotional Support Domain, which features three
components: positive climate, negative climate, and regard for student perspective to better
support and enhance the emotional competence.
The analysis focuses on identifying the knowledge, motivation and organizational issues
associated with the achievement of the organization and stakeholder goals that contribute to
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culturally-relevant pedagogy practices for all preschool children. While a complete evaluation of
the project would focus on all stakeholders, for the purposes of this study, the stakeholders
concentrated on are early education teachers in preschool programs assigned at various PUSD
Early Education Centers. The questions designed to steer the study were the following:
1. To what degree are teachers in early education programs meeting the goal of
providing African American boys with high quality emotional support to improve
their socialization and emotional development?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements that either help or
interfere with teachers achieving the goal of cultivating socialization and emotional
development in African American boys that improve resilience, confidence, and
persistence to a task?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the area of knowledge
and skills, motivation and organization resources?
Methodological Framework
According to Clark and Estes (2008), an organization can improve performance and close
performance gaps by increasing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of stakeholders.
Increasing knowledge by either gaining information, acquiring job aids, acquiring training, and
enhancing education, people will know how to achieve their performance goals (Clark & Estes,
2008). Secondly, motivation keeps individuals progressing through an individual’s active
choice, persistence and mental effort. Lastly, included in the framework is a focus on
organizational factors including policies and procedures that may impede the motivation of
teachers to meet job performance goals. After a complete study, evidence-based solutions will
be recommended.
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Definitions
Emotional Competence — A child’s ability to understand and be aware of his or her
emotional knowledge and self-regulation including both expression knowledge and situational
knowledge (Garner & Waajid, 2012).
Teacher-Child Interaction — The development of a warm, supportive, and nurturing
relationship between a teacher and child where interactions provide a foundation for learning
academic and social skills (CDE, 2008).
Organization of the Dissertation
There are five chapters in the dissertation. Chapter 1 identifies the purpose of the study
and provides a background of the problem, including key concepts and language relative to
issues surrounding early childhood and child development. The mission and goals for the
organization and chosen stakeholders were introduced. In addition, the conceptual framework
for the study was introduced. Chapter 2 offers a literature review concentrating on current
findings of key factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in creating positive emotional support
for children and for African American boys, specifically. Themes around socio-emotional
development, emotional support, adult-child interaction, and biases are introduced. Chapter 3
introduces the details and the methodology for collection of data and analysis of the participants.
Chapter 4 presents the results of the data collected and analyzed in Chapter 3. Chapter 5
suggests recommendations based on the findings presented in Chapter 4.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The purpose of this literature review is to identify from the research literature the
knowledge, skills, motivational and organizational factors that can help teachers meet the goal of
providing a high quality early education program to maximize school readiness for African
American preschool boys. Specifically, this literature review will examine common trends and
findings on the importance of teacher-child interaction and its impact on the socialization and
emotional development of African American boys in public preschool.
First, the literature review will describe the different knowledge types and how
knowledge influences relate to teachers’ ability to perform job related tasks on improving
African American boys’ overall development. According to Howard (2015), Noguera (2009),
and Nuri-Robins, Lindsey, Lindsey, and Terrell (2011), teachers’ motivation to recognize and
value culturally-responsive pedagogy and the learning and performance styles of diverse students
promotes a positive classroom atmosphere. By respecting the perspectives of all students,
teachers create a classroom culture that fosters emotional support for the unique needs of urban
African American boys in public preschools. Secondly, the literature review will pose
motivational factors, or the lack of, that may obstruct teachers’ value, perception, and
willingness to improve classroom practices that better serve the African American male
population. Lastly, the literature review will present organizational factors needed for teachers
to become better at positively impacting children’s overall development of socialization, self-
regulation, and self-esteem necessary to force through the academic rigor in elementary school.
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Conceptual Framework
This project used Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework. According to Clark
and Estes (2008), an organization can improve employee performance and/or close performance
gaps by increasing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of stakeholders. According to Clark
and Estes (2008), organizations should identify the causes of gaps before identifying the
performance strategies or programs required for improvement. Then, the researchers suggest
that organizations design improvement programs that align with the types of causes identified in
the analysis.
There are three integral aspects identified as causes of performance gaps. Clark and
Estes (2008) classify the three factors as: (1) employees’ knowledge and skills, (2) employees’
motivation to accomplish their goals, and (3) organizational barriers that may hinder employees
from accomplishing their goals. The first factor, knowledge, determines employees’
understanding of how, when, where, what, and who is needed to accomplish specific
performance goals. Some teachers are unfamiliar about what knowledge and skills are needed to
perform for their job tasks. Likewise, employees may be hesitant to admit their inadequate
feelings of not knowing how to effectively accomplish tasks. Therefore, Clark and Estes (2008)
assert that employers should assess what employees have or have not achieved over the past few
years as a measure to determine if the failure to achieve goals is due to knowledge barriers or
lack of skills.
Secondly, motivation, consisting of active choice, persistence and mental effort, is what
keeps individuals progressing toward the goal. Motivation, defined by Clark and Estes (2008), is
a psychological system that gets individuals moving and tells individuals how much effort is
needed to pursue and complete a task. The researchers further assert that when experienced,
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30
intelligent people lack direction, persistence, and energy to pursue a goal, they are unmotivated
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Lastly, included in the framework are factors that organizations have in place such as
culture, policies, procedures, and resources that work as barriers to impede or facilitators that
enable employees’ success. Organizational performance gaps may be caused by dysfunctional
work processes and limited or inadequate material resources. Organizations have systems and
processes that require the knowledge, skills and motivation of people to implement and adhere to
policies and guidelines. When organizations are challenged to accomplish goals, yet have a lack
of materials and resources and/or functional processes, chances of failure are high (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Factors
The purpose of this literature review section is to examine the knowledge, motivation,
and organizational influences and barriers that might impede or facilitate teachers’ effectiveness
with African American boys in early education programs. This section will analyze current
literature in terms of knowledge, motivation and organization types that are relevant to
performance goals and stakeholder performance gaps of early education programs in a large
school district in the United States. Furthermore, the reviewed literature is analyzed to
demonstrate factors that can influence the achievement of the goal to lower the dropout rate and
increase the high school graduation rate by cultivating, at a very young age, personal qualities
that improve children’s resilience, confidence, and persistence on a task by 2017 (PUSD website,
2016).
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Knowledge Types
Krathwohl (2002) asserts that there are four types of knowledge, framed as a revision to
Bloom’s taxonomy. According to Krathwohl (2002), researcher Benjamin Bloom created a two-
dimensional taxonomy of educational objectives, used as a system, to categorize and
communicate what students are intended to learn as an outcome from instruction. The essential
focus of the revised taxonomy is the same as Bloom’s original, which is to have a common
language to understanding the two structures of the system, which are the knowledge dimension
and cognitive process dimension.
However, Krathwohl’s revision added an additional factor in the structure of the
knowledge dimensions. He identifies the four types of knowledge as: conceptual, factual,
metacognitive, and procedural. According to Krathwohl (2002), factual knowledge is centered
on facts solely needed to solve a problem. He explained that conceptual knowledge is based on
the association between various aspects of theories and/or models. Conceptual knowledge is
based on organizing major concepts and knowledge to make connections, which can be acquired
through intentional and reflective learning (Krathwohl, 2002). Thus, factual and conceptual
knowledge coupled together are identified as declarative knowledge, which is defined as
information that an individual knows (Krathwohl, 2002). Procedural knowledge, on the other
hand, focuses on the details to perform tasks, and having the specific skills needed to perform a
task. Lastly, according to Rueda (2011), metacognitive knowledge involves being aware of
one’s thinking, thinking about strategies needed to solve problems and knowing when and why
to do a task.
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Teachers’ conceptual knowledge influences. The declarative knowledge, as an
influence, discussed in this section is factual knowledge. Declarative knowledge asks the “what”
questions. What is it that early education teachers need to understand and to know?
Teachers’ understanding of their impact on self. Early Education center teachers need
to know that positive adult-child interaction in a preschool setting is associated with a child’s
positive attitude towards going to school, higher self-esteem, and acquired socio-emotional
development (Rashid, 2009). They also need to know that a child’s perception of a teacher and
how they are treated by their teacher are directly related to the child’s own self-realization
(Kesicioglu & Deniz, 2014). Similarly, teachers in early education programs who acquire
knowledge about emotionally supportive behaviors, what these look like in practice, and their
impact on African American boys’ self-esteem, socialization and emotional development will
foster appropriate behavior norms for preschoolers. Even more, early education teachers’
awareness of the benefits to children and ways to interact with young learners improves overall
classroom climate and induces a productive classroom environment where African American
boys feel they can achieve.
Social and emotional understanding. Research suggests that successful early childhood
educators know that one of the most critical parts of their job is to understand social and
emotional concepts (Dalgas-Pelish, 2006). Over the past years, early childhood researchers
dispelled the concept of toddlers and preschoolers being egocentric. Recent studies reveal that
preschool children are concerned with others’ feelings and how those feelings compare to theirs
(CDE, 2008). Even more, preschool children who appear to have better social and emotional
perspectives tend to have better relationships with peers and adults (CDE, 2008). Preschool
children who demonstrate competency in understanding others are able to comprehend others’
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desires, intentions, and feelings. Teachers who know and are skilled at advancing social and
emotional theories will be able to guide children at identifying ranges of emotions.
Teacher procedural knowledge influences. Procedural knowledge is about knowing
how to accomplish a goal and/or task (Krathwohl, 2002).
Ability to implement a positive behavior system. Teachers who know how to implement
successful positive behavior systems and classroom management practices promote engaged
activities and academic rigor for all children. Particularly, African American boys who are often
labeled as more aggressive and defiant are more vulnerable to receiving harsher punishment than
other students. According to The National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
(n.d.), Howard et al. (2013) and Howard (2015), everyday teachers interact with African
American boys with assumptions created by media and mainstream society. Teachers may make
assumptions about African American boys’ behavior and capabilities. When positive support
systems are in place and implemented fairly, all children learn expected behavioral norms and
won’t feel isolated (Whaley, 1993). Teachers who know that there are pressures for African
American boys to be tough and masculine will be able to support boys’ learning styles and
behaviors. Teachers who are able to provide child-directed play or peer play, know that research
suggests that is a better learning context for this population of students (Kunjufu, 2011).
Teachers can effectively create classroom management systems that encourage fair
evaluation systems that will validate African American boys’ feelings. For instance, teachers
need to know how to cuddle, nurture and offer kind words when other children treat them
unkindly. According to Whaley (1993) even when the boys misbehave and or hurt other
students, teachers need to show them that they are fully accepted and a valued person in the
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
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classroom. Effective early education teachers would create a culture of care and respect for all
children to promote positive behavior and social and emotional development.
Effective classroom engagement. Having the skills necessary to include and engage all
students within the preschool classroom is significant. Teachers need to know how to assess
their classrooms and whether their class settings are designed to show respect for all genders and
races. A study was conducted on 61 Head Start teachers who were trained on improving their
skills in nurturing and promoting positive social and emotional behaviors in the classroom while
reducing problematic and disruptive behavior (Raver & Knitze, 2002). The researcher found that
there was a positive correlation between positive interactions with both students and parents over
a six-month period and participating in the teacher trainings (Raver & Knitze, 2002). Teachers
were able to think about conflict or difficult circumstances with African American boys and
reflect on strategies used and how to improve in the future.
Therefore, research suggests that successful teachers know that African American boys,
specifically in low socio-economic areas, are at risk of early school failure and feeling
disconnected from school as early as kindergarten (Jensen, 2009). Raver and Knitze (2002)
found that successful teachers make a special effort to ensure that African American boys are on
a positive school trajectory before they develop negative attitudes towards school and develop
undesirable behaviors.
Facilitating children’s self-regulation. Often times, preschool teachers have difficulty
meeting all of the developmental needs of approximately 24 preschool children in a class. The
research suggests that teachers need to be knowledgeable about current early education trends
and practices involving strategies to guide children’s ability to self-regulate and attain all social
and behavioral competencies. An effective preschool teacher needs to know how to observe
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
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individual children closely, model behavior and attitudes toward others, use appropriate child-
centered décor in the classrooms (Teachstone, 2014). Research asserts that self-regulation skills
are important for the attainment of school readiness skills because the ability to control impulses
aids in the ability to pay attention in the classroom (Teachstone, 2014). In fact, research also
concludes that preschool children, who are able to pay attention as young learners, achieved
higher scores on math and reading in elementary school.
Facilitating a positive classroom climate. Teachers need to establish positive classroom
climates by maintaining positive behaviors such as: smiling, laughing, hugging, holding hands,
and showing enthusiasm (Teachstone, 2014). Also, teachers model respect and appreciation in
the classroom when they listen attentively to what each child says and respond respectfully.
Engaging in positive conversations and back and forth dialogue with children allows children to
spend time with teachers while learning how to converse positively with adults (Teachstone,
2014). Finally, teachers need to know how to demonstrate respect toward children by
positioning themselves at children’s eye level, listening when they speak, and treating all
children fairly.
In addition, teachers who are effective in the classroom are able to provide experiences
where children enjoy interactions with adults and peers. When children are able to find
enjoyment in working closely with adults that are familiar, children are most likely to share their
thoughts or feelings, follow instructions, ask for help, and play well with others. Thirdly,
teachers need to know that preschool children learn how to respond with concern when they see
others troubled and upset. Lastly, when children are confused as to why others are upset, they
often wonder how others’ feelings affect them and teachers need to know how to teach emotional
competency during this situation.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
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Teacher strategies to promote sensitivity in the classroom. Teachers need to observe
children who need additional support and offer it to them. When teachers are in tune with their
students, they observe when children are bored because the instruction is too complex or not
challenging. A skilled teacher adjusts the experience according to the need of the child (Emig,
2000; Teachstone, 2014). Teachers also need to think about and ask questions about classroom
activities such as: can all children see the book during reading time; children wandering in no
particular learning area; or is she/he sensitive in addressing the problem when a child has a
toileting accident (Teachstone, 2014). Lastly, teachers need to identify both verbal and
nonverbal behavior that may appear cold to children.
According to Teachstone (2014), teachers show regard to students’ perspective when they
intentionally focus on children’s interests, motivations and opinions. An effective teacher has
the skill to develop a child’s independence by assigning them important roles in the classroom,
encouraging leadership, and allowing them to talk, move, and make choices and decisions.
When teachers know the importance of developing such skills in children, they are aware that
children will become more independent and involved in their own learning.
Teacher regard for student perspective. Teachers can show regard for all children’s
perspective in various ways. Teachers who consistently emphasize children’s perspective
actively seek out and listen to children, are flexible, go with the flow of children’s ideas and
create activities driven by children’s interest. For example, if children were intensely studying
the spiders outside, the teacher would read books and nursery rhymes on spiders. When teachers
are concerned with meeting the perspectives of all children, children are provided with
responsibilities, are free to move and engage, and have choice at intentional play (Teachstone,
2014).
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Teacher knowledge of best teaching strategies. According to Aguinis and Kraiger
(2009), better performance and consistency are the results of enhancing teachers’ ability to
improve their instructional and classroom management skills. Ultimately, it is vital to the overall
academic success of all preschool children for teachers to have knowledge of best teaching
practices and positive engaging strategies to foster high esteem and social emotional readiness
skills for all children who are entering grade school. There are very detailed skills needed to
adapt to the rigor of elementary school. With the appropriate developmental activities provided
by a competent teacher, chances are greater that children will feel skilled enough to endure the
transition from preschool to kindergarten (Layzer, 2008).
Fostering positive adult-child interaction to enhance self-esteem. Preschool children
enjoy interacting with adults who they know accept them and show that they care. Teachers
need to know and need skills in sharing their thoughts and feelings with preschool children.
Also, teachers need to encourage children with cooperative play, problem solving, following
instructions, and asking for assistance so that they develop social interaction skills. Teachers
who are able to develop these skills know how to respond positively to children and are
enthusiastic when children take risks and initiative. Effective teacher practices in the preschool
setting such as modeling respectful communication, coaching children while interacting with one
another, and encouraging children to share their experiences and ideas, develops social skills
needed to be competent in elementary school classrooms.
Teacher metacognitive knowledge influences. Metacognitive knowledge refers to
one’s awareness and control of their learning process (Baker, 2006). In other words, Baker
(2006) defines metacognition as one’s thinking about thinking. This type of knowledge
influence involves an individual’s cognizance of how he or she learns, how he or she
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
38
accomplishes tasks, and how he or she thinks about tasks. Included with this type of knowledge
is a control component (Baker, 2006). Baker (2006) further suggests that the control factor
assists in one’s ability to monitor his or her progress at completing a task and to change
approaches to accomplishing a task when faced with obstacles.
Teachers’ metacognition on African-American boys. The importance of early education
teachers being aware of their own thinking on providing emotional support in the classroom is
vital for the short- and long-term academic and developmental outcomes for African American
boys. Research reveals that teachers who focused on the enhancement in self-esteem on children
during early childhood aided in preventing poor health behaviors, poor academic performance
and consequences caused by nonstandard social behaviors (Dalgas-Pelish, 2006). At the same
time, it is important that teachers reflect on their knowledge, cultural beliefs, and perceptions of
African American boys, specifically of those who come from low socio-economic status.
There are persistent historical concerns focusing on the psychosocial adjustment of
African American boys to mainstream America. Teachers must reflect on their personal views
and perceptions of this population of students. If the relationship between a child and his or her
teacher sets the foundation for learning and attitude towards school, teachers’ reflection on the
effectiveness of their positive learning environment and culturally sensitive instructional
practices is key to their performance goals (Garner & Waajid, 2012).
Teachers’ metacognition on self-regulation. A child has developed self-regulation skills
when he or she is able to manage their emotions and attention, social behavior, and emotion-
related activities (CDE, 2008). Teachers need to be cognizant of their thinking and ability to
foster a classroom environment where children are taught how to gain self-control of impulsivity.
Preschool children, in early childhood centers, require access to opportunities that will encourage
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
39
self-regulation growth when having to choose more careful and deliberate behavior over
impulsivity. Teachers need to be intentional on self-regulation skills since research reveals that
school readiness is determined by a child’s attainment of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional
self-control (CDE, 2008). Again, research states that the achievement of self-control is a
predictor of how well a child will learn reading and math skills in the classroom (Garner &
Waajid, 2012).
Table 2 describes the assumed knowledge needs for the declarative, procedural, and
metacognitive knowledge influences.
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Table 2
Assumed Knowledge Needs of Teachers
Assumed Needs Related Sources
Knowledge: Conceptual, Procedural, and Metacognitive Garner and Waajid (2012)
Raver and Knitze (2002)
Teachers need to know the concepts of social and emotional
development and the relationship to academic achievement.
Teachers need to know the importance of their role in positive
adult-child interactions.
Goette, Huffman, Meier, and
Sutter (2012)
Rashid (2009)
Lord and Kanfer (2002)
Teachers need to know how to respond to African American boys’
specific developmental needs to develop their identity to self in
relation to others.
CDE (2008)
Dalgas-Pelish (2006)
Krathwohl (2002)
Teachers need to understand how to develop social and emotional
understanding in preschool children.
NCCLR (n.d.)
Whaley (1993)
Jensen (2009)
Teachers need to know the concepts of social and emotional
development and its relationship to academic achievement.
Raver and Knitze (2002)
Teachstone (2014)
Teachers need to have the ability to implement a positive behavior
system.
Teachstone (2014)
Teachers need to create effective classroom engagement strategies
to develop relationships and social interactions with peers.
Emig (2000)
Teachers need to know how and what to do to facilitate boys’
learning of self-regulation skills.
Fergus et al. (2014)
Teachers need to know how to facilitate a positive classroom
climate.
Aguinis and Kraiger (2009)
Layzer (2008)
Teacher need to know strategies to promote sensitivity in the
classroom.
Rashid (2009)
Teachers need to understand how and know why they implement
practices in regard for male student perspective.
Teachers need to have knowledge of best teaching strategies to
build relationships and social interactions between African
American boys and familiar adults.
Teachers need to know ways of fostering positive adult-child
interactions to enhance African American boys’ self-esteem.
Kunjufu (2011)
Howard (2003)
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41
Teachers’ Motivation Influences
Motivation is an internal process that contributes to the effort that an individual puts forth
to be successful in goal-directed behavior (Mayer, 2011). According to Clark and Estes (2008),
there are three motivation characteristics of work performances. These characteristics may
influence or cause performance gaps. Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that characteristics of
motivation appear as the choice to work towards accomplishing goals, persist on the task to
achieve the goals, and to determine the amount of mental effort needed to invest on achieving the
goals. Subsequently, motivation is an internal gauge that tells an individual how much effort is
required to accomplish a task. Furthermore, Mayer (2011) explains that academic motivation
works in five parts to perform and meet goals. These five parts of motivation are based on
interest, beliefs, attributions, goals, and social partnership (Mayer, 2011). These five parts of
motivation also work together for individuals to accomplish workplace tasks and goals (Mayer,
2011). The motivational elements are not factors determining whether an individual has the
knowledge to complete a task, but whether or not the person is motivated to apply that
knowledge. If one is not motivated to do a task, which motivation influencers are possibly
impeding the accomplishment?
Teacher emotions as a motivational influence. According to Lord and Kanfer (2002),
emotions in the workplace refer to the experience of pain, anger, and joy in the short term and
are often related to a specific mood. In contrast to mood, emotions are not long lasting, are less
drawn out, and are associated with specific stimuli (Lord & Kanfer, 2002). Emotions have
specific roles in motivation. Lord and Kanfer (2002) suggest that depending on an
organizational event, an individual’s differences and emotional reactions can determine how
committed he or she will be to achieving organizational goals. The emotional process connects
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42
to accomplishing both short-term and long-term goals in the workplace (Lord & Kanfer, 2002).
An individual in the workplace may show differences in controlling different emotions, such as
anger, boredom, and pain, than those who are able to manage feelings and perform job duties and
tasks. These differences of emotions play a major factor in the sustained attention and effort at
accomplishing goals (Lord & Kanfer, 2002).
The emotional and motivational process is critical in determining how one feels about a
task, whether they enjoy it, feel anger, or are bored. Consequently, these factors may possibly
affect job performance. If there is a lack of motivation because of emotional barriers, teachers
will feel indifferent to supporting African American boys’ emotional needs and development.
Equally, if there are emotions of enjoyment attached to teachers’ learning about cultural
proficiency, cultural sensitivity, and culturally relevant pedagogy to enhance equity in the
preschool classroom, teachers will acquire knowledge and skills to maximize the cognitive and
socio-emotional growth of all children. Besides, teachers who understand the importance of
positive emotional expression while facing the challenges of supporting underrepresented
students contribute to achieving work goals (Bono, Foldes, Vinson, & Muros, 2007).
Teacher stress and anxiety in the workplace. Occupational or workplace stress is the
effect on a person due to the demands of job-related expectations, duties and responsibilities.
The teaching profession is reported as being one of the top two stress-producing professions
(Hughes, Luo, Kwok, & Loyd, 2008). Hughes et al. (2008) reports that high absences, teachers’
performance and personal feelings toward children may be directly related to workplace anxiety
and stress. Kyriacou (2011) asserts that teachers’ stressors are unpleasant experiences and
negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, tension, frustration or depression, resulting from some
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facet of their work as a teacher. At the same time, research reveals that organizational change
and shifting goals can cause stress and anxiety in the workplace (Lord & Kanfer, 2002).
Clark and Estes (2008) assert that negative feelings such as anger and depression surface
when employees focus on the past and not on future goals. When demands are placed on
teachers without support from the organization, there is a risk of misplaced frustration being
placed on children. School districts need to provide resources, training and support to rid
negative feelings (Clark & Estes, 2008). Teachers who are engaged and involved in making and
modifying policies are more likely to improve classroom instructional practices.
Early education teachers’ approach to accomplishing the goal of improving the
effectiveness of their teacher-child interactions in the area of emotional support (positive climate,
teacher sensitivity, and regard for student perspective) for all children by 10% on the Classroom
Assessment Scoring System depends partly on how emotionally driven the teacher is towards the
goal. Teachers who feel inspired to focus on the plight of the African American boys in public
school systems will be more likely to persist and choose to meet the needs of these students
(Lord & Kanfer, 2002).
Teachers’ utility value as a motivational influence. Utility value theory refers to
decisions one makes about how a task fits into their scope of individual goals and plans (Eccles,
2006). Teachers should recognize the importance and value of efforts to improve on the
academic success and development of the most vulnerable students in their classroom. Eccles
(2006) suggests that, for example, if teachers have individual goals of scoring high on the
Classroom Assessment Scoring System in the Emotional Support Domain, then improving at
overall teacher-child interaction and implementing inclusion strategies for African American
boys is of value. To explain, teachers will be motivated and make an effort because of their
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related personal goal to achieve. There are three components of human need, as identified by
Eccles (2006) that impact the value of any goal or task. The three human needs are the need for
competence, relatedness, and autonomy. In other words, in order for teachers to feel motivated
to complete job tasks and organizational goals, they must have the opportunity to experience
autonomy, social relatedness, and a feeling of competence.
Research implies that teachers feel disengaged because of the possibility and evidence of
failure (Eccles, 2006). It is for these reasons that motivational barriers can impede the
effectiveness of teacher-child interactions. Therefore, a teacher’s lack of skills may not be
causing a lack of effort. Often times, a lack of effort may be the result of a teacher perceiving
the task and goals to be of low value.
Teachers’ self-efficacy as a motivational influence. In this context, Bandura (2000)
describes self-efficacy as a teacher’s belief about his/her ability to gather cognitive, motivational,
and behavioral practices to achieve specific tasks. Efficacy plays a significant role with teacher
practices and functioning because it affects the way teachers perform in the classroom. A
teacher who perceives him/herself as having the abilities to pursue tasks feels able to implement
culturally relevant pedagogy that offers instructional activities that accommodate various
learning styles of African American boys. In this case, self-efficacy can be directly related to job
performance and the academic and developmental outcomes for African American male
preschoolers. Teachers who perceived themselves as highly efficacious have behaviors and
beliefs that trigger intentional and exceptional effort to produce successful outcomes (Bandura,
2000). Ultimately, teachers may need to feel confident and believe they can make a difference
for African American boy students in their classrooms.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
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Table 3 displays the assumed motivational elements such as the degree to which teachers
value diversity and feel capable of implementing culturally relevant pedagogical practices that
develop socio-emotional readiness for African American boys in their classrooms.
Table 3
Assumed Motivational Needs of Teachers
Assumed Needs Related Sources
Motivation (Emotion Theory)
Teachers may feel resentful about changing their current
practices to develop culturally relevant strategies and different
practices that better address the needs of African American boys
in public preschool.
Garner and Waajid (2012)
Gay and Howard (2000)
Kunjufu (2011)
Motivation (Utility-Value Theory)
Teachers need to reflect on their own experiences, long term
goals, values and cultural norms which cause biases towards
African American male students, in general.
Goette et al. (2012)
Lord and Kanfer (2002)
Rashid (2009)
Motivation needs (Utility Value)
Teachers need to find value and regard for African American
boys’ perspectives and culturally-related pedagogy.
Baker (2006)
Eccles (2006)
Fergus et al. (2014)
Kunjufu (2011)
Motivational needs (Self-Efficacy)
Teachers need to feel confident and believe they can make a
difference for African American boys in their classrooms.
Bandura (2000)
Eccles (2006)
Motivational needs (Self-Efficacy)
Teachers need to feel confident in their ability to use culturally-
relevant pedagogy in preschool.
Bandura (2000)
Eccles (2006)
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Organizational Influences
Culture is defined by Clark and Estes (2008) as the values, emotions, beliefs, processes,
and goals that are learned and developed by people from their family and work environment.
They further state that there are three aspects of culture within an organization: culture in the
environment, groups, and individuals.
Organizational cultural model. In an effort to meet the needs of all children in early
education programs, particularly African American boys, research suggests that districts should
emphasize urgency for at risk children and design accountability systems to assess improvement
for job performance associated with addressing the persistent low performance for African
American males (Rashid, 2009). The central office administrators within large school districts
often create the organization’s beliefs, visions, missions and goals for the organization that may
not align with the real problems that teachers face with students. When central office
administrators exclude various levels of stakeholders when creating goals, potential differences
of priorities and the misalignment of needs may create tension between what district-level
administrators want versus what lower-level stakeholders need. The misalignment of priorities
can lead to a failure to meet relevant performance goals (Stecher et al., 2004). In turn, if teachers
continue to fail at developing adequate socialization skills and emotional competency in African
American boys, districts will continue to spend more money on student academic intervention
and fail at increasing the high school graduation rate.
School culture and student achievement. According to Gallimore and Goldenberg
(2001), there is a need to produce more information about the link between culture and
achievement so that educators will know how to be more helpful to all children. In fact, over the
past years, research has focused on “The Cultures of Teaching” in both a sociological and
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anthropological view, in an effort to increase academic performance for all students and,
specifically, minority children (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Although there is persistent
national attention on school and teacher culture to improve the state of achievement for minority
students, research based upon school culture has enhanced the understanding of why educators
do what they do and act how they act (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Examining evidence
surrounding practical strategies that can improve organizational cultural models and settings is
relevant to improve productivity in the workplace. Also, examining trends in research may
reveal how organizations can positively affect what teachers believe and value. In the same
manner, current findings offer strategies to improve systems or policies that support teachers’
effort at meeting their goals.
School culture and school leaders. School leaders must model and set expectations for
teachers to meet the overall needs and effectively practice strategies to foster school readiness
skills for all children. Not to mention, leaders must be assertive and provide intentional
strategies that create a cultural model of change. According to Hendry (1996), developing
systems, other than skills and knowledge development, must be consistently practiced in order to
gain buy in of a cultural model change, when needed. The researcher further describes systems
such as rewards, appraisals, and reporting relationships, as ways to change the cognitive
structures of an organization (Hendry, 1996). For instance, consistent low test scores, low scores
on developmental assessments, poor parent participation, poor attendance of staff and children,
and ongoing low morale in the workplace are apparent evidences of a need for a workplace
cultural change. To reiterate, leaders are the key agents of change in a school setting and must be
able to initiate, sustain and know about andragogy to change cognitive and behavior structures in
the school setting.
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Organizational cultural settings on teacher effectiveness. Schein (2004) describes
cultural setting as the way groups share basic assumptions, patterns of doing things, and systems
in place that are believed to be reasonably working. A cultural model is shared values, beliefs,
and emotions in organization, whereas, cultural settings are shared practices and routines.
Hence, PUSD sets policies and procedures that drive the way some practices are implemented on
school sites. On the contrary, there are basic functions on school sites that have been exercised
and passed on by individuals who are currently working or have moved on. According to Schein
(2004), cultural settings are behavioral influences of how organizations approach goals and tasks.
To better create an environment to support teacher effectiveness on children, a leader must
implement site-based procedures and design training modules that will improve practices both
instructionally and operationally.
Proper teacher training will enhance knowledge and skills to implement an anti-biased
curriculum and instruction in the classrooms. Furthermore, according to Aguinis and Kraiger
(2009), teacher training is effective so that there will be an increase in job performance, and a
better understanding of best practices. In an effort to change current practices that are ineffective
at bringing children to developmental readiness to adapt to a kindergarten curriculum,
individuals must acknowledge the ineffectiveness of existing practices.
Accountability Systems to Support Organizational Goals
The approach to educational accountability has key features that are valuable for attaining
student outcomes. Stecher et al. (2004) identify these components of educational accountability
as performance or test-based, bureaucratic accountability, and professional accountability.
Accountability systems must have goals, assessments and consequences to be effective (Stecher
et al., 2004) at assisting organizations with meeting their desired performance outcomes (Burke,
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2004). Organizations, such as school districts, benefit most when accountability systems are
structured to meet the needs of its employees so that they are able to achieve their day-to-day job
duties and performance goals.
Bureaucratic accountability. Bureaucratic accountability is the process by which
district administrators (board members, superintendents, and/or chief instructional/operating
officers) set goals and develop procedures to make schools more efficient and stable (Burke,
2004). In the bureaucratic accountability model, central offices create and disseminate
regulations, policies, and standards for schools to comply with. Organization administrators
need to reinforce policies and procedures, if there are any, to promote positive and effective
interactions between African American boys with their peers and adults. According to Araujo
and Strasser (2003), it is important for teachers to know how culture shapes children’s learning
and attitudes about learning. The PUSD would best serve teachers with a system of incentives
and consequences that explicitly connects teacher performance such as: engagement,
differentiated instruction strategies, culturally relevant pedagogical practices and the impact
socio-emotional development for African American boys.
Professional accountability. Burke (2004) implies that teachers and administrators are
accountable to one another in the educational profession. Burke (2004) further suggests that the
professional model allows stakeholders within the organization to create their own procedures
and programs to reach the goals set by their superiors. The professional accountability model
emphasizes the importance of teachers and school leaders together being accountable to uphold
the professional purposes of the organization (Burke, 2004).
Likewise, the goals of the professional model are to sustain quality professionals and
monitor their adherence to required standards and certification. Using programs such as
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accreditation and academic audits to hold professionals accountable also forces teachers to
remain current on research and educational trends. In the event that professional standards,
certifications, qualifications, and practices are non-compliant, consequences such as penalties
and loss of credentials may apply. However, there appears to be a lack of accountability systems
that protect African American boys from being excessively suspended, referred to special
education programs, and given harsher punishments for undesirable behavior.
Resources. The district may need to provide resources such as district-wide professional
development to promote and improve knowledge, skills, and motivation for early education
teachers. Professional development can be an effective strategy to enhance teacher instructional
practices. Professional development defined by Bredekamp (1997) is the initial preparation and
learning experience created to improve knowledge, skills, behavior, practices, attitudes and
values of early childhood teachers. Professional development is an excellent strategy for
teachers to learn how to increase the overall school readiness skills of those children who are at
risk of academic failure. Preschool teachers who service children in the low socio-economic
communities, would best serve children when provided evidence-based research and new trends
to foster an association between their practices and what research reveals.
Research suggests that teachers need to be knowledgeable about current early education
trends and practices involving strategies to guide children’s ability (Teachstone, 2014) and
adequate training can develop teachers’ ability to promote children’s ambition to learn how to
communicate their thoughts, ideas, needs and feelings (CDE, 2008). Preschool teachers may
have difficulty addressing all of the developmental needs of each preschool child in a class.
Therefore, organizations that provide meaningful training focused on achieving desired
results and specific outcomes for African American boys clearly send a message that their
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academic success is a priority. It is imperative for organizations to provide training so that
teachers are effective at providing inclusive and relevant learning opportunities. In addition,
providing coaching on components of social and emotional development such as self-awareness,
self-regulation, empathy, caring and social interactions will aid teachers with strategies and skills
needed to help African American boys regulate feelings and become independent of teachers
guiding them.
Table 4 displays the organizational barriers and facilitators that may influence teachers’
ability to enhance the development and school readiness skills of African American boys in
preschool.
Table 4
Assumed Organizational Barriers and Facilitators on Teacher Performance Needs
Assumed Needs Related Sources
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Models)
Does the organization provide teachers with access to training and
implementing diversity and cultural sensitivity to effectively create
a positive and anti-biased climate (management and instructional
practices) in the classroom?
Aguinis and Kraiger
(2009)
Darling-Hammond and
Richardson (2009)
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Models)
Does the organization model and reinforce policies and procedures
that promote positive and effective interactions between African
American boys with their peers and adults?
Fergus et al. (2014)
Gallimore and
Goldenberg (2001)
Gilliam (2005)
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Settings)
Does the organization have appropriate accountability systems with
rewards and incentives in place that communicate that it values the
success of African American boys?
Beneke and Cheatham
(2015)
Rueda (2011)
Schein (2004)
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Settings)
Does the organization model and reinforce trainings that provide
teachers with access to trainings on how to observe and assess
growth or delays of a child’s socio-emotional development?
Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016)
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Summary
Early education teachers’ lack of knowledge about how to support the development of
socialization and emotional skills for young African American boys, as well as their detached
emotions and devaluing the state of African American boys in the educational settings are
possible causes for the existing school readiness gap. Possible causes of performance gaps
within the schools may be a lack of knowledge, skills and lack of enthusiasm and low value of
the task (Clark & Estes, 2008). In fact, such performance gaps adversely impact the school
readiness skills of African American boys and their trajectory of academic success (Kunjufu,
2011). Discovering the real organizational needs is the most vital step to improve workplace
performance and to orchestrate organizational change (Clark & Estes, 2008). In Chapter 3, I will
attempt to evaluate which of these factors, if any, emerge at the study sites.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this section is to examine the assumed knowledge, motivation, and
organizational elements that influence early education teachers in enhancing the socialization
skills and emotional development of African American boys. This chapter will outline the data
collection strategy and provide a description of the participating stakeholders. This chapter will
also include the types of data collections, instruments used, the data analysis plan,
trustworthiness of the data, ethics, limitations and delimitations.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of the project was to evaluate the degree to which early education programs
within the PUSD provide age-appropriate and meaningful teacher-child interaction between
African American boys to develop their socialization skills and emotional development. More
importantly, the project assesses the barriers to and facilitators of the teachers’ ability to increase
the school readiness skills of African American preschool boys so that they will be better
prepared to sustain academic rigor and social conduct in elementary school.
The questions designed to steer the study were:
1. To what degree are teachers in early education programs meeting the goal of
providing African American boys with high quality emotional support to improve
their socialization and emotional development?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements that either help or
interfere with teachers achieving the goal of cultivating socio-emotional development
in African American boys that improve resilience, confidence and persistence to a
task?
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3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
This study’s theoretical and methodological framework uses Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap
analysis, an analytical system to identify gaps between individuals’ performance goals and
current performance practices. According to Clark and Estes (2008), an organization can close
performance gaps by increasing the knowledge, skills, and motivation needed by stakeholders to
achieve the goal, and by removing any organizational barriers to their performance. There are
three identified knowledge influencers, declarative (factual and conceptual), procedural and
metacognitive. Early education teachers need to know the concepts of social and emotional
development and their relationship to academic achievement. While considered the experts on
age-appropriate practices and basic child development theories, early education teachers are most
likely capable of meeting student achievement goals by implementing culturally relevant
pedagogical practices to support diversity in the classroom and know why they should do so.
Secondly, early education center teachers need to feel confident that they can make a
difference with the African American boys in their classrooms. Teachers need to feel confident
that they can successfully implement instructional practices to support the learning preferences
and variations for African American boys needs. Likewise, early education teachers may need to
reflect on their own perceptions and beliefs about African American boys’ personas, abilities and
qualities. Lastly, there are possibly barriers within the organization that prevent teachers from
meeting performance goals. These barriers may be caused by a lack of or irrelevant policies,
procedures and professional development that addresses other students’ needs and not those who
are struggling to excel within the district.
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For this study, the required knowledge, skills, motivational factors and organizational
factors have been identified in Chapter 2 and on the Conceptual Framework chart (see Figure 1).
In this chapter, the process for validating those factors is described.
Figure 1. Knowledge, motivation, and organizational conceptual framework. Organizational
factors that influence motivation and/or knowledge that may cause teachers to develop positive
relationships with African American boys.
Assessment of Performance Influences
In an attempt to solve organizational problems that cause failure to meet performance
goals, the root influencers contributing to performance failures need to be identified and
assessed. Clark and Estes (2008) state the gap analysis is a process to measure current job
performance against the desired performance outcome and the skills, policies, and/or knowledge
needed to effectively achieve organizational goals. The gap analysis structure provides an
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understanding of the disparity between current levels of performance and the job performance
needed to improve the organization. Specifically, examining knowledge and skills, motivation,
and organizational needs that can help organizations accomplish short-term and long-term
organizational goals benefits all stakeholders within the organization (Rueda, 2011).
The gap analysis structure offers an approach to validate assumed causes of performance
gaps and not solutions. The problem of practice within an organization may be improperly
addressed if one makes incorrect assumptions about the causes and finds inadequate solutions
that fail to match the real causes of the gaps (Clark & Estes, 2008). Again, the purpose of this
study is to evaluate the assumed performance influencers based on the literature and collected
data findings.
Validation of Knowledge Performance Influences
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2009), interviews are necessary when researchers
cannot observe behaviors and feelings. For this study, interviews were conducted to gain an
understanding of the possible declarative, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge factors. To
advance understanding about the demographics of the participants and to rate their level of
confidence, surveys were administered online prior to the interviews. Interview questions to
assess declarative and procedural knowledge involved open-ended questions about what teachers
think early education teachers need to know about the concept of socio-emotional development
and its impact on child development and academic achievement. To further gain an
understanding about procedural knowledge, the researcher asked specific questions to collect
evidence of effective behaviors and practices that nurture and support African American boys’
development in the classroom, according to Kunjufu (2011). Early education center teachers
were asked open-ended interview questions to gain an understanding of their awareness and
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knowledge of the components of social and emotional development and their impact on school
readiness skills. Table 4 describes the assessment plans for each assumed influence.
Declarative (Conceptual) Knowledge
In Chapter 2, three possible knowledge types were discussed and the influencers related
to knowledge and those knowledge types categorized skills that could be impeding the ability of
teachers to meet performance goals.
In order to substantiate conceptual knowledge influences, early education center teachers
were asked to respond to interview questions (Appendix A) and observations (Appendix C).
Sample questions included:
1. Describe how you believe teacher-child interactions impact a child’s development of
socialization skills, if at all.
2. What knowledge and skills with regard to a child’s socio-emotional development do
you feel teachers need to possess?
In order to substantiate declarative (conceptual) knowledge influences, or lack of, that
may be associated with the level of teachers’ experiences (novice, intermediate, or veteran) in
early childhood development.
Procedural Knowledge
Early education teachers need to know that they should promote a classroom environment
where African American boys feel connected, comfortable and a part of an inclusive classroom
community. The ability to foster such a positive classroom climate provides students an
opportunity to learn and access a high-quality experience to maximize their growth and
development. According to Kunjufu (2011), boys learn best when engaged in physical activity,
movement and buildings, and hands-on learning.
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In order to substantiate procedural knowledge influences, early education center teachers
were asked to respond to interview questions (Appendix A) and observations (Appendix C).
Sample questions included:
1. What are ways in which you believe teachers can provide emotional support to
African American boys?
2. How would you describe the emotional support strategies you use when engaging all
students’ perspectives?
3. How, if at all, do you believe early education center teachers demonstrate their
awareness of socio-emotional child development when working with African
American boys?
4. What training and/or professional development, if any, is offered on improving
positive teacher-child interactions for African American boys?
5. How does your district provide support such as substitute coverage or registration
fees, if at all, by allowing early education center teachers to attend workshops on
concepts of socio-emotional development?
6. How often, if at all, are you invited to attend district-provided training to earn
stipends that are offered to elementary school teachers?
Metacognitive Knowledge
Teachers need to reflect on their thinking, challenges, and concerns regarding supporting
all students’ academic achievement. Teachers need to develop strategies to mitigate the
persistent dilemma of the African American boys in the public preschool systems.
Metacognitive knowledge is about teachers knowing why they do what they do and when to do
certain practices in the classroom.
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In order to substantiate metacognitive knowledge influences, early education center
teachers were asked to respond to interview questions (Appendix A). Sample questions
included:
1. To what extent are you engaged in gaining knowledge about culturally relevant
pedagogy?
2. How would you describe what you do and why you do what you do for the socio-
emotional development of African American boys?
Validation of Motivation Factors
The literature revealed possible motivational causes for the failure of early education
teachers to meet the needs of African American boy students in their classrooms. Emotion
theory explains that teachers may feel resentful toward the necessity to change habitual practices
and develop strategies and classroom practices surrounding the needs of African American boys
in public preschool. Some teachers may feel that having to provide multi-tiered instruction or
adaptations to preschool curriculum is stressful, therefore, causing anxiety. The second assumed
motivation influence is the utility value that would determine the beliefs and thoughts around the
capabilities and teacher expectations of African American boys.
Emotion
In order to substantiate emotion causes, early education center teachers were asked to
respond to interview questions (Appendix A). Sample questions included:
1. How do you think African American boys feel at this school/center?
a. What makes you think that?
2. We’re learning that many of our African American boys feel isolated at school.
a. How do you feel about that situation?
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3. How do you feel when you work with children who are different than you?
4. Research says that African American boys may need additional or different support
from their teachers. How do you feel about providing additional or different support
for African American boys in you classroom?
Utility Value
In order to substantiate utility value causes, early education center teachers were asked to
respond to interview questions (Appendix A) and document analysis. Sample questions
included:
1. To what extent, if at all, are equity and inclusion of African American boys addressed
and valued in your early education center? Explain.
Self-Efficacy
In order to validate the self-confidence and self-efficacy motivation causes, early
education center teachers were asked to respond to statements on the survey (Appendix F), as
following:
1. I consider myself an expert on cultural relevant pedagogy.
a. True
b. Somewhat true
c. I’m familiar with cultural relevant pedagogy
d. Absolutely false
2. As far as I’m concerned, all children learn the same way.
a. Yes
b. No
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3. I interact and engage with all children equally the same.
a. Yes
b. No
4. I know how to develop all children’s self-regulation skills.
a. Always
b. Sometimes
c. This is my challenge area
Validation of Organizational Factors
The assumed organizational influences for the performance gap with PUSD’s early
education teachers may be attributed to a lack of district-wide support, such as professional
development. There are possible barriers, such as lack of monetary incentives and/or salary
increases, that teachers may earn to attend trainings from outside agencies. These trainings
offered can enhance knowledge and improve skills to help meet job performance goals and tasks.
In order to substantiate organizational causes, early education center observations,
conducted with an observation behavioral tool (Appendix C) were conducted to find evidence of
diversity, information for parents, community resources and support. In addition, observations
were conducted to find evidence of support to parents, families, and foster care parents of Black
boys with challenging behavior and socio-emotional support. In order to substantiate
organizational causes, documents were collected to assess teachers’ assessments and opinions of
African American boys from the Desired Results Developmental Profile Assessment; Socio-
emotional development Domain for African American boys in their classroom.
Table 5 displays possible knowledge needs and strategies to determine if the assumptions
were validated.
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Table 5
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Assumed Influences Assessments and
Strategies
Assumed Influences Assessments and Strategies
Possible Knowledge Influencers:
Conceptual, Procedural, Metacognitive
Interviews and Surveys were conducted to
assess:
Teachers need to know the concepts of
social and emotional development and its
relationship to academic achievement.
What knowledge and skills with regard to socio-
emotional child development do you feel teachers
need to possess?
a. Is there specific knowledge and behaviors
that teachers need to enhance the self-
esteem for African American boys?
Teachers need to know the importance of
their role in positive Adult-Child
Interactions to enhance AA boys self-
esteem.
Can you share a situation that you can recall
where you’ve had to provide support for an
African American male student?
a. When, at all, did you realize that you
might have to develop strategies to
support African American boys in your
classroom?
Teachers need to know how to respond to
African American boys’ specific
developmental needs to develop their
identity to self in relation to others.
Teachers will be interviewed to gain an
understanding on the frequency of their effective
behaviors and practices that nurture and support
African American boys in preschool classrooms.
Teachers need to understand how to
develop social and emotional
understanding in preschool children.
What are ways in which you believe teachers can
provide emotional support to African American
boys?
How would you describe the emotional support
strategies you use when engaging all student
perspectives?
a. Were there staff trainings or team
meetings that offered strategies?
b. How have you developed strategies to
support African American males?
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Table 5, continued
Possible Knowledge Influencers:
Conceptual, Procedural, Metacognitive Interviews will be conducted to assess:
Teachers need to have the ability to
implement a positive behavior system.
What trainings and/or professional development is
offered to improve positive teacher-child interaction
for African American boys?
Teachers need to create effective classroom
engagement strategies that develop
relationships and social interactions with
peers.
How do you feel about African American boys feeling
isolated at school?
Teachers need to know how and what to do to
facilitate boys’ learning on self-regulation
skills.
How do you feel when you work with children who
are different than you?
Teachers need to know how to facilitate a
positive classroom climate.
How would you describe the emotional support
strategies you use when engaging all student
perspectives?
a. How have you developed strategies to support
African American males?
Teachers need to know strategies to promote
sensitivity in the classroom.
How comfortable are you with children who are
different in your classroom?
Teachers need to understand how and know
why they implement practices in regard for
students’ perspective.
How likely is it that there are discussions at your
school site and/ or district about the socialization and
emotional development of African American boys?
Teachers need to have knowledge of best
teaching strategies to build relationships and
social interactions between African American
boys and familiar adults.
Describe how you believe teacher-child interaction
has implications for a child’s development of
socialization skills?
a. Does the impact change or are there special
considerations when the child is an African
American boy?
Teachers need to know ways of fostering
positive adult-child interactions to enhance
African American boys’ self-esteem.
To what extent are you engaged in gaining knowledge
of cultural sensitivity?
a. Tell me more about to what extent are you
engaged in gaining knowledge about
culturally relevant pedagogy?
b. How confident are you with being able to
create an environment that is nurturing for
African American boys?
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64
Table 5, continued
Possible Motivation Influencers: Emotions, Value,
Self-Efficacy School Observations:
Teachers may feel resentful about needing to change
current practices to develop culturally relevant
strategies and different practices to better address the
needs of African American boys in public preschool.
Are there posters or flyers promoting diversity and
inclusion in the school?
Teachers may need to reflect on their own
experiences, long-term goals, values and cultural
norms that may cause biases toward African
American boys, in general.
Teachers may need to find value and regard for
African American boys’ perspectives and culturally
related pedagogy.
Are trainings offered for teachers on cultural
proficiency?
Teachers may need to feel confident and believe they
can make a difference for African American boy
students in their classrooms.
Are there behavior charts and incentive charts
posted in classrooms?
Possible Organizational Influencers:
Accountability Systems, Resources, Policies and
Procedures
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Models): Does the
organization provide teachers with access to training
on diversity and cultural sensitivity to effectively
create a positive anti-biased climate (management and
instructional practices) in the classroom?
Document analysis will be conducted to assess:
Attain evidence that shows teacher assessments and
opinions of African American boys from the
Desired Results Developmental Profile Assessment
took; Socio-emotional development Domain
(SED)for African American boys in their
classroom.
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Models): Does the
organization model and reinforce training that
provide teachers with access to training on how to
observe and assess growth or delays of a child’s
socio-emotional development?
School Observations:
Are there SED provided training announcements
and certificates of completion for staff?
Organizational barriers (Cultural Settings): Does the
organization have appropriate accountability systems
with rewards and incentives in place that
communicates, clearly, that it values the success of
African American boys?
Behavior charts present in the classroom. Student
roles and responsibility systems present.
Organizational Barriers (Cultural Models): Does the
organization model and reinforce policies, procedures
and training that promotes positive and effective
interactions between African American boys with
their peers and adults?
Evidence of assessments, student portfolios, and
other mandated procedures available.
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Site Selection
The site selection criteria were that sites have at least 60% African American children
and identified as urban low-socioeconomic schools, defined as schools receiving 100% free
lunch program. Early education centers must be within the large school district in United States
and service low-income families within the urban area. PUSD is situated in an environment
where children and families are conditioned to live and exist with unique structural barriers. The
students who attend these particular PUSD schools and their feeder schools are, historically,
marginalized, underachieve academically and live in low-income urban areas.
The early education centers selected were Wonderland Street Early Education Center
(pseudonym; six teachers assigned to the site), and Lambs Early Education Center (pseudonym;
10 teachers assigned to site). Both early education centers are within the Southern region of the
PUSD and meet the criteria as servicing low-income families, have 60% or greater African
American children enrolled, and feed into the major high schools in the urban area.
Wonderland Early Education Center
Five of the 10 participants in the study were at Wonderland Early Education Center.
There are school-district-provided early education programs and Head Start funded preschools in
the area. The center services families in the neighborhood including the local housing projects.
The student population consists of 85% English speaking children and 15% English Language
Learners. The total enrollment is 101 preschool children. According to the principal, several
programs are offered at the center such as: Teacher coaching from California Universal
Preschool Programs, Visions to Learn (free eye clinic), The D.A.D. (Daniel and David) project
to support male care givers with parenting skills, and parent-child intervention therapy.
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Lambs Early Education Center
Lambs Early Education Center is a large site that includes an Infant and Toddler
program, and a Mental Health and Wellness Center. There are 215 children enrolled in the early
education program. The student population consists of 55 English Language Learners and 160
English-speaking children. The program attracts families from neighborhoods who are generally
at low-income status. Lambs Early Education Center is the only preschool in the area designated
as a STEMS preschool program. There is collaboration with the local high school so high school
students participate in teaching early literacy by reading to infants and toddlers.
Participating Stakeholders
The specific stakeholder’s goal is to implement classroom practices that will lower the
high school dropout rate by cultivating, at a very young age, personal qualities that improve
resilience, confidence and persistence to a task (PUSD website, 2016). Three adult staff
members are assigned in the early education center class room at all times as mandated by the
State of California. The State of California’s Department of Education requires a specific child-
adult ratio in the classroom. Most Early Education Center facilities are licensed to provide care
for 24 children per class, which means that there is one teacher for every 24 students and an adult
per 8 children.
The term “early education teacher” refers to those who are credentialed as an early
education center teacher and who supervise the Early Education Center aides (PUSD website
2016). Of particular interest in this study is the degree to which early education teachers are
meeting designated goals to provide emotional support to African American preschool boys in
the area of emotional support (positive climate, teacher sensitivity, and regard for these students’
perspective). While a thorough analysis concerning all stakeholders is necessary, it was
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important to select the appropriate sample group for this study to inform the researcher of
possible barriers and influences that either facilitate or impede PUSD’s ability to meet both
performance goals (Maxwell, 2013). Maxwell (2013) asserts individuals, who are best able to
give information and insight to a research question, should be experts in the area in which the
qualitative study seeks findings. Therefore, for this study, the selected stakeholders for the
sample group were early education teachers who work in urban preschools settings within the
PUSD. The researcher identified participants as being one of three categories: novice teacher (1-
3 years of experience), intermediate teacher (3-10 years of experience), and veteran teachers (10
years of experience or more).
Purposeful Sampling Plan
Interviews
As noted above, this study used surveys, interviews, observations and document analysis
to gather data to answer the study questions. The sampling criteria and data collection strategies
for each are explained in this section. The researcher emailed (Appendix E) the principal,
assigned as administrator for both sites, for permission to facilitate an informational meeting to
introduce and promote the study and its purpose. The researcher sent a flyer (Appendix D) to
announce the meeting to invite and explain the study to teachers at the site. Potential participants
were allowed to sign up as a volunteer during the promotional meeting (Appendix B). If anyone
needed additional time to consider participation, or preferred to remain confidential, an email
address was provided.
The researcher was interested in selecting a diverse group of participants such as, five
African American teachers, five Latina teachers, and two male teachers. There were 10 teachers
as participants. As noted, the researcher was interested in surveying and interviewing between
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68
eight to 12 teachers, observing the school sites, and collecting documents from all who were
willing to share. Fifteen teachers attended the informational meeting, 10 from Lambs EEC and 5
from Wonderland EEC. Ten agreed to participate in the study.
Criterion 1. Participants must be early education general and/or early special education
teachers who have daily interaction with African American male students between the ages of
two and five years old. The purpose of selecting this sample group of teachers was to focus the
inquiry on their ability to provide emotional support, sensitivity for all children, and develop age-
appropriate strategies to teach socialization and emotional competency. Furthermore, sampling
early education center teachers informed the researcher of the knowledge, state of motivation
that impedes or facilitates best practices to develop socialization skills, emotional competency,
culturally relevant pedagogy to expand school readiness skills for African American boys.
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Participants must be early education center teachers who teach daily in
general education and/or preschool collaborative (special education) classrooms in the Pyramid
Unified School District with African American male students in their classroom.
Criterion 2. Participants must be the early education center teachers who volunteer to
participate in the surveys and either document analysis and/or interviews.
Observations
Criterion 1. Designated school sites must be an early education center with African
American male students between the ages of two and five years old. The purpose of selecting
these sites was to observe classroom settings and center environment that informed the
researcher of school norms, climate, and systems in place that welcomed diversity, offers
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69
community resources, parent workshops, social services, and information on teacher trainings
within and outside of the district.
Document Analysis
Criterion 1. Participants must be early education center general or special education
teachers that have daily interaction with African American male students between the ages of
two and five years old. The purpose of selecting this sample group of teachers is to focus the
inquiry on their ability to provide feedback, support and reports on their experiences with
behavior and socio-emotional development with African American boys in their classrooms.
Documents must address developmental stages of growth for African American male students
such as the ratings from the Desired Results Developmental Profile’s (DRDP) Social Emotional
Domain. Documents may include assessment ratings, anecdotal records, referrals for special
needs screening, and/or summary of parent conference summaries.
Criterion 2. Any participant involved in the interview and/or observations and willing to
share documents can submit assessment tools’ ratings, anecdotal observation records, and/or
parent conference summaries for data collection.
Data Collection
Interviews
The first data collection strategy was open-ended interviews. Interviews allowed the
researcher to understand the reasoning and perspectives of early education teachers and their
knowledge, values and perception. Interviews also helped the researcher gather information on
teachers’ beliefs and practices in their role of supporting the emotional development and
socialization skills for the African American boys. Interviews were conducted at the early
education center between the hours of 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm, at standard staff training hours for
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70
early education centers. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews in teachers’
classrooms, the school office, the staff lounge, Starbucks, restaurants and the researcher’s home.
Teachers were reminded that interviews were being recorded for accuracy and all responses
would be kept confidential and stored in a file cabinet designated for this research project.
Interview questions, created by the researcher, were designed to answer the research questions.
Survey
Quantitative data were collected on the participants’ experiences of classroom
interactions with African American male students in their preschool classes, their years of
experience as a teacher, and their ability and training background on developing the socio-
emotional development and skills of African American preschool boys. The survey (Appendix
F) was designed and administered to early education center teachers who met the survey
sampling criteria, which were:
Criterion 1. Participants must be early education center, general and special education
teachers that have daily interaction with African American male students between the ages of
two and five years old.
Criterion 2. Early education teachers who volunteered to participate with the interviews
and/or document analysis.
All early education center teachers were provided the opportunity to complete an online
survey on Qualtrics.com before the interviews. Survey data was collected using the Scale of
Teachers’ Early Education Experience Survey (STEEE) survey instrument (Appendix F), which
was developed by the researcher for the purpose of this study. Participants indicated their
agreement level for each of the survey statements. The Likert scale survey was used to score the
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responses from the STEEES survey in the areas of knowledge, motivation, organizational
influences and demographics.
Observation
The third data collection strategy was observations. The researcher received permission
from the principal to conduct as many observations as needed, per site, to look at different
classroom settings, parent bulletin boards, parent sign-in and out procedures, office
communication boards, and other related materials that alluded to school culture and norms. The
observations allowed the researcher to gather information, using the researcher-designed
observation tool (Appendix C), on the interactions between teachers and their African American
male children in a natural early learning setting. The observation instrument was designed to
capture what was said and done in three specific measures, classroom climate, teacher
sensitivity, regard for student perspective. Observations were conducted after interviews to gain
a better understanding on what practices, policies, and school cultural models were evident. Two
observations per school were conducted during the mornings and afternoons between 9:00am
and 4:00pm on various days. Also, the researcher briefly walked through classrooms to observe
the learning activities to get a snapshot of teacher behaviors that demonstrated sensitivity toward
all children and discipline strategies in the classroom.
During the observation, the researcher was a non-participant in the classroom setting
while noting classroom rules, student work samples, messages to parents, and communication
between staff. The researcher observed the classroom environment to see samples of children’s
work and any feedback given. The observer looked for staff newsletters, parent newsletters, or
any message regarding school norms focused on the socio-emotional needs of students. The
researcher observed systems in the classroom or center that identified children who demonstrated
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positive and/or challenging behavior for the day. The researcher was also interested in observing
child development classes for parents and staff.
Document Analysis
The third data collection strategy is document analysis. The purpose of the document
analysis was to gather information on what and how teachers measured the emotional
development and behavior of African American boys in their classrooms. Teachers who
participated in the survey and/or interviews were asked to submit one document for each of three
different African American males from their classrooms. The researcher collected findings from
the Desired Results Developmental Rating Scale, Social-Emotional Development Domain,
and/or any written anecdotal records offering an assessment on social interactions between
African American preschool boys, their peers and teachers, self-regulation skills and behavior.
The documents collected from four participants shared pre-screening for special
education notes and findings from the assessment measure Social-Emotional Development
Domain. Participants had autonomy to share the documents of their choice. Copies were
provided to the researcher who informed the participants that documents were filed
confidentially. Again, the document analysis helped the researcher gain information on the
perceptions and opinions of some of the African American boys’ socio-emotional development
in the classroom. The documents included the observed and assessed behaviors and
development along with initial screenings to provide support for teachers and families through
special education or other resources.
Data Analysis Plan
Merriam and Tisdell (2009) define data analysis as a method of explaining and giving an
understanding of all data collected. The data analysis plan is strategically structured to discover
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the findings and results from the various methods of data collection such as surveys, interviews,
document analysis, and observations for this study. To make sense of the data, there was a
process of narrowing the findings and results to specific themes. The common themes deriving
from the data collection were analyzed resulting in the variables of main opinions and
perceptions of early education center teachers and their role on the development of African
American boys’ socio-emotional development in public preschools.
The various methods of collecting data were analyzed by several methods. Phase one,
Qualtrics.com was used to administer and analyze the 11-question survey to get a baseline feel
for the participant group. The next phase, the open-ended interview questions were coded using
an open-coding method and axial coding process. Data collection from documents, anecdotal
records of African American boys’ behavior and prescreening for special education and ratings
from the Desired Results Developmental Profile student observations were used to analyze the
beliefs and perceptions of African American boys’ developmental needs, according to the early
education teachers’ open-ended interviews and teacher comments and ratings of their
developmental growth. During the third phase of the analysis plan, notes from the observation
tool collected during the observation were used to discover some of the schools’ cultural models
and settings pertaining to evidence that supported and encouraged on-going teacher training
offered by the district and other agencies, evidence of promoting an anti-biased curriculum,
messages to parents from teachers to support collaboration and other organizational influences
that support teachers’ role on developing socio-emotional development for all children.
The data gathering methods used in this study were designed to determine the possible
causes of knowledge, motivation, and organizational causes for early education teachers’ failure
to meet job performance goals. The survey, open-ended interviews, documents, and observation
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findings collectively gave similarities and differences among teachers. That allowed
interpretation as to what teachers understand and know or don’t know about socio-emotional
development concepts, strategies and practices, if at all, that enhance positive and engaging
classroom environment, and their perceptions on the developmental needs and issues of African
American boys in public preschool.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
The credibility, dependability and trustworthiness of findings from qualitative research
are often held suspect regardless of the methods and effort used to determine the validity.
Merriam and Tisdell (2009) state that to ensure credibility and trustworthiness, qualitative
research must be conducted ethically. Qualitative research is a people-oriented inquiry that
allows the researcher to establish closeness to the people and conditions. The researcher is able
to personally understand the complexity of the problem of practice associated with the study.
The findings from a qualitative study are more detailed, descriptive of people, settings, activities,
and interactions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2009). Lastly, qualitative findings must include direct
quotes from what participants say and what they write.
Creswell (2014) suggests that credibility can be examined from the viewpoint of the
participants, researcher and reader. Getting feedback from participants in the study (Miles,
Huberman, & Saldana, 2013) to review the findings is one method of testing credibility that the
researcher used for accuracy. The researcher must accurately describe the findings and ensure
that they are consistent with the participants’ perceptions, feelings, and recollection. Allowing
participants to check findings serves as a check and balance to ensure accuracy.
The researcher informed the participants that the study findings from the data collection
would be used to improve current teaching practices in the field of early childhood education and
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75
within the organization. Therefore, the audio recordings from the interviews were transcribed to
gain depictions of teachers’ perspectives, opinions, and knowledge on the role that teachers have
in children’s development. The researcher used the data from classroom observations, teacher
interviews, and document analysis to deliver to the field of early education an understanding of
possible biases, lack of knowledge, and/or organizational barriers between teachers and African
American preschool boys.
Role of Investigator
I am an early education center principal within the PUSD. I am chiefly responsible for
two early education centers in the South region of PUSD. My role as an administrator is to
supervise the instruction and overall operations at both centers.
It is vital that the participants (teachers) were aware that I conducted research as a student
and not as an administrator. Participants were made aware that the information from the surveys,
interviews, observations, and document analysis were kept confidential just as their participation
was voluntary. Participants were informed that I serve as an administrator within the district,
and would no use the information for evaluative purposes and their identity would remain strictly
confidential. Therefore, individuals were not contacted to participate. Only those who
responded to a general flyer posted in the staff lounge were chosen as the participants.
Ethics
The focus of my study was to find the meaning and understanding of influences and
barriers that inhibit early education teachers from meeting their performance goals. According to
Merriam and Tisdell (2009), qualitative research helps researchers learn of views, perceptions
and opinions to gain awareness and generalize the phenomenon being studied. As a qualitative
researcher, I intended to concentrate on a particular sample of teachers in the large school district
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76
in United States. In an effort to gather information, I observed and interviewed a sample of early
education teachers working in urban preschool programs. As an administrator with the
organization of focus, participants were made aware that by participating in the study there was
no potential threat to their job. The participants were assured that at no times would their
administrator have access to the gathered data. Equally important, the administrator was assured
that information gathered by participants was not used to evaluate their early childhood
programs.
According to Glesne (2011), information gathered from individuals as a method of
collecting data must be done ethically. Participants were offered an informed consent form to
sign that explained the potential risk involved in the study. The conversation entailed the
components of the study, if any, that could affect their well-being. By signing consent forms,
participants were ensured safety and were reassured that their participation was voluntary
(Glesne, 2011). Furthermore, the participants were made aware that their identities would be
kept confidential and they could withdraw from the study at any time.
In order to follow guidelines and to make sure participants were protected, I adhered to
the guidance of the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board whose major
function is to protect the participants.
Furthermore, to gain the knowledge and understanding of the problem of practice, I
conducted interviews with 10 early education teachers working in the school district. According
to Maxwell (2013), conducting interviews is considered an effective method of data collection
for a qualitative research study. To ensure that I conducted a valid study, teachers were asked if
permission was given to record their answers and input. Properly recording participants’
answers, having the recordings transcribed, and sending transcripts to participants confirmed that
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their words were not changed. In addition, participants’ interview findings were secured in a
locked file cabinet. To alleviate any possibility that teachers may feel coerced, incentives were
not provided. However, after the conclusion of the interview process, I sent thank you notes and
a gift card as a gesture of appreciation for participating in the study.
Limitations and Delimitations
Some possible limitations interfered with the study findings. First, the research was
limited because the teacher sample may not have been diverse enough ethnically and racially to
determine if race was a barrier for the socio-emotional development of African American boys
attending the public preschools of the study. To effectively study the experiences between
teachers and African American boys, years of experience may factor as a barrier. This study’s
participants were predominantly teachers who have taught between 10 and 15 years. Novice
teachers who are recent graduates from a teacher preparation program may have knowledge of
current trends and practices in early education programs. Therefore, future studies with different
levels of teaching experiences between novice and veteran teachers may benefit the possibilities
of improve the teaching profession. Also, the participants revealed cultural biases against low-
income families. Therefore, studies on cultural biases against low-income families and children
in preschool may benefit the field of early education and African American boys in urban
preschools.
Secondly, depending on the diversity of the participants, the views and perceptions were
according to African American female teachers. Again, future studies on gender biases between
female teachers and male students may benefit the early childhood development profession. This
study cannot be generalized as the entire understanding for early childhood educators in the field
of child development. The findings for this project interpreted the perspectives for the PUSD’s
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organizational problem of practice and not the entire field of early educators working in private,
parochial, and/or family day care centers.
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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to examine early education center teachers’ knowledge,
motivation, and organizational needs to achieve the performance goal of preparing preschool
children, specifically African American boys, with socialization and emotional competence
needed to succeed in the kindergarten through 12th grade setting. In addition, this study focused
on organizational factors that may hinder the support of early education center teachers from
meeting their performance goals. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to
collect data, clarify the purpose of the study, and to make decisions about the sampling
(Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2009; Miles et al., 2013).
The purpose of this chapter is to present the findings and discuss the extent to which they
validate the assumed causes in this gap analysis project. Specifically, surveys, interviews,
observations and documents were collected, as sources of data, to understand the knowledge,
motivation and organizational barriers teachers face in developing school readiness skills in
African American boys in public preschool (Maxwell, 2013).
Chapter 2 provided a review of literature of early childhood development research and
culturally relevant theories. The findings in the review of the literature highlighted the
importance of teachers’ ability to cultivate socialization and emotional development in children,
at an early age, so they will have the necessary skills to perform demanding tasks in elementary
through high school (Rashid, 2009). Furthermore, the literature illuminated the teacher
knowledge necessary of African American boys’ conditions in schools and of culturally-relevant
pedagogical practices for the success of academic achievement (Howard, 2003). In addition, the
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literature review called attention to the organizations’ cultural models and settings that drive or
impede upon preschool teachers’ job performance.
The data collection and findings were intended to answer the following research
questions of the study:
1. To what degree are teachers in early education programs meeting the goal of
providing African American boys with high quality emotional support to improve
their socialization and emotional development?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements that either help or
interfere with teachers achieving the goal of cultivating socialization and emotional
development in African American boys that improve resilience, confidence, and
persistence to a task?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
This chapter describes the participants, results and findings. The findings will be
organized by the categories of assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational causes along
with the data collection method used to gather the information. An online survey was designed
and used to gain an understanding of the participants’ identified gender, race and ethnicity,
highest degree of education completed, years of teaching experience, level of confidence in
engaging with African American boys and awareness of achievement gaps (Maxwell, 2013;
Michlea & Michalca, 2007). To assess knowledge, open-ended interview questions were used
for participants to describe the steps and concepts of socio-emotional development. For
motivation, survey questions asked participants about their perceptions, beliefs and values on the
needs of African American boys in preschool. After the interviews, assessment results were
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collected to gain information on how teachers are assessing African American boys’ socio-
emotional development and behavior in the classroom and play yard. Finally, school
observations were conducted to understand the school culture by evidence of posters, messages,
and protocols for staff performance, and communication between parents. Finally, documents
were collected, including the DRDP and Pre-Screening for Special Education summary. The
DRDP provided information on how a few of their African American boys are rating on the
Socio-Emotional Domain measure on the Desired Results Developmental Profile from the
beginning of the school year to the end (CDE, 2015). The DRDP also provided evidence of the
teachers meeting the mandated policy to assess children prior to entering kindergarten and an
understanding of teachers’ confidence in assessing (Harris & Bensimon, 2007; Maxwell, 2013).
Findings produced three main themes associated with the assumed knowledge causes that
may interrupt teachers from meeting their job performance goals. The data collected and data
analysis also produced themes associated with assumed motivation and organizational causes
hindering job performance skills needed to impact school readiness skills. The data had
tendencies to overlap within themes; therefore, data were categorized by the theme in which they
were most prominent.
With respect to the first research question, the first theme that emerged involved teachers
providing African American boys with high quality emotional support to improve their
socialization and emotional development. The data revealed that the majority of teachers need a
better understanding and need to gain knowledge of socio-emotional concepts and their role in
early learners developing such competencies (Emig, 2000). A difference by race and gender in
teachers’ understanding about how and what African American boys needed emerged. The
African American male teachers related their personal experiences and understanding of
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development, which most closely resembled that of the research literature. A White male teacher
related concepts of development and his experiences as a male to understanding African
American boys’ socialization and emotional developmental needs. In addition, the White male
participant believed that preschool children in his work environment were in more need of
teachers’ ability to understand the effect of the environmental and low-income conditions on
student development. Understanding and sensitivity towards the conditions of poverty and how
conditions adversely impacts student achievement is a higher priority over the needs of gender,
according to Teacher 1, White male participant (Goddard, Tschannen-Moran, & Hoy, 2001).
The second theme involved research question 2 and focused on the teachers’ inability to
provide effective teaching strategies as an element that interferes with the cultivation of
socialization and emotional development in African American boys (Kunjufu, 2005). The third
theme involved the third research question and revealed a lack of professional development that
hinders teachers from knowing the concepts and implementing strategies to develop socio-
emotional development in preschool children and knowing culturally-relevant pedagogical
practices to best develop skills in African American boys (Fergus et al., 2014; Gilliam, 2005).
These themes are discussed in detail below.
Participating Stakeholders and Sites
As mentioned in Chapter 3, the site selections for this project were centered on a
purposeful sample whereas the two centers had to have a larger population of African American
boys and in a high poverty level (determined by free and reduced lunch program). Both centers
share the same school administrator, have a special education inclusion program, and offer
subsidized services for low-income families. Both centers are required to implement the
Creative Curriculum, Desired Results Developmental Rating Profile for periodic assessments,
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Preschool Foundations that is aligned with Kindergarten Common Core Standards, and the Early
Childhood Environmental Rating Scale to uphold a quality program. Both centers adhere to the
guidelines of the California State Department of Social Services Licensing policies and
procedures as well as being governed by the Pyramid Unified School District. The Department
of Public Social Services licensing policy requires that a teacher have a minimum of an
Associates of Arts degree with 24 child development units to work in a child development
center. However, Pyramid Unified School District recently changed its requirements and now
expects teachers to have an earned Bachelors of Arts degree with 24 units in Early Childhood
Development (PUSD website, 2016). Some teachers without these qualifications were
grandfathered into the position.
Survey Participants
An eleven-item online survey was administered to 10 teachers, of which eight chose to
participate. Two completed the survey on paper prior to the face-to-face interviews. A Likert
scale was used to measure the participants’ responses. Questions 1 to 3 described the
participants in the study such as: years of experience, race/ethnicity, highest level of education,
and gender. There were a total of seven female and three male participants.
Findings revealed that 10% of the teachers had worked fewer than 10 years, 30% of
teachers had worked between 10-15 years, and 60% of teachers had worked over 15 years as a
teacher in early education. There were three male participants (two African American males and
one White male). There were seven female participants (one Nigerian-American, five African
American, and one Native American).
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Interview Participants
Open-ended questions were administered to 10 participants. Three male teachers and
seven female teachers participated in the 40-45 minute interviews. Participants were the same
teachers as the survey participants.
Wonderland teachers. Five of the ten participants in this study are assigned at
Wonderland Early Education Center (see Table 6, which describes the participants of the study).
Table 6
Wonderland Early Education Center Teacher Demographics
Name Ethnicity/Gender Classification
Teacher 1 White/Male PSET
Teacher 2 African American/Female PGET
Teacher 3 African American/Male PGET
Teacher 4 African American/Female PGET
Teacher 5 African American/Female PGET
* Participants listed using these abbreviations: Preschool Special Education Teacher (PSET),
Preschool General Education Teacher (PGET)
Lambs teachers. There are 12 teachers assigned to Lambs EEC, however, five teachers
participated in the study (see Table 7, which describes the participants at the second study site).
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Table 7
Lambs Early Education Center Teacher Demographics
Name Ethnicity/Gender Classification
Teacher 6 African American/Male PGET
Teacher 7 Native American/Female PGET
Teacher 8 African American/Female PGITT
Teacher 9 Nigerian American/Female PGET
Teacher 10 African American/Female PGET
* Participants listed using these abbreviations: Preschool General Education Teacher (PGET),
Preschool General Infant Toddler Teacher
Document Analysis
Documents were collected to understand the relationship between how teachers assess,
what teachers observed, and their opinions on the behavior and development of African
American boys. Three teachers shared their student assessment ratings on the Social Emotional
Development Domain on the Desired Results Developmental Profile and one teacher shared pre-
screening for special education observation notes. The make-up of participants for the document
analysis was one African American male and three African American female teachers. Seventy
five percent of the participating teachers taught in preschool programs for over 15 years and 25%
of the teachers taught preschool programs between 10 and 14 years.
Observations
Observations were conducted at both sites to view messages from district-level or site-
level management, posters, memos, student work samples, and community resources
information. The observation included a walk-through of all the classrooms on site where
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bulletin boards, parent communication boards, behavior charts, and student portfolios with work
samples were reviewed. The 10 participants included the initial early education center teachers
who volunteered for the survey and interview and included the four teachers who shared
documents.
Results and Findings for Conceptual, Metacognitive, and
Procedural Knowledge Causes
Conceptual Knowledge
Assumed knowledge influence 1: Teachers know basic concepts of social and
emotional development and their relationship to academic achievement at a minimum.
Conceptual knowledge is the understanding of socio-emotional development concepts and their
association to supporting children’s ability to be resilient and persistent.
Results from interviews. Interview questions focused on teachers’ knowledge of socio-
emotional development concepts. Ten participants were interviewed to gain a better
understanding of teachers’ knowledge of socio-emotional development concepts. Findings
revealed that teachers know that developing socialization skills and emotional competency, at a
minimum, means to be able to express and communicate feelings, have the ability to interact
with others, and demonstrate appropriate ways to express emotions (CDE, 2008). Preschool
general and special education teachers expressed knowing that children having the ability to
demonstrate appropriate behavior will help children comply to the day-to-day routines and
expectations needed for academic achievement in grade school.
Building trust to gain positive relationships with children, according to Joseph and Strain
(2004), requires that adults gain an understanding of children’s preferences, interests,
background and culture. Since the preschool experience at PUSD’s early education center is a
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child’s introduction to structured school systems, teachers’ ability to make a child feel safe in
school settings establishes the perception of teachers and schools. Teacher 7 stated, “Teachers
need to make them feel safe so they can trust adults and feel worthy.” Children’s ability to trust
the adults in the school environment was a common reply from preschool general and special
education teachers.
Interview questions focused on the degree to which teachers effectively engaged with
African American boys in preschool programs to make them feel accepted and safe.
Respondents said preschool children need the ability to trust familiar adults at this fundamental
age. They also talked about teachers needing to know how to establish trust among African
American boys, specifically from low-income conditions, as a precondition for developing socio-
emotional competencies at preschool age (NCCLR, n.d.). Goddard et al. (2001) assert that trust
is at the core of significant relationships that help children learn, especially disadvantaged
children. Trust is the basis for producing the relationship leading to productive teacher-child
interactions.
Assumed knowledge influence 2: Teachers do not know the concepts of social and
emotional development for African American boys. Conceptual knowledge is an
understanding of the concept of socio-emotional development and the implications for African
American boys when their socialization skills and emotional development are delayed or un-
nurtured.
Results from interviews. Teachers commonly reported that more attention should be
placed on the conditions and background of African American boys in their school. The
majority of them responded that many of the boys come from homes without male figures or
may have male figures in their lives that appear to have negative influences. Teacher 7 stated
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that she, “must be mindful of the African American males who attend the toddler program and
may be exposed at home to messages regarding identity that often times conflict with messages
from school.” For example, Teacher 6 explained, “. . . as African American males, we are often
taught that it is not masculine to cry or show emotions.” During the interview, the teacher
expressed, “. . . the mixed message from home and school is to use your words to express
feelings and at home, boys are taught to dismiss feelings and not show any emotions.”
Interviews particularly revealed how teachers’ knowledge of positive adult-child
interactions can be instrumental at developing socialization and emotional competencies with
African American boys, specifically. One participant, Teacher 1 commented, “There is an
association between the developing of appropriate socialization and emotional competency, for
African American boys as being a predictor of the child’s attitude towards elementary school.”
Consistent to each preschool teacher’s response is that “. . . African American boys in the area
often come to school without the ability to process language and self-expression.” Therefore,
according to several participants, teachers understanding that a great challenge for African
American boys is the ability to separate from the norms and adults in home and assimilate to the
school structure (Brooks-Gunn et al., 2010; Goddard et al., 2001).
Metacognitive Knowledge
Assumed knowledge influence 3: Teachers do not know how to respond to the
socialization and emotional needs of African American boys. Metacognitive knowledge is
teachers thinking on how to respond to and model emotional regulation behavior to African
American boys.
Results from interviews. During the interviews, Teacher 7 said, “Teachers need to reflect
on their thoughts about where these boys live and the conditions from which they come.” To
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develop their self-esteem, Teacher 6 said, “. . . know their background and accept their culture.”
Even though all teachers reported that the environment and family conditions play a significant
role in a child’s development and interpretation of the world, participants assumed that all
children were from broken families and were affected by the conditions in which they lived
based on what they believe about the area (Beneke & Cheatham, 2015).
To remedy the impact on socio-emotional development for those African American boys
living in undesirable neighborhoods and broken families, all female participants believed that
African American boys needed firmer discipline than the other students. Particularly, to solve
the lack of self-regulation skills of African American boys, female teachers believed that they
needed to be strict disciplinarians and administer punishment to the boys. Teachers 1, 3, and 6
(male participants) responded differently. Teacher 1 stated, “Strategies include being friendly,
consistent with discipline, firm and model appropriately.” Similarly, Teacher 3 exclaimed that,
“Teachers need to model the desired behavior, show them how to care for one another, show
empathy.” Lastly, Teacher 6 said, “Teachers should have consistent reward systems and have
the ability to be firm when needed.”
All three male participants reported that they had witnessed African American boys being
ignored, pushed to the side, given non-verbal displays of disappointment, and blamed for their
behavior even when the behavior was developmentally appropriate. All three male participants
reported having the advantage of tone and demeanor, without raising their voices, to get a
desired response from the male children in their classroom. The male participants believe that a
teacher’s gender can play a critical role with the development of a male child. Teacher 3 said,
“Only if, a male teacher had positive experiences with nurturing male role models can one say
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that he can best teach a male child.” Teacher 3 stated, “There are some men who are broken and
are breaking the spirits of males.”
Results from document analysis. Teacher 10 shared a Student Success Team form that
is a document needed prior to referring children for a comprehensive assessment by the School
Psychologist. The document listed all cognitive, social and physical strengths and weaknesses of
one of the African American four year olds. The document highlighted strengths and weaknesses
that parents observed at home and what teachers observed at school. After identifying the
weakness, teachers, parents and administrators decided on modified instructional strategies
and/or behavior intervention plans needed to design student performance goals.
Procedural Knowledge
Assumed knowledge influence 4: Teachers do not know how to create effective
classroom engagement strategies for African American boys with challenging behaviors.
Procedural knowledge is the ability to develop classroom strategies to promote the desired
behavior for African American boys.
Results from interviews. Interview questions focused on teachers’ ability to apply their
knowledge to create teaching strategies. Teachers expressed having sympathy for African
American boys in their classrooms and talked about how much they cared for their well-being
(Whaley, 1993). Teachers did feel that they practiced strategies to support the growth and
behavior of African American boys using techniques that were culturally appropriate for African
American boys. Common solutions to develop self-regulation skills, such as being firm and
providing tough discipline, were believed to be the remedy to correct the lack of discipline
provided by parents. Teachers felt those strategies are best practices based mostly on personal
opinion rather than research. Techniques and strategies used for African American boys were
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strategies suggested by the California Universal Preschool (CAUP) coaches assigned to each
site. Four of the teachers felt the CAUP discipline strategies did not apply to the African
American boys attending their schools because of the background experience, family dynamics,
and environment to which they believe they are exposed.
Assumed knowledge influence 5: Teachers do not know how to create strategies to
promote positive interactions with children to positively impact their socialization skills.
Procedural knowledge is needed to develop classroom activities, lessons, and management
systems to promote positive classroom environments.
Results from interviews. Male participants attributed their ability to interact with boys,
in general, to their gender (Rashid, 2009). Personal childhood experiences such as, playing
basketball with friends, and rough play with adult males in their lives, were examples given as
events that developed relationship-building skills for one participant, Teacher 3, who believed
that he had an advantage over the female teachers. Allowing boys to wrestle, pretend to be
power rangers, cops and robbers, with supervision and rules is how boys explore themselves and
relate to other boys, according to the male respondents.
Respondents also emphasized the importance of teacher behavior as being a key factor in
the cultivation of positive adult-child interactions with African American boys (Milner &
Howard, 2004). Teacher 2 believed that, “When children trust and listen to adults, they will
most likely follow rules and guidelines.” Teacher 3 and Teacher 6 attributed their success to
giving classroom roles and responsibilities to children.
Teacher sensitivity and awareness of the conditions can determine the success of gaining
their students confidence. Participants shared behavior such as kneeling at eye level to
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communicate, modeling care, apologizing to children when wrong, and allowing children to
share intimate space such as sharing headphones to listen to music together.
Results from observations. According to the survey and interviews, teachers said they
had an understanding of the background and conditions from which their African American boys
live. Consistently, teachers believed that African American boys needed firm discipline.
Teachers 1 and 3 at Wonderland EEC shared a classroom as team teachers. The classroom was
quite orderly, students knew what was expected of them, transitions were smooth, and students
were engaged. At Lambs EEC, Teacher 7 supervised children on the outdoor yard during play-
time. Her voice and tone was kind and she appeared to be engaged with a group of children.
However, in one classroom, I noticed an African American boy standing in the center of the class
while all other children were on their beds to take a nap. The teacher shared that the boy, Jason
(pseudonym), was “. . . a handful, disturbs the other kids during nap time, and is a menace.”
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
Although teachers answered that they were very knowledgeable of socio-emotional
development, findings from the interview revealed that there was more focus on communicating
and expressing feelings and having the ability to trust adults, as skills preschool children should
have. The assumption is validated that teachers need a better understanding of the components
of socio-emotional concepts and how to teach them and respond to student behaviors. With that
mentioned, the following are of high-priority: (1) Teachers need to understand how to develop
social and emotional skills in preschool children; (2) Teachers need to understand how and why
they implement practices in regard to student perspectives; (3) Teachers need to know how and
what to do to facilitate children’s learning of self-regulation skills.
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Results and Findings for Motivation Causes: Utility Values, Self-Efficacy,
and Emotion Theory
An eleven-item survey was administered electronically to 10 participants. Eight
participants answered questions electronically and two during face-to-face interviews. A Likert
scale was used to measure the participants’ responses. Questions 1-3 describe the participants in
the study such as: years of experience, race/ethnicity, highest level of education, and gender.
Findings revealed that 10% of the teachers worked less than 10 years, 30% of teachers have
worked between 10-15 years, and 60% of teachers worked over 15 years as a teacher in early
education. There were a total of seven female and three male participants. Table 8 displays the
assumed motivational influences, survey questions, and results from participants.
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Table 8
Results of the Motivation Influences Survey
Motivation
Theory Motivation Questions Sum and percentages of teachers motivational issues
Utility
Value
Q6. Since you’ve been a
teacher at your how likely is it
for you to be involved in
discussions about the
socialization and emotional
development of African
American boys at your school?
3/10 30% of participants reported Extremely
likely
4/10 40% of participants reported Moderately
likely
1/10 10% of participants reported Slightly likely.
1/10
1/10
10% of participants reported Neither likely
and 10% reported unlikely
Q7. How aware are you of the
school readiness gap and of
those students who are falling
behind in your organization?
8/10 80% of the participants answered very
aware
2/10 20% of the participants answered Somewhat
aware
Self-
Efficacy/
Confidence
Q5. How would you describe
your knowledge of socio-
emotional development and its
impact on preschool children
7/10 70% participants felt very knowledgeable
3/10 30% participants felt knowledgeable
Q8. I consider myself as an
expert on cultural relevant
pedagogy.
2/10 20% of participants answered True
1/10 10% of participants answered Somewhat
true
7/10 70% of participants answered, “I’m familiar
with culturally relevant pedagogy.”
Q10. I interact and engage
with all children equally the
same.
7/10 70% of participants answered Always
3/10 30% of participants answered Most of the
time
Q11. I feel confident that I am
able to develop self-regulation
skills
7/10 70% Very confident
3/10 30% Somewhat confident
Emotion
Theory
Q9. As far as I am concerned,
all children learn the same
way.
10/10 100% answered No
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Utility Value Theory
Assumed motivational influence 1: Teachers need to reflect on their own
experiences, long-term goals, values and cultural norms causing biases towards African
American male students, in general. Utility-value is the awareness of perceptions, values, and
biases towards African American males and the value placed on supporting them.
Results from interviews. Two of the African American male participants both overly
emphasized that they wanted to make a positive impact on the African American boys in their
lives. Both participants shared stories of former preschool male students who often visit to share
academic and career success stories that are attributed to being role models in their lives. Both
African American male teachers justified their confidence in having the ability to identify and
support needs of the African American boys, in their classroom, is because they can relate to
them.
Teacher 7 suggested that all teachers must consider the background, cultural knowledge
and history of African American boys and how they come to the center. Once knowing the
issues of each African American boy, Teacher 7 suggested that a teacher must be flexible and
realize that all African American boys may not be raised the same way nor value the same
things. Teacher 9, a Nigerian-American female, believes that as a group of people, African
American families, in the community, have lost the value of education. She suggests that parents
are raising children as their friend and not as their child. Therefore, children have no respect for
adults and are not taught to obey school rules. Teacher 9 shared that in her country, the male is
revered and taught early on that he will be the head of the family and must be responsible and a
provider. Teacher 9 believes her goal and responsibility is to educate the parents of her students
to value education.
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Assumed motivational influence 2: Teachers need to find value and regard for
African American boys’ perspectives and culturally relevant pedagogy.
Results from survey. Survey findings show that there is a lack of training in regards to
culturally relevant pedagogical practices. Also, findings show that there is not consistent
conversation addressing the needs of African American male students.
Results from interviews. Teacher 6, an African American male, revealed that he was
parented in a two-parent home and was taught to cook, clean the home, and perform chores in
the yard. His opinion of his identity as a man is well balanced because he was taught that it is
safe to express emotions. His regard of African American boys in the school is to give them
attention and treat them as if they matter. Teacher 1 suggested that many times the female
teachers in the school ignore the boys and show disapproval by non-verbal and verbal
expression.
Teacher 3, an African American male, suggested that his ability to connect with the
perspective of African American boys is because he was a student with challenging behavior.
He attributes his academic success to spending time with his father who was in the home and
male mentors in his church and neighborhood. Teacher 3 believes that African American boys
will perform better in school with male teachers because of the ability to relate. One strategy
suggested is to allow male students to have roles and responsibility in the classroom, for
example, line leaders, paper and book monitors, and ball monitors. Developing self-esteem by
making the boys feel needed and valued in the classroom curtails inappropriate behavior,
according to Teacher 3. Ultimately, Teachers 1, 3 and 6, all male participants, stated that their
number one goal is to make a positive impact in the boys’ lives. Each participant suggested that
African American boys in their programs have absentee fathers, and poor male role models,
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therefore, have negative imagery and identity of self (Brooks-Gunn et al., 2010; Gilliam, 2005).
Teacher 8 reflected on the loss of her teenage son. Her son was killed by the Los Angeles Police
Department. Teacher 8 shared that her son was very angry and had not resolved issues from
childhood bullies, absentee father, and pressures from living in gang infested areas. Teacher 8
said:
I noticed the difference in how African American boys are treated and try to educate
different teachers and aides. I notice that they never tell them they are handsome but
always tell the girls they’re pretty. African American boys spend more time on time out.
Teachers speak to them so harsh and rude. It makes me sad.
Teacher 1 said he attends many trainings offered by the Special Education Unit and has been
exposed to culturally relevant instruction training early on in his teaching career. Unlike his
general-education colleagues, the district offers trainings, such as professional development,
throughout the year. Trainings are often compensated monetary or by earning professional
growth hours.
Self-Efficacy Theory
Assumed motivational influence 3: Teachers need to feel confident and believe they
can make a difference for African American boy students in their classroom. Self-efficacy
is increased when teachers feel they’ve learned new knowledge and can expect positive results or
success when implementing new knowledge and skills.
Results from survey. Seventy percent of the participants answered they feel confident
that they can teach self-regulation skills. Thirty percent of the participants felt somewhat
confident that they had the ability to teach self-regulation skills. The ability to teach self-
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regulations skills is very important to the development of African American boys, according to
Teacher 3.
Results from interviews. Teachers’ answers revealed that teachers feel confident that
they can nurture African American boys and understand the home and community conditions
which they face. All male participants believed they can make a difference by interacting
differently with boys, in general. Providing adequate supervision while allowing boys to wrestle,
run, jump, and move freely is a different approach to classroom management style between male
and female teachers.
Trainings on instructional strategies and behavior guidance are lacking to motivate and
develop confidence with teachers who are struggling with the African American boys that appear
to suffer from trauma. Nine of the participants are from neighborhoods in Los Angeles mirroring
the conditions of which their students live. One participant, Teacher 1, revealed he was raised in
Bronx, New York, and understands the conditions socio-economic conditions. Without formal
training, participants individually believed that in effort to impact the lives and develop school
readiness skills of African American there should be instructional modifications, consistent and
firm discipline, positive reward systems, and modeling of expressive language but need
organizational support with implementing classroom instruction and management strategies.
Assumed motivational influence 4: Teachers need to feel confident in their ability to
use culturally relevant pedagogy effectively.
Results from survey. Survey results revealed that 9 out of 10 teachers had limited to no
access to culturally relevant training offered by the district. The assumption that teachers need to
have confidence in their ability to supplement the curriculum with culturally relevant practices
was validated.
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Results from interviews. All teachers responded that they needed training on culturally
relevant pedagogy and have not received any preparation to create a culturally relevant
classroom. Teacher 1 responded, “I do not blame general early education teachers for not being
motivated to take classes. They are not able to advance on the salary table, so there are not any
monetary incentives nor real motivation to attend workshops.”
Emotion Theory
Assumed emotion influence: Teachers felt resentful about needing to develop
culturally relevant strategies and classroom practices to better address the needs of African
American boys in public preschool. The Emotion theory is associated with teachers feeling
positive and motivated when they can expect to achieve positive outcomes.
Results from survey. In regards to equity, all participants marked “No” to the question
concerning all children learning the same way. Teachers are aware that children are different
and each child may need additional support in different areas.
Results from interviews. Teacher 1 shared that he is offered training techniques and
current trends and practices with colleagues and received resentment and push back when a
change routines and practices were introduced. California Universal Preschool coaches provide
monthly visits and feedback monthly to both sites. Teachers knew that best teaching practices
included multi-tiered teaching, yet, feel little support from district level (i.e., special education,
school psychologist, mental health personnel). Actually, three teachers expressed annoyance and
stress by the visits and explained that the CAUP coach “. . . did not know what is appropriate for
these African American kids.” Table 10 displays the assumed Motivation theory, assumed
motivation needs, motivation questions, and the participants’ responses.
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Synthesis of Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
Utility Value
Participants expressed that they have goals and beliefs to make a difference in the lives of
African American boys. Participants also shared beliefs that they have sons and are concerned
about their future and academic success. The son of one participant, Teacher 8, was recently
killed by a police officer. She shared how deeply she is passionate about being an effective
teacher who shows “. . . Black boys that they matter and they are valued.” Male participants
expressed having a regard for the perspectives of African American boys because of their ability
to relate to the students themselves. The results revealed that there are not conversations
discussing the development and growth with African American boys in their centers. However,
teachers shared concerns about the environment from which the students live, the dysfunctions of
the home life, and the lack of positive role models in their lives (Emig, 2000; Evans, 2004).
Teachers commonly stated they wanted to make a positive impact in the boys’ lives, but are not
aware of culturally relevant instructional practices to assist teachers with supplemental strategies
to address the needs of all students (Gay & Howard, 2000).
Self-Efficacy
Participants have an awareness of culturally-relevant pedagogy but are not experts.
Participants also revealed in the survey that they have the ability to develop self-regulation skills.
Teacher 1, special education teacher, and Teacher 2 both stated that they take the initiative on
taking online classes or trainings to enhance their effectiveness. Teacher 1 shared his opinion
that general education teachers are not motivated to take classes due to the lack of incentives.
The general education teachers are not required to earn a credential, only a child development
permit. According to Teacher 1, there is no career ladder or monetary stipend to continue
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education for general early education center teachers. There is value and regard for the African
American male students from participants, and according to the survey findings, participants feel
confident in developing self-regulation skills but results from documents reveal otherwise
(Garner & Waajid, 2012).
Emotions
Participants revealed in the survey that there is openness to believing that each child may
learn differently. However, two female participants expressed resentment and push back from
the California Universal Preschool coach with some of their suggestions believing that “these”
children can not handle being assigned as classroom monitors. Teachers felt resentment towards
different research-based strategies, yet, struggle with serious behavioral problems with the very
same students that the strategies are earmarked to help (Kunjufu, 2005).
The male participants were more open to and practiced suggestions given by the CAUP
coach believing that assigning roles and giving responsibility to, specifically the African
American boys, develops self-esteem. In fact, male teachers shared opinions of how damaging
they believed some female teachers are for boys’ esteem and confidence. These opinions are
based on what they felt were lack of understanding of emotional development for males, lack of
sensitivity, and unwillingness to be involved with the interest of boys in the classroom (Kunjufu,
2011).
In an effort to validate the assumed conceptual, procedural and metacognitive knowledge
triangulation between surveys, interviews and document analysis took place. The assumed
knowledge needs for teachers to have an exceptional understanding of socialization and
emotional development concepts findings were the differences in the conceptualizing of socio-
emotional development and how boys develop between female and male teachers. In fact, seven
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out of 10 teachers answered that they always interact and engage with all students in the same
way. Male participants responded that at most times, they interact with students the same way.
Results and Findings for Organization Causes: Cultural Models
and Cultural Settings
Cultural Models
Assumed organizational barriers 1: Does the organization model and reinforce
policies and procedures that promote positive and effective interactions between African
American boys with their peers and adults? Cultural models are the school structures, norms,
and behaviors taught and/or observed by teachers on how they collectively teach and discipline
African American boys.
Results from document analysis. The Desired Results Developmental Profile is an
assessment tool mandated by the State of California’s Department of Education requiring
teachers to assess and complete twice a year. The first assessment is required within the first 60
days of a student’s enrollment at the beginning of the school year and in March of the second
year. The Socio-Emotional Domain (SED) measures 5 areas of development which are: SED 1
Identity of Self in Relation to Others; SED 2 Social and Emotional Understanding; SED 3
Relationships and Social Interactions with Familiar Adults; SED 4 Relationships and Social
Interactions with Peers; SED 5 Symbolic and Socio-dramatic Play. The ratings for the measures
from lowest to highest developmental level are: Responding (Earlier; Later), Exploring (Earlier,
Middle, Later), Building (Earlier, Middle, Later) Integrating (Earlier), and Not Yet.
Four teachers, two from both sites, submitted documents for the study. Teacher 2, and
Teacher 4, are African American females from Wonderland EEC and have taught preschool
children for over 15 years. Teacher 6, an African American male, who has taught preschool for
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over 15 years and Teacher 10, an African American female, who taught preschool from 10-14
years are both assigned at Lambs Early Education Center. Teachers 4, 6, and 10 shared the
ratings from the Socio-Emotional Development Domain from the Desired Results
Developmental Profile assessment instrument.
The participants submitted an African American male student’s assessment from the
assessment form for those students ages of 3 years and 9 months of age to 5 years of age. All
three male students entered the early education center program at age 2. Jaden, born on October
2, 2013, was a student at Wonderland Early Education Center rated Building Later during the
first semester in all SED domains with the exception of Integrating in the area of Relationships
and Social Interactions with Familiar Adults. During the second semester, Jaden rated at the
highest level of Integrating in all SED domains. At the first assessment, Deven, born on March
22, 2012, a student at Lambs EEC rated Building Earlier at SED 3 (Relationships and Social
Interaction with Familiar Adults) and SED 4 (Relationships and Social Interactions with Peers).
He rated Building Middle at the SED domain Social, Emotional Understanding, and Integrating
at SED 5 (Symbolic and Socio-dramatic play Although Deven rated at Integrating at SED
measures 1 and 5 (Identity of Self in Relation to Others and Symbolic and Socio-dramatic play),
he only moved to the next Building level at SED 3 and 4. When asked why Deven did not move
over to Integrating and he is near the end of the preschool year, the teacher explained that Deven
has a challenge with trusting other adults and other children in the class other than the three or
four children that he plays with daily. Deven also has a challenge with interacting with other
adults in the school, except for the three teaching staff in his classroom. Deven was the second
son of a single mother. The father was present for the first year of birth and became incarcerated
for drug charges. Deven spends a significant amount of time with the grandparents, while his
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mother works two jobs. Lastly, Naz, born on March 9, 2014, a student at Lambs EEC, began the
school year with ratings at Exploring Earlier at all levels and only moved to Exploring Later by
the end of his preschool year. Teacher 6 explained that Naz’s dad was incarcerated until May
2017. Prior to dad being released, from July until December of 2016, there appeared to be very
little discipline from his mother. Naz demonstrated disruptive behavior, biting, hitting, and
violent tantrums (throwing chairs and toys). The constant day-to-day challenging behavior
improved by January 2017. From January to May 2017, slight changes but not until his father,
moved back into the home has there been significant improvement in behavior. Teacher 2,
African American female teacher at Wonderland, shared a document, required by teachers to use
prior to requesting a special education screening, named “Children With Aggressive Behaviors
and Special Needs” which is a prescreening for special education or behavior intervention
document.
There is a district policy with guidelines in place before children are assessed or given a
comprehensive screening, spearheaded by a School Psychologist or a specific screening from a
related support specialist such as a Speech and Language or Adaptive Physical Education. First,
a teacher must document academic, developmental, and behavior with the classroom
management and instructional modifications applied. Next step, a Student Success Team
meeting with the general education teacher, principal, parents, and a preschool special education
teacher is held to decide whether the child is a candidate for special education, behavior
modification or 504 Special accommodation plan.
Five African American boys and two Hispanic boys, one Hispanic girl, and one African
American girl were listed on the document as students who may be eligible for special needs or
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behavior intervention support. Table 9 displays the observations recorded for African American
Boys in one of the participants’ classroom.
Table 9
Special Needs and Challenging Behavior Observation Document
Student and age Teacher Observation Comment
African
American Boy 1
(3 years old)
Street fighter, fight starter, easily influenced to join the crowd of boys not
listening to adult verbal directions.
African
American Boy 2
(3 years old)
A suspect for ADHD, disrespectful to adults, resist adult verbal directions,
can not sit still long enough to receive direct instructions due to his limited
attention span, he is all over the class, easily influenced to break school
rules, a great leader in finding naughty things to to.
African-Hispanic
American Boy 3
(4 years old)
A suspect for Special Needs/ADHD, its difficult for him to sit still to
receive verbal instructions, escape artist and he is always looking for a way
to escape out of the building to go home. His mom brought papers for him
to be screened for speech therapy.
African
American Boy 4
(4 years old)
Sneaky and has to receive constant reminders to follow school rules, he is
entertained by the boys destroying the classroom unity, and laughs at
inappropriate behaviors of classmate acting out and not listening to adults
verbal instructions.
African
American Boy 5
(3 years old)
Attention seeker, sinister ringleader for breaking all rules taught in the
classroom, yells in the classroom, runs out of the classroom, runs outdoors
and plays the cat and mouse game when no adult has started the game, he
takes his socks off and throws them at innocent classmates, knocks his
food to the floor, etc.
African
American Boy 6
(4 years old)
Needs constant reminder to stop hitting, needs constant reminders to share
manipulative and other toys in the classroom, hits, spits on the classroom
furniture and other students, pushes other boys into the restroom stalls and
hides in the stalls to wait for buddies to create more inappropriate
behaviors.
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Cultural Settings
Assumed organizational barriers 2: Does the organizations have appropriate
accountability systems with rewards in place that communicate, clearly, that it values the
success of African American boys in preschool? Observations were conducted during two
visits to each site for at least 45 minutes each. Observations were conducted in between the
hours of 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Observations were conducted to understand the school routines,
atmosphere, classroom environments, messages and communications to both parents and staff
members (Merriam & Tisdell, 2009). In addition, observations were specifically conducted to
note any programs and systems in place to support African American boys in the program.
Wonderland EEC.
Welcoming environment. One class had a classroom monitor poster with several class
roles and it was in the corner on the floor. The teacher said the children were not mature enough
for those responsibilities.
Communications and messages. On parent boards in classrooms, lesson plans, home
school activities, students’ notices of minor injuries, and classroom daily activity schedules are
examples of messages communicated to parents. According to the principal, there are programs
to support fathers or any male caretakers. The D.A.D. project (Daniel and David) is to teach
fathers about child development and growth, how to support homework and other parenting
strategies. However, there was no evidence posted or signs displayed announcing the program,
dates, or times for workshops.
Review of protocol. Staff Handbooks and Parent Handbooks are given at the beginning
of each school year. Per office manager, the Parent Handbooks with details of the program and
causes for termination are disseminated during the initial enrollment day. The site administrator
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107
gives Staff Handbooks to each staff member at the first professional development of the new
school year, per office manager.
Staff appraisal. There was no visible evidence of staff incentive programs. At this time,
the principal was evaluating one teacher through the district’s teacher growth and evaluation
system.
Lambs EEC.
Welcoming environment. At the entrance of the school, welcome signs in several
languages are posted in the lobby. Parent sign in and out procedures were posted. The parents
sign-in-and out and are greeted by office staff. Several notices of the upcoming field trip were
posted by the sign-in and sign-out sheets and on an easel entering the hall to the classrooms. In
the main office was a wipe board with employee absences and on visit one, there were 15
employees absent and on visit two there were 8 employee absences. There was a visitor’s log for
any persons on campus, other than staff to sign in.
Communications and messages. Lambs Early Education Center houses a mental health
and wellness center on the second floor of the Early Education Center. The mental health center
services all schools in the southern region of the district. Posted nutrition signs and health
classes were visible on all parent information boards throughout the center. Health posters
advocating for immunizations, child obesity, and dental care were also visible. An African
American boy was standing next to the teacher, as a form of discipline, crying while other
children were on their mats resting and/or asleep. A children’s exhibit with book displays and
nursery rhyme themes was displayed in the hallway as a Week of the Young Child feature.
Review of protocol. Each classroom had 24 children with at least 3 adults at all times.
Staffing Ratio guidelines were posted in the office. The district complaint procedures were
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
108
posted for violation of Individualized Education Plan for special needs students. Mandated
cafeteria norms and daily menus were posted. Parent and staff handbooks are given at the
beginning of each school year.
Staff appraisal. There were no incentives, rewards or staff acknowledgments observed.
At this time, the principal was evaluating four teachers through the district’s teacher growth and
evaluation system.
Assumed organizational barriers 3: Does the organization provide teachers with
access to training and resources on diversity, cultural sensitivity to effectively create a
positive climate (management and instructional practices) in the classroom? During the
interviews 8 out of the 10 participants said they had not received training on culturally-relevant
pedagogy. Participants also stated that they could not recall any conversation about culturally-
relevant practice at the district nor site level. Teacher 1, a Preschool Special Education Teacher
1, said “I received far more training than preschool General Education teachers.” The trainings
for Special Education Teachers include child growth and development, culturally relevant
practices, positive behavior strategies, challenging behavior support, and observation and
assessment trainings. Teacher 1 believed there are no incentives, such as monetary stipends, for
general early education center teachers to attend workshops nor are they invited to do so.
Teacher 2 says that she takes online classes and one must take initiative to stay informed and
educated. The district does not provide training that is relevant to her needs as a teacher.
Teacher 2 stated, “The district is not sensitive to the needs of students in her area.”
Synthesis of Results and Findings
As stated earlier, interviews, document analysis, and observations were conducted to
gather information on how the school, as an organization, supports the participants in meeting
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109
their ability to address the socio-emotional needs of African American boys. Findings from
interviews and observations revealed there is lack of training, professional development, or
support for early education center teachers to enhance classroom instructional practices and
management. Documents revealed that teachers are able to observe, articulate, and assess
developmental growth.
There are policies in place that teachers must complete Desired Results Developmental
Profiles and implement strategies and support to students prior to referring them to special
education. An analysis of the Desired Results Developmental Profiles prepared by teachers
across the two different schools revealed the need for support with challenging and aggressive
behavior. There is a rubric provided for each domain to guide teachers for accuracy. There
appears to be a struggle for African American boys reviewed to meet the highest level with
relationships with peers and adults. Common descriptions of inappropriate behavior was hitting,
biting, inability to follow verbal directions, unable to be still. The behaviors describe the self-
regulation skills that teachers revealed on the survey that they are able to develop (Henderson &
Strain, 2009). Teacher 1 reiterated that not having good interactions and establishing trust with
adults, at this age, would cause a hardship for the students later during their school years.
There appears to be a lack of support from the site level and district to support the
population of children who are struggling most. The school environments were welcoming and
inviting for parents and displayed information regarding events and children’s work samples. In
the staff lounge, there were posters for the various unions and special discount offerings for
amusement parks. However, there were not job trainings, or staff attendance incentives
programs posted.
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Classroom environments were clean and learning centers were inviting for children.
There appeared to be an adequate amount of books, toys, blocks, and math counters. The school
and classrooms displayed children’s art and writing samples but no pictures of students and
families or evidence of diversity and multi-cultural awareness.
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CHAPTER 5
RECOMMENDATIONS, INTEGRATED IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION PLAN,
AND CONCLUSION
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Krathwohl (2002) asserts that there are four types of knowledge, framed as a revision to
Bloom’s taxonomy, New World Kirkpatrick Model, a modernized version developed by Dr.
Donald Kirkpatrick. According to Krathwohl (2002), researcher Benjamin Bloom created a two-
dimensional taxonomy of educational objectives, used as a system, to categorize and
communicate what students are intended to learn as an outcome from instruction. The essential
focus of the revised taxonomy is the same as Bloom’s original, which is to have a common
language of understanding the two structures of the system, which are the knowledge dimension
and cognitive process dimension.
However, Krathwohl (2002) suggests that the revisions added an additional factor in the
structure of the knowledge dimensions. He identifies the four types of knowledge as:
conceptual, factual, metacognitive, and procedural. According to Krathwohl (2002), factual
knowledge is centered on facts solely needed to solve a problem. He explained that conceptual
knowledge is based on the association between various aspects of theories and/or models.
Conceptual knowledge is based on organizing major concepts and knowledge to make
connections, which can be acquired through intentional and reflective learning (Krathwohl,
2002). Thus, factual and conceptual knowledge coupled are identified as declarative knowledge,
which is defined as information that an individual knows (Krathwohl, 2002). Procedural
knowledge, on the other hand, focuses on the details to perform tasks, and having the specific
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112
skills needed to perform a task. Lastly, according to Rueda (2011), metacognitive knowledge
involves being aware of one’s thinking, thinking about strategies needed to solve problems and
knowing when and why to do a task. In conclusion, Clark and Estes (2008) identify that
knowledge barriers hinder the expected job performance goals for individuals within an
organization and in effort to close the job performance gaps job aids, information, education
and/or training will improve job performance.
As stated before, there are learning processes and knowledge gaps associated with the
achievement of job performances and the achievement of job performance goals (Rueda, 2011).
The assumed knowledge influences are categorized as declarative, procedural and metacognitive
knowledge. What is it that early education teachers need to understand and to know to better the
academic trajectory for African American male preschool students? There are specific concepts
that teachers need to learn in order to enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills to support the
socio-emotional developmental readiness skills for African American boys in preschool
programs. It is high priority for teachers to know the concepts of social and emotional
development and their relationship to school readiness skills and academic achievement to foster
the ability for preschool children to be resilient and persistent at completing tasks (Fergus et al.,
2014).
Table 10 displays the highest priority of assumed knowledge influences, designed by the
researcher, which teachers need to improve in an effort to meet organization and stakeholder
goals.
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Table 10
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated:
Yes, High
Probability,
or No
(V, HP, N)
Priority:
Yes, No
(Y, N) Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative
Teachers need to
know the concepts
of social and
emotional
development and
their relationship to
school readiness
skills and academic
achievement. (D)
V Y To improve the teachers’
understanding and knowledge
of socialization and emotional
competencies expected for
children to develop, training
on mandated standards and
child development concepts
will improve teachers ability
to teach children self-
regulation skills, how to trust,
and express feelings (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Professional
Development for
Early Education
Center teachers can
show the concepts
and best practices of
developing the
socio-emotional
skills of African
American preschool
boys.
Teachers need to
know the importance
of their role in
positive Adult-Child
Interactions. (D)
V
HP
Y Education helps teachers
know the concepts and impact
of positive relationships and
engagement between
preschool teachers and
African American boys.
Education can reveal why it is
important for teachers to be
intentional with their
interactions between African
American boys. Education is
relevant research-based
knowledge reveals why and
what causes things to happen
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Training in the form of
professional development
gives teachers information
that helps teachers acquire
skills, practice and get
feedback to improve (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Education and
Training such as
Professional
Development for
Early Education
center teachers can
learn the rubric for
creating a positive
classroom
environment,
observe how to
become more
sensitive to the
population of who
they teach, and learn
how to have regard
for all student’s
perspective.
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Table 10, continued
Procedural
Teachers need to have
the ability to
implement a school-
wide and classroom
positive behavior
system. (P)
V N Professional Development
as training can help
teachers perform job tasks
that require knowing
procedures to better
improves performance
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Professional Development
as a teacher Training will
provide preschool teachers
with the “how-to ways of
creating and implementing
fair consequences and
rewards for all preschool
children.
Teachers need to
create effective
classroom engagement
strategies. (P)
V N Modeling, scaffolding,
questioning and giving
specific feedback can
provide assistances to
performance (Rueda, 2011).
Training such as
Professional development
will show teachers how to
focus on his or her “self”
and their relationship with
their students in the
classroom, Webinar
trainings, modeling by
coaches, and feedback will
offer teachers information
that will help them with
tone, body language,
accountable talk, and
setting clear expectations
for students.
Teachers need to know
ways of fostering
positive adult-child
interaction. (P)
Professional Development
providing scaffolding and
peer coaching in a person’s
zone of proximal
development promotes
developmentally
appropriate instruction
(Scott & Palincsar, 2006)
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Table 10, continued
Metacognitive
Teachers need to
know how and what
to do to facilitate
children’s learning
of self-regulation
skills. (M)
N N Adequate teacher
preparation through
education can provide
knowledge on how to
respond and foster job tasks
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Education given to teachers
can enhance knowledge and
skills so they can responding
to children’s behavior and
foster appropriate self-
regulation skills.
Teachers need to
understand how and
know why they
implement practices
in regard for student
perspective. (M)
V Y Education can prepare
teachers to handle
anticipated future
challenges and training will
help novice teachers with
best practices (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Professional Development:
Preschool teachers need best
practices, strategies, direct and
guided practices along with
feedback to learn a new plan to
foster a positive classroom
climate and improve teacher
sensitivity towards all children.
Teachers need to
know how to
respond to African
American boys’
specific
developmental needs
and learning needs.
(M)
HP Y Culturally relevant
information and
professional development
in the form of training that
offers guided practice and
appropriate feedback will
help them achieve their
goals of cultivating socio-
emotional development in
African American boys so
they are able to be
persistence to a task (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Nuri-Robins
et al., 2011).
Professional Development:
Early Education center
teachers’ training provides
learning tasks that are familiar
to the teacher’s cultural setting
that will promote learning and
the ability for teachers to
transfer new learning to meet
culturally relevant pedagogy
concepts and practices in the
preschool classroom and
achieve job performance goals.
Teachers need to
understand how to
develop social and
emotional skills in
preschool children.
(M)
V
HP
Y Teachers can be trained and
given professional
development, as well, as
being observed to support
teachers learning to
improve or develop new
skills (Clark & Estes,
2008).
Training such as Professional
Development and feedback
from principals can help
teachers learn how to properly
develop preschool children’s
social and emotional
development skills.
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Teachers’ declarative knowledge influences. Teachers need to know the concepts of
social and emotional development and their relationship to school readiness skills and academic
achievement. There is a direct association between the social and emotional development,
school readiness skills for preschool children and the ability to be resilient and persistent at
accomplishing learning objectives in schools (Teachstone, 2014). Teachers need to know the
importance of their role and the compromise and/or benefit to student outcomes depending upon
the quality of engagement (Garner & Waajid, 2012; Raver & Knitze, 2002). When teachers
know how and why they are to promote positive interactions with African American boys, they
are able to transfer their individual cultural settings to that which meets the cultural and specific
developmental needs of their students (Fergus et al., 2014).
Clark and Estes (2008) implies that to improve preschool teachers’ knowledge and skills
so they are able to accomplish performance goals professional development as training can
provide the “how-to” knowledge, concepts, theories and strategies to better engagement and
interactions to develop school readiness skills and socio-emotional development for all preschool
children. Scott and Palincsar (2006) further assert that professional development, specific to
target trainings and materials to gender styles of learning, for example, will help teachers gain
knowledge that remedies the gap between their current performance level and their level of
precipitated performance with nurturing and developing African American boys.
Appropriate professional development with clear objectives will offer teachers with
current trends, strategies and research-based practices to accommodate the diverse needs of
children. Learning relevant instructional and classroom management techniques where teachers
learn how to build relationships with African American boys, but in regards to behavioral
assessments, should be standard (Kunjufu, 2005). Also, teachers should be aware of their
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
117
observation pattern when assessing African American boys to notice if they often overlook times
when African American boys show empathy, caring, self-expression, and other emotion
processing skills and only recognize undesirable behavior. Clark and Estes (2008) state that
training such as professional development as a recommendation that offers teachers engagement
strategies, classroom management procedures, and instructional practices, with job expectations,
such as developing self-regulation skills and emotional competence in African American boys
who appear to be identified as having challenging behavior.
Lastly, Nuri-Robins et al. (2011) assert when teacher preparation provides teachers with
culturally-proficient knowledge, they will more than likely gain skills and temperament to teach
culturally-relevant pedagogy in their classrooms. Therefore, in order to change teacher practices
to become more culturally proficient in the classroom, professional development must support
teachers by making them more aware of their strengths, limitations, and what they need to know
and learn to change practices towards African American boys (Nuri-Robins et al., 2011).
Teachers’ procedural knowledge influences. Krathwohl (2002) suggests that
procedural knowledge is to know the steps needed to accomplish a goal and/or task. Howard
(2015) also states that being effective at culturally-responsive practices provide the fundamentals
of understanding the role that race, culture, language, and class has on the relationships between
teachers and marginalized children. In addition, teachers need to know ways of fostering fair
treatment, respect for all perspectives, and respect for children with different views. The key
principle to support learning for teachers in this context is that teachers must develop a
commitment to understand the social implications of children, specifically, African American
males, who fail to meet the school readiness benchmarks (Howard, 2015). Another principle is
that teachers learn best when they are shown how positive school-wide behavior support systems
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
118
help students develop and achieve academic success, confidence, and competency. Teachers
who are given meaningful training and tools to facilitate learning and performance will improve
their job performance (Clark & Estes, 2008; Scott & Palincsar, 2006).
Professional development as training and education will provide preschool teachers with
the strategies and ways to create and implement fair consequences and rewards systems for all
preschool children (Kunjufu, 2011). Since there is a disproportionate number of African
American boys being suspended and disciplined harshly than their peers, professional
development and training on connecting intentional activities and experiences that develop self-
regulation skills, empathy, sharing, and the ability to follow classroom and play yard behavior
can help dissolve biases toward any particular students. It is important for teachers to know that
their role as a teacher is pivotal to preschools children’s understanding of expected behavior
while attending school. According to Clark and Estes (2008), training teachers on specific
objectives, such as developing a positive behavior system, informs them of how relevant their
job performance is to the overall development of all children’s emotional and social competence.
Making teachers aware of being fair with discipline through training can bridge the gap and
create better relationships between teachers and students (Fergus et al., 2014).
Teachers’ metacognitive knowledge influences. It is essential that teachers know how
and have a firm hold on the conceptual knowledge of cultural pedagogy and the development of
socialization and emotional competence in preschool children. Clark and Estes (2008) suggest
that providing teachers with education will prepare them for the general concepts and analytical
knowledge to better perform job tasks. Fergus et al. (2014) implies that when teachers know and
understand the particular needs of African American boys and how to build resilience in them,
they know that there are social skills and social intelligence linked to their academic
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
119
achievement. As stated earlier, professional development offers teachers the practices to
consider that will better develop school readiness skills needed for African American males to
sustain the demands of elementary school.
Early education center teachers’ training provides learning tasks that are familiar to the
teachers’ cultural setting that will promote learning and the ability for teachers to transfer new
learning to meet cultural relevant pedagogy concepts and practices in the preschool classroom
and achieve job performance goals (Teachstone, 2014). Professional development allows
teachers to reflect on their own thinking and personal experiences that either hinder or support
their relationship with the African American boys in the program. Professional development can
also allow teachers to think on real life situations that new information can apply to their
classroom practices. Hence, professional development can provide teachers with knowledge to
solve student achievement gaps that are an ongoing problem (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Motivation Recommendations
Motivation, according to Rueda (2011), suggests that motivation describes how
individuals shape beliefs and meanings based on their perceptions of self and their environment.
Motivation, as a process of what starts early education teachers and keeps them going to achieve
their objectives, is vital for the improvement of preschool programs and the plan to prevent the
widening of the school readiness and achievement gap between African American boys and their
peers. Unsolved problems such as, planning and intending to improve the implementation of
instruction and engagement but no action, starting new routines and tasks but getting distracted,
and using the same knowledge and skills to address all problems are indicators that solutions are
needed to address lack of motivational needs. The Summary of Motivation Influences and
Recommendations displays utility-value, self-efficacy, and emotion theories as assumed
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
120
motivational influences that teachers need to help acquire new learning and/or to choose to
persist at completing job tasks (see Table 11).
Table 11
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Motivation
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated:
Yes, High
Probability, No
(V, HP, N)
Priority:
Yes, No
(Y, N) Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Utility Value
Theory
Teachers need to
reflect on their
own experiences,
long term goals,
values and cultural
norms.
HP Y Focusing on the
teacher’s role and
interactions between
African American
preschool boys is a
valuable task to
achieve district goals
to prepare preschool
children for
kindergarten (Pintrich,
2003).
Teachers will be
given the rationale
and importance of
focusing on the
trajectory of
African American
boys in preschool
and the school
readiness gap
between them and
their peers.
Teachers need to
develop value and
regard for African
American boys
perspectives and
culturally related
pedagogy.
HP Y Information explaining
and discussing the on
the importance and
utility value of the job
performance of
meeting the needs of
African American
male students can help
teachers develop
positive values (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Eccles,
2006; Pintrich, 2003).
Teachers should
be given
information
through research-
based literature
explaining the
association
between culturally
relevant pedagogy
and the positive
impact on the
academic and
development of
African American
male students.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
121
Table 11, continued
Self-Efficacy
Teachers feel
overly confident
and believe they
can make a
difference for
African American
boy students in
their classrooms.
HP Y Teachers will need
modeling and support
(Pajares, 2006).
Teachers will need
instructional
support, such as
instructional
coaches and
scaffolding, early
on along with
opportunities to
discover best
practices and
gradually remove
coaches from the
classroom.
Emotion Theory
Teachers felt
resentful about
needing to develop
culturally relevant
strategies and
classroom
practices to better
address the needs
of African
American boys in
public preschool.
HP Y Teachers working in
schools environments
that foster positive
emotions support
motivation to perform
tasks that will help
them achieve goals
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Teachers should
be taught evidence
based
implementation
strategies to
enable their
success and
exclude anxiety.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
122
Value. Howard (2003) asserts that teachers may need to find value and regard for
African American boys’ perspectives and culturally-related pedagogy. The consistent school
failure of racially diverse students, specifically, African American males is an indicator that
teachers should reflect on the ideas that perhaps race and culture play a pivotal role in with the
underachievement of this population (Howard, 2003; Milner & Howard, 2004; Kunjufu, 2011).
Focusing on the teacher’s role in a child’s development and interactions between African
American preschool boys is a valuable task to achieve district goals to prepare preschool children
for kindergarten (Pintrich, 2003). Information that explains and discusses the importance and
utility value of the job performance of meeting the needs of African American male students can
help teachers develop positive values (Clark & Estes, 2008; Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003).
Teachers will be given the rationale and importance of focusing on the trajectory of African
American boys in preschool and the school readiness gap between them and their peers.
Evidence-based research revealing the lifelong outcomes on the state and conditions of
Black boys in public schools and the reported challenges could motivate teachers to become
persistent with efforts and intentionality to help them achieve. Further rationale to value the
plight of African American boys in school is to know that when Black boys attend kindergarten
and are unprepared and underdeveloped in socialization and emotional development skills,
greater are the chances that they will adopt negative attitudes toward school, have challenges
adapting to the demands of elementary school, behave undesirably, and fall behind academically.
Self-efficacy. Teachers felt over-confident and believed they can make a difference for
African American male students in their classrooms. Rueda (2011) asserts that teachers’ self-
efficacy is described as the judgment of his or her capabilities in organizing and performing the
necessary action needed to attain instructional implementation goals. Teachers will learn and be
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more motivated to focus on the needs of the African American boys when they have positive
expectancies for success.
Studies have shown that teachers with high self-efficacy use positive interactions and
behavior support such as praise and reinforcement while teachers with low self-efficacy practice
authoritative or restrictive methods when dealing with undesirable behaviors or children or
children requiring special accommodations (Lang, Mouzourou, Jeon, Buettner, & Hur, 2017).
According to Klassen and Chiu (2010), training, peer groups and coaching can increase teacher
self-efficacy which will increase their ability to be more persistent to completing tasks and goals.
Pajares (2006) implies that positive mentoring and coaching programs increase self-efficacy and
therefore will ultimately increase the academic achievement and development of children by
demonstrating best teacher practices.
Most teachers overestimated self-efficacy in their ability to achieve goals to support to
African American boy students at attaining socialization and emotional competence. According
to Bandura (2005), observing others and getting verbal persuasion can alter the perception of
one’s self-efficacy. Therefore, professional development is recommended so that teachers can
contrast personal beliefs about their abilities to effectively implement classroom instruction and
management to engage all children with what is actually happening in their classroom. If
teachers were to learn how to connect with how they feel, physiological state, and their personal
outcomes with students, the perception of self-efficacy may become realistic.
Emotions. Teachers may feel resentful about needing to develop culturally-relevant
strategies and classroom practices to better address the needs of African American boys in public
preschool. Howard (2003) states that the culturally-relevant pedagogy is only as important as
teachers’ level of concern, value, attitude, and care for all students. Self-reflection is imperative
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to the measurement of their level of commitment, attitude, towards meeting the needs of all
students. Teachers should be taught evidence-based implementation strategies to enable their
success and reduce or eliminate anxiety (Goette et al., 2012). Teaching is considered a high-
stress job and teacher stress is associated with negative emotions toward their job. In fact, to
improve the level of commitment by reducing job stress studies have found that building
teacher’s self-efficacy and confidence to perform their job-related duties, reduces teacher
burnout, intentions to quit, and lack of commitment to reach goals (Klassen & Chiu, 2010).
Evidence-based implementation increases and maintains motivation by reducing job related
stress.
Organization Recommendations
Culture, defined by Clark and Estes (2008), is the values, emotions, beliefs, processes,
and goals that are learned and developed by people from their families and work environment.
They further state that there are three aspects of culture within an organization: (1) culture in the
environment, (2) groups, and (3) individuals. According to Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001),
there is a need to produce more information about the link between culture and achievement so
that educators can know how to be more helpful to all children. In fact, over the past years,
research has focused on “The Cultures of Teaching” in both a sociological and anthropological
view, in an effort to increase academic performance for all students and, specifically, minority
children (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). There is a persistent national attention on school and
teacher culture to improve the state of achievement for minority students. Based upon research,
to understand school culture is to know the systemic structure of what teachers do and how they
act (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Therefore, evidence surrounding practical strategies that
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can improve organizational culture models and settings is relevant to improve productivity in the
workplace.
Also, examining trends in research may reveal how organizations can positively impact
on what teachers believe and value. In the same manner, current findings offer strategies to
improve systems or policies that support teachers’ effort at meeting their goals. Therefore, the
change in school culture has a direct relationship to student achievement when the school
climate, engagement, and instructional practices improve (Fergus et al., 2014). Table 12 shows
the assumed organization influences and recommendations needed to support teacher with
meeting performance goals.
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Table 12
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated:
Yes, High
Probability, No
(V, HP, N)
Priority:
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Organizational
Barriers (Cultural
Models)
The organization
provides teachers
with access to
training and
resources on
diversity, cultural
sensitivity to
effectively create a
positive climate
(management and
instructional
practices) in the
classroom.
HP Y Teachers would
enhance their
capacity to improve
the organizational
(school) climate and
student outcomes
when understanding
the meaning of
equity, diversity and
access in school
(Bensimon, 2005).
Accountability
systems can be used
to promote equity
and inclusion when
schools identify
indicators that
display efforts and
progress towards
performance goals
of creating trainings
on sensitivity in
instructional
practices.
The organization
models and
reinforces policies
and procedures that
promote positive
and effective
interactions
between African
American boys with
their peers and
adults.
V Y School leaders and
teachers are aware of
biases and
prejudices that occur
in individual
classrooms and at
the organizational
level. School leaders
and teachers can
recognize their own
biases and
prejudices that may
negatively impact
student outcomes
(Bensimon, 2005).
School leaders
should create and
reinforce change
through policies
that safeguard the
school from the
negative impact of
teacher biases and
prejudices against
students.
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Table 12, continued
Organizational barriers
(Cultural settings)
The organization has
appropriate
accountability systems
with rewards and
incentives in place that
communicate, clearly,
that it values the success
of African American
boys.
HP Y Accountability is
increased when
teacher’s roles and
performance
expectations are
communicated and
aligned with
organizational (school
district) and
stakeholder’s goals
and mission.
Incentives and
rewards systems need
to reflect this
relationship between
the goals and the
mission (Elmore,
2002).
Differentiate
between various
types of reward
systems that can
be beneficial in
improving
organizational and
individual
performances.
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Cultural models. The organization provides teachers with access to training and
resources on diversity and cultural sensitivity to effectively create a positive climate
(management and instructional practices) in the classroom. Teachers would enhance their
capacity to improve the organizational (school) climate and student outcomes when
understanding the meaning of equity, diversity and access in schools (Bensimon, 2005).
Creating appropriate accountability systems can establish a process to bring awareness of
cultural and racial inequities, therefore, responsibility to close the inequity gaps between
children. An accountability measure or system designed to address the value, knowledge,
beliefs, and practices of teachers is recommended since teachers have a serious impact on
minority children and their school readiness development, specifically African American boys.
Accountability systems can be used to promote equity and inclusion when schools
identify indicators that display efforts and progress towards performance goals on creating
trainings on sensitivity in instructional practices (Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009).
Teacher accountability can be compared to other industries’ level of production. To clarify,
productivity is determined by the degree to which inputs are turned into outputs, according to the
behavior and practices of individuals within the organization (Milanowski, Kimball, & Odden,
2005). Despite Milanowski et al.’s (2005) study, there is little evidence that supports ratings
from teacher evaluations and the association with increase in productivity of student
achievement. Focusing on the behaviors of teachers and making teachers accountable for
children’s learning is directly aligned to job performance improvement (Milanowski et al.,
2005). The use of accountability systems with goals to evaluate teachers is recommended
because of the possibility that effective teachers who rate high on the rubric can model exemplar
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interactions with children and best instructional practices, as well as, collaborate with school
leaders for school-wide policies that promote change in school culture (Fergus et al., 2014).
The organization models and reinforces policies and procedures that promote positive
and meaningful interactions between African American boys with their peers and adults. School
leaders and teachers are aware of biases and prejudices that occur in individual classrooms and at
the organizational level (Howard, 2003). When becoming more conscious of one’s own biases
and prejudices, school leaders and teachers may recognize how their attitude negatively affects
student outcomes (Bensimon, 2005).
Policies and procedures that concentrate on culture, race, and ethnicity can possibly cause
resentment for those who are challenged to change beliefs about particular students. Regardless
of the objectives of change, Schneider, Brief, and Guzzo (1996) imply that changing policies and
procedures are observable, but not for observing values and beliefs that are in need of changing
for the optimal educational experiences for young children are not improving at the same pace.
Therefore, becoming culturally proficient and examining one’s own beliefs and understanding
makes for visible transformative thinking and behavior which in turn will be evident in the
improvement in student assessments and achievement (Nuri-Robins et al., 2011).
School leaders should create and reinforce change that safeguards the school from the
negative impact of teacher biases and prejudices against students. Moran and Brightman (2000),
suggest that school leaders must manage change by also managing the people that have the
dilemma of changing. Change must align with teachers’ realized purpose or they will believe
there is no reason to change. Nuri-Robins et al. (2011) recommends that teachers examine and
reflect on their biases and prejudices as a personal responsibility to the diverse population of
students of color which they teach. Choosing to focus on overall racial climate within a school,
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even when teachers are of the same race of students, will allow school leaders and all
stakeholders to investigate the possibility that race is a deciding factor for the outcome of
children of color. Policies that include strategies to improve parent involvement from the culture
of parents less likely to be involved, diversity in staff selection and promotion processes,
classroom assignment systems, and anti-biased learning environments could be conducive to
racial equity (Araujo & Strasser, 2003).
Cultural settings. The organization has appropriate accountability systems with rewards
and incentives in place that communicate that it values the success of African American boys.
Accountability is increased when teacher roles and performance expectations are communicated
and aligned with organizational (school district) and stakeholder goals and mission (Milner &
Howard, 2004). Incentives and rewards systems need to reflect a relationship between the goals
and the mission (Elmore, 2002). Recognition is appropriate to naturally motivate behaviors such
as commitment, initiative, and engagement. Such behaviors are needed to change or improve the
cultural settings within an organization. Being committed and engaged in school’s programs is
the result associated to meaningful and appropriate rewards and recognition systems. Elmore
(2002) suggests that rewards and recognition systems cause innovation, creativity, and going the
extra mile are the foundations of strategic differentiation from teacher motivation. In other
words, a teacher’s drive to change is clear evidence of self- motivation to better perform.
Effective organizations motivate individuals most when they differentiate between
various types of reward systems and the benefits of each system and the relationship it has to
improving organizational and individual performances. Two systems that Moran and Brightman
(2000) suggest are reward and recognition systems for both systems associate to individual’s
motivation. Recognition and reward should be considered not as just two alternatives to choose
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in creating a teacher motivation program. Considering the personality types and knowing the
individuals within the organization, school leaders are recommended to value the need of each
individual as it relates to their influence on motivation.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
Evaluating the effectiveness of training is purposeful to improve the school academic
program. Ideal training would provide relevant knowledge and skills for teachers to build
confidence in their abilities to positively impact the growth and development of African
American boys’ socio-emotional development. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) designed a
four-level model to evaluate training within an organization. The levels include reaction,
learning, behavior, and results. Evaluating training offers key findings and results that can assist
organizations to meeting organizational goals. Stakeholders’ goals and the gap between current
job performance and critical behavior needed to meet the goal can be remedied by effective
training that addresses the knowledge and/or motivational barriers.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The mission of the Pyramid Unified School District is to provide high-quality instruction
and a coherent and rigorous curriculum in every classroom to facilitate student learning and
achievement (PUSD website, 2016). The mission of the Early Education Division is to provide a
high quality early education program to maximize school readiness (PUSD website, 2016). The
PUSD identified five organizational goals, which are to achieve 100% graduation rate for the
2016-17 school year; proficiency for all; to ensure school safety; to increase parent and
community engagement; and to lower the dropout rate and increase high school graduation rates
by cultivating at a very young age, personal qualities that improve children’s resilience,
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confidence, and persistence to a task (PUSD website, 2016). For the purpose of this study, the
researcher has chosen both goals that address lowering the high schools drop out rate.
Early Education Program Goals and Stakeholders’ Goal
The Early Education division’s goal is that all early education programs will lower the
dropout rate and increase high school graduation rates by cultivating, at a very young age,
personal qualities that improve children’s resilience, confidence and persistence with a task. By
June 2017, 100% of all early education center teachers will improve at effective teacher-child
interaction in the area of emotional support (positive climate, teacher sensitivity, and regard to
student perspective) for all children.
Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which
teachers in PUSD’s early education programs are meeting the organizational goal of cultivating
in children, at a very young age, socio-emotional skills that improve children’s resilience,
confidence, and persistence to a task. Specifically, the study concentrates on the knowledge and
skills, motivational and organizational issues that facilitate or hinder teachers’ ability to engage
in effective teacher-child interaction. The research is important because it deals with developing
the whole child so that he or she is cognitively and socially competent to face the expectations of
elementary school. The project talks about the teacher-child interactions as a pivotal relationship
versus academic standards, curriculum, and instruction.
Desired outcomes and expectations. To effectively improve the understanding and
development of teachers, their knowledge of emotional support, and the specific needs of
African American boys in preschool, professional development as training for teachers needs to
be intentional and specific to objectives. Teachers, given a better understanding of how
emotional development is defined and what it looks like in the classroom, will best benefit the
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development of the whole child and young children and feel more confident applying new skills.
Teachers who receive adequate professional development, bi-annually, on culturally relevant
pedagogy and how to change current practices that are not always effective for all children will
be more likely to improve the self-esteem of African American boys (Fergus et al., 2014;
Howard, 2003).
In addition, gaining information about implicit biases and its consequences will provide
teachers with the knowledge to better prepare to push back from a negative attitude toward
children (Rudd, 2014). To effectively remedy frustrations, prejudices, and racial attitudes,
against children, formal training in cultural sensitivity, diversity, and how to create a positive
behavior discipline plan, in the classroom, will better equip teachers to use alternate discipline
strategies other than suspensions, yelling, ridiculing, and humiliating children.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Professional Development and training on developing emotional competence and the
effective needs to generate learning and emotional growth for African American boys in
preschool. There are desired outcomes and measurements that will indicate that teachers are
achieving desired goals for preschool children. In order to increase in school readiness skills for
African American boys in preschool classrooms, there needs to be an increase in quality training
that will elevate the knowledge and awareness of the components of emotional competence and
how to infuse students’ cultures in the curriculum. In addition, parent involvement that connects
classroom instruction with home support is needed.
Table 13 displays the external and internal outcomes, metrics, and methods that indicate
teacher’s achievement for desired goals.
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Table 13
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
The organization provides
parents with access to
training and resources on
diversity, cultural
sensitivity to effectively
create a home and school
connection
Parent perceptions of other
ethnicities and cultures within
the community and school.
Parent survey
Feedback from School Report
Increase the community’s
concern regarding the
academic dilemma of
African American boys in
public preschools
Number of partnerships gained
to support this specific
population of students.
Feedback from community
partners (Social workers,
mental health consultants)
Internal Outcomes
Increase in Professional
Development/Trainings
for teachers in Culturally
relevant pedagogy.
Number of Professional
Development and Trainings
offered by the Early Education
division
Monthly discussion on Agenda
for staff meetings
Increase in Professional
Development for teachers
on socio-emotional
development for preschool
children.
Number of Professional
Development and Training
offered by the Early Education
Division and Local District.
Checklist for Informal and
formal observations of teachers
by principal
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Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), critical behaviors
are the visible and quantifiable behaviors, after training or professional development that have
the greatest impact on specific program goals and job performance. The critical behavior that
teachers, stakeholders of focus need to engage, is to create and/or adopt a culturally relevant
supplemental curriculum for preschool children. The second critical behavior is that teachers
must become more sensitive when engaging and interacting with African American boys to
improve the academic climate. The identified metrics, methods, and timing for each of these
outcome behaviors appear in Table 14.
Table 14
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
Teachers will create
and/or adopt a culturally
relevant pedagogical
supplemental curriculum
in the classroom.
Teachers will have
purchased diverse and
multicultural reading
materials, instructional
practices that meet the
needs of students in the
classroom.
Principal classroom
observations to
supervise and support
the implementation of
the supplemental
curriculum.
On going
Teachers will engage and
interact with African
American Boys to
increase a Positive
climate and teacher
sensitivity in classroom.
Teachers scores and center
ratings will increase when
observed by Race to the
top in the Emotional
Development Domain.
Principal classroom
observations will give
feedback to teachers
in regard to
interactions.
On going
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Required drivers. Teachers require a rationale from the organization to focus on the
trajectory of African American boys in preschool and the school readiness gap between them and
their peers (Isaacs, 2012; Jensen, 2009). Teachers also require information through research-
based literature explaining the association between culturally relevant pedagogy and the positive
impact on the academic and socio-emotional development of African American male students
(Araujo & Strasser, 2003). Accountability systems can be used to promote equity and inclusion
when schools identify indicators that display efforts and progress towards performance goals of
creating trainings on sensitivity in instructional practices. Table 15 shows the recommended
drivers to support critical behaviors of teachers and administrators.
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Table 15
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical Behaviors
Supported (1, 2, 3
etc.)
Reinforcing
Teachers will be given a Checklist provided by Classroom
Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as a guide to improve
interactions.
On-going 2
On the job- training will be given to teachers by California
Universal Preschool coaches and Instructional leaders.
On-going 1, 2
Encouraging
Coaching given to teachers will be given to build
confidence in implementing a supplemental curriculum.
Monthly 1, 2
Mentoring teachers from peers and elementary programs
who are implementing Academic English Mastery Programs
and other supplemental Culturally relevant curriculum.
On-going 1, 2
Rewarding
Additional Instructional Materials given to classrooms to
enhance play and instructional actions between adult-child
and with their peers to continue improving the academic
climate.
Annually 1, 2
Recognition as a Model teacher when receiving increased
ratings on the CLASS tool in the areas of Emotional
Domain (teacher sensitivity, regard for student perspective,
and positive classroom climate).
On-going 2
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Monitoring. There are possible strategies to assure that the required drivers materialize:
(1) school leader can administer a staff survey to gain knowledge on their self-efficacy and self-
confidence in transferring new knowledge into their classroom practices after professional
development/training; (2) school leaders can allow think tanks to discuss and share engagement
or instructional practices that are working or not bi-monthly; (3) coaches and school leader can
observe and assess the teachers’ implementation of socio-emotional development strategies in
the classroom, monthly.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following completion of the recommended solutions the stakeholders
will be able to:
1. Know the concepts of social and emotional development and their relationship to
school readiness skills and academic achievement. (Declarative)
2. Know the importance of their role in positive Adult-Child Interactions. (Declarative)
3. Learn to implement a school-wide and classroom positive behavior system.
(Procedural)
4. Create effective classroom engagement strategies. (Procedural)
5. Know ways of fostering positive adult-child interaction. (Procedural)
6. Know how and why to facilitate children’s learning of self-regulation skill.
(Metacognitve)
7. Understand how and know why they implement practices in regard for student
perspective. (Metacognitive)
8. Know how to respond to African American boys’ specific developmental needs and
learning needs. (Metacognitive)
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9. Understand how to and why to develop social and emotional skills in preschool
children. (Metacognitive)
10. Reflect on their experiences, long term goals, values and cultural norms. (Value)
11. Value and regard for African American boys’ perspectives and culturally related
pedagogy. (Value)
12. Indicate confidence and believe they can make a difference for African American boy
students in their classrooms. (Confidence-Efficacy)
13. Positive feelings about needing to develop culturally relevant strategies and
classroom practices to better address the needs of African American boys in public
preschool. (Emotions).
Program. Listed in the previous section are the learning goals that will be achieved by
teachers trained in two instructional programs. The learners, preschool teachers, will study
specific topics pertaining to socialization, emotional development, learning needs of boys,
culturally-relevant pedagogy, and effective positive adult-child interactions. The program
consists of three, on-site, face-to-face, professional development modules and several
asynchronous learning modules provided by Teachstone (2014) and Sanford Harmony program
(National University Sanford Education Programs, 2015). The completion for training is 120
minutes (2 hours).
During the professional development trainings, learners will be provided education as a
refresher of basic child development theories and principles on socialization and emotional
development. In groups, teachers will discuss and share out the concepts of socialization and
emotional development and the role in which they play to develop and cultivate young learners’
ability to achieve school readiness skills. The training will contain videos displaying young
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learners in a preschool classroom setting interactively playing and learning with peers and adults.
The learners will observe and take notes on the behaviors and emotional reactions of the young
learners. After reviewing the video clips, teachers will discuss what they observed using the
think/pair/share model. Learners will share out in groups the children behaviors they observed.
Lastly, there will be a group discussion on ways teachers could have intervened, if needed,
encourage appropriate behavior, and/or model problem solving.
Also, during the professional development training, provided by Teachstone and Sanford
Harmony, learners will observe teachers in real life situations from teachers demonstrating
exemplary techniques to appropriately engage and develop emotional competence and
socialization skills. The webinars also provide lecture series and instructional activities with
objectives to promote growth in the development of all preschool children’s ability to interact
with others, follow and articulate classroom rules and control anger.
Finally, professional development training on culturally relevant programs in preschool
settings will provide learners with understanding of the importance of focusing on the diverse
needs of all children. African American preschool boys in PUSD programs will benefit when
female teachers that are predominantly populate the district, become culturally proficient.
Participants will be separated by role (classroom teachers, school administrators, parent leaders,
and resource teachers) and conduct the activity of identifying stereotypes associated with African
American boys. Participants, in groups, will make a list of the common stereotypes held about
African American boys. Following the share out, a debriefing will be facilitated with prompted
questions regarding personal feelings and helpfulness of identifying stereotypes of African
American males.
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Components of learning. Indicating declarative knowledge is a foundation to apply the
knowledge to solve problems. It is necessary to evaluate learning for both declarative and
procedural knowledge that is taught. Valuing the professional development training is essential
for learners to use their new learning knowledge and skills to enhance job performance.
Teachers must feel confident that they can achieve in applying newly learned knowledge and
skills and commit to using them in the classroom. Table 16 lists the evaluation methods and
timing for these components of learning.
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Table 16
Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks through discussions, pair/share and group
activities.
Monthly staff meeting discussions
Knowledge checks through teacher led training. Throughout the school year
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Demonstration through peer gallery/learning walks to observe
adult-child interaction.
Immediately following the training and monthly
peer classroom gallery walks
Demonstration through peer gallery/learning walks to observe
teacher response to children’s emotions and behavior.
Monthly observations using the Classroom
Assessment Scoring System
Demonstration through peer gallery/learning walks to observe
teacher’s classroom environment and instruction
implementing culturally relevant practices.
Monthly peer-walk observations using the Early
Childhood Environmental Rating Scale
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Round table discussions of the value of improving adult-child
interactions specifically with African American boys.
Bi-monthly teacher curriculum planning
meetings
Principal’s or Instructional coach’s informal observation of
participants comments and actions demonstrating that they
feel at ease and not resentful of what is being asked for the
job.
Professional Development Trainings provided
by LAUD/ District
Monthly
Weekly feedback by coaches
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey on questions about their learning of adult-child
interactions
Post Professional Development training
Survey on Questions regarding their learning on assessment
tools used for observations
Post Professional Development training
Survey on culturally relevant pedagogy Post Professional Development training
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Teacher led workshop for parents on adult-child interactions,
socialization skills, and emotional development explaining
how they will prepare for the children for kindergarten in lieu
or a part of parent-teacher conference.
During the Training
Lesson Design Planning to collaboratively create tiered-level
implementation plans to address the needs of diverse needs in
the classroom.
During training
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Level 1: Reaction
Table 17 displays the methods used and the timing to determine how the participants
react to the learning events.
Table 17
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Observation by facilitator/Instructional Leader During the Workshop
Professional Development Evaluation Post-Professional Development Training
Relevance
Check-In with participants via share-outs After every session
Professional Development Evaluation Post Professional Development Training
Customer Satisfaction
Professional Development Evaluation Post Professional Development Training
Anonymous Employee Surveys regarding
professional development
End of the year
Immediately following the program implementation. During the asynchronous
professional development trainings from Teachstone (2014) and Sanford Harmony (National
University Sanford Education Programs, 2014), participants collect data on start time and
completion of modules. Teachstone emails all trainings to the site administrator of the trainings
registered for and completed by teachers. The data provided will stipulate the interaction with
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the course material. Both programs administer surveys, as an evaluation tool, asking for
feedback on relevance of the information and overall satisfaction with the content and delivery of
the module.
Pertaining to Level 1, during the professional development the presenter will observe
participants to gauge their level of interest and understanding. Level 2 will include checking in
with the participants by asking them to share out the relevance of the content to their classroom
practices.
Table 18 displays the survey given approximately three months after the training.
Table 18
Evaluation Tool
Level Item
Level 1 Reaction I had occasions in my job to use what I’d learned to provide emotional
support to children from disadvantaged circumstances.
How could this program be improved as you reflect back?
Level 2 Learning The professional development training increased my knowledge in adult-
child interactions and ways to improve the development of socialization
skills in young children.
I know and understand how to apply strategies that re-directs undesirable
behavior and demonstrates appropriate behavior to children from
strategies learned in the course.
Level 3 Behavior My colleagues and I use the strategies given to implement instructional
practices to develop self-esteem in African American boys who appear to
struggle in this developmental component.
Level 4 Results I already see positive results in my classroom.
Scale Highly Disagree > Highly Agree
Survey three months after the Professional Development Training
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Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately three weeks
after the training, and again at six weeks, the site administrator will conduct anonymous surveys
to gauge, from the teachers’ perspective, satisfaction and relevance of the professional
development training (Level 1), efficacy, confidence, and value of applying the trainings to their
classrooms (Level 2), application of new knowledge and strategies implemented in the classroom
(Level 3), the extent to which their instructional practices are data driven, culturally relevant, and
specific to learning the Socio-Emotional Development domain and its measures (standards) on
the Desired Results Developmental Profile (Level 4).
Data Analysis and Reporting
The Level 4 objective for participants is measured by the improvement of teachers’
ability to improve the practice of observation and assessments, the use of data from ratings on
the assessments so that African American boys ratings on the Desired Results Developmental
Profile (DRDP) in the Socio-Emotional Developmental domain. Each week the teachers will
collaborate, discuss the reports from the assessment tool and gather data as to how interactions
have improved between African American boys and their peers and between adults reflecting the
measures on the DRDP. Table 19 shows the reporting of data on the ratings of African
American boys’ socio-emotional developmental growth on the Socio-Emotional Domains.
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Table 19
Professional Development Implementation Program
Action Desired Results Developmental Profile Measure and How to Assess
Measure 1
Measure 2
Measure 3
Identity of Self in Relation to Others
Social and Emotional Understanding
Relationship and Social Interactions with Familiar Adults ad Peers
Target 100% of Local District Early Education Centers will receive
training by the end of the 2018 school year.
Training/Assessment
Dates
January 2018, March 2018, May 2018
The program is a high priority to prepare teachers with the challenge of preparing all
children for kindergarten. Specifically, the lack of knowledge and skills in developing
socialization and emotional competency is so prevalent that this program meets the expectation
to better preparing teachers in this area. Prior to training, teachers were not properly taught what
evidence meets the standard (measure), how to observe the measure, and how to use the data
from the assessment to drive instruction. This professional development training will provide
teachers with such knowledge and skills.
Reflection
After reviewing the literature and collecting the data for my research, I believe that
supportive relationships are what benefit African American boys most while they are attending
public preschool programs. As they prepare to transition to kindergarten and grades beyond,
they need to have developed social and emotional development concepts. I believe this because
when African American boys have not learned social and emotional understanding, identity of
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147
self in relations to others, and how to build relationships with peers and familiar adults, they are
most likely to receive harsher discipline and isolation in schools.
Supporting teachers to reflect on their own biases, relationships with, and ability to
nurture African American boys, makes them aware of how they are interacting with their
students. Also, teachers expressed a need to be trained and given resources to assist with
challenging behavior. When teachers are able to understand their attitudes towards providing
care for children in in a diverse setting, they would be more likely to do less harm to a child’s
self-esteem. I believe that teacher preparation classes and district provided professional
development is dated and need to address the biases that causes barriers to student achievement
in the school settings.
Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model is valuable to evaluating recommendations needed to
improve Pyramid Unified School District’s ability to meet its organizational goals. Overall,
early education center teachers acknowledge that there is a need for professional development to
assist and give guidance on improving their ability to enhance school readiness skills for African
American males’ socialization and emotional development. However, relevant, practical, and
valuable training is critical for early education center teachers. As of now, site administrators are
limited with a systematic method of gathering and analyzing data from evaluations on
effectiveness of professional development training on teachers’ efficacy, perspectives, and
feelings towards new learning.
Adopting the New World Kirkpatrick Model will allow early education center teachers to
express their experiences and feel validated in doing so. The model will allow site
administrators to provide relevant training to further understand the knowledge and skills needed
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to increase and improve job performance. In addition, the model will allow the organization to
grow and by transferring learning to actual practice. The ultimate goal is to improve school
readiness skills for all preschool children so they are prepared to meet elementary school
demands. Site administrators and district-level staff would better serve the professional growth
of teachers when knowing the effectiveness of professional development trainings and the
programs of which they are being taught.
Conclusion
The importance of my research shows of dealing with the development of the whole child
and teacher-child interaction versus the academic, curriculum, and instruction achievement of
children, solely. My data collection experience gave a better understanding about the direction
that PUSD organization needs to take. The recent scores from the Quality Start Los Angeles
review (Race to the Top) shows that there was little improvement in the teacher-child interaction
measure. Although early education center teachers believed they have a clear awareness of the
developmental needs of African American boys, their practices and/or ability to execute their
knowledge and skills revealed during the study shows a discrepancy. I believe that the
organization has created a culture of neglect for the needs of diverse students and implementing
best practices that will benefit the school readiness skills and overall whole-child development
for all preschool children. I also believe that each teacher enjoys teaching but feel frustrated
with the lack of support and resources needed to handle the social ills involved with working in
low-income areas. Therefore, cultural sensitivity training is necessary to negate the perceptions
and negative opinions of African American boys and their families.
In view of the findings, future research could include the study of implicit biases in
preschool settings. Also, future research on biases could help teachers become more
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knowledgeable about their own biases. Research-based evidence shows that teachers and school
administrators are frustrated with insoluble problems in pre k-12th grade education (Rudd,
2014). When teachers believe that African American boys need harsh treatment and are getting
“what they deserve,” studies are showing that African American boys are not behaving any more
undesirably than their counterparts. Rudd (2014) asserts that numbers are growing with stressed
out school leaders and teachers with known racial attitudes causing an urgent need for cultural
competency training to include information about implicit biases and the adverse impact on
children.
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APPENDIX A
INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Hello,
I am requesting an interview with you to gain an understanding on your experiences, beliefs, and
or practices as an early education center teacher and your relationship with African American
male students. Primarily, I want to ask questions regarding your trainings, discussions, and
practices with developing the socialization and emotional development of African American
preschool students.
The purpose of my study is to understand classroom interactions between African American
male preschool students and their teachers and how the interactions enhance the male students’
socialization skills and emotional development for school readiness. It is important for me to
understand your perspective and knowledge of socio-emotional development and your
relationships with your African American male students.
I appreciate you volunteering to share your experiences and perspectives and to be a part of my
study. With your permission, I will record the interview for accuracy. After the interview, you
will have the opportunity to review the transcripts. My faculty advisor and I are the only persons
with access to the interview. At any time you feel uncomfortable, you may skip a question
and/or discontinue the interview and withdraw from the study. I want to remind you that your
identity will be kept anonymous and I will use a pseudonym when writing the final project.
Might you have any questions?
I would like to ask you a few questions regarding your classroom practices that enhance the
development and school readiness skills of preschool children.
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1st Round Interviews
1. Tell me about the developmental socialization needs you think preschool children have at
this age. (If needed, prompt about child interactions with peers).
a. To what extents do these needs change or are different for African American boys?
(Prompt: what is it like having so many boys in your class? How is it different, if at
all, from other classes you’ve had?).
2. Describe how you believe teacher-child interactions influence a child’s development of
socialization skills, if at all?
a. What do teachers need to know about teacher-child interaction and its impact on the
development of socialization skills?
b. Give an example of how this relationship works.
3. Tell me about special considerations teachers should be aware of, if any, when the child is an
African American boy? (Prompt: if appropriate: When, if at all, did you realize that you
might have to develop strategies to support African American boys in you classroom?)
4. What skills with regard to socio-emotional child development do you think teachers need to
possess?
a. What specific knowledge and behaviors, if any, do teachers need to enhance the self-
esteem for African American boys?
5. How, if all, do you believe Early Education Center teachers demonstrate their awareness of
socio-emotional child development when working with African American boys?
6. Can you share a situation that you can recall where you’ve had to provide support for an
African American male student?
Next, I would like to know more about your engagement with African American male
students in your class.
7. Tell me about your approach to teaching in this classroom – what are you goals, values?
a. Some teachers talk about tailoring their approach depending on the needs of different
children, while others talk about treating all children the same. Given your classroom,
where do you place your practice, if we think of that as a continuum? Give me an
example…
8. “There is some research that suggests that African American boys feel isolated at school. To
what extent have you experienced this phenomenon with the children you teach?” “Tell me
what it looks like? Why does it happen?
9. How do you feel when you work with children who are different than you?
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10. To what extent are you engaged in gaining knowledge of cultural sensitivity?
a. Tell me more about the extent to which you are engaged in gaining knowledge about
culturally relevant pedagogy?
b. How confident are you with being able to create an environment that is nurturing for
African American boys?
11. To what extent, if at all, are equity and inclusion of African American boys addressed and
valued in your Early Education Centers? Explain.
12. How would you describe the emotional support strategies you use when engaging all student
perspectives?
a. Were there staff trainings or team meetings that offered strategies?
b. How have you developed strategies to support African American males?
Now, I’d like to ask you one question about your organization.
13. What trainings and/or professional developments are offered on improving positive teacher-
child interaction for African American boys?
2nd Round Interviews
First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to volunteer with me. I have additional
questions to ask.
As a reminder, I will be recording the interview just to make sure that I have accuracy of what I
am capturing. My faculty advisor and I will be the only persons with access to the interview. At
any time that you feel uncomfortable, you are free to withdraw from the study. Once again, your
identity is confidential and I will use a pseudonym when including your responses for my final
project.
Interview questions will be based upon what will be observed in the classroom and the findings
from the document analysis.
1. Tell me more about…
2. I noticed in your classroom…
3. I read on one of the documents and have a question about…
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APPENDIX B
RECRUITMENT LETTER
Hello,
As a Doctoral Candidate of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership, I cordially
invite you to participate in a study of early education teachers to gather data on your experiences,
perceptions and knowledge. This study focuses on understanding teachers’ understanding and
knowledge of their role in the development of the socialization and emotional development of
preschool African American males. You are eligible to participate in the study if you are
currently teaching in a public early education center within the school district.
If you agree to participate, your participation will involve a confidential interview that is
expected to last 45 minutes. Also, I will collecting any documents (anecdotal observation
records, parent-teacher conference summaries, and/or comments from the Socio-emotional
domain of the Desired Results Developmental Profile) that you are willing to share Lastly, you
will possibly be observed for 45 minutes to gain more information of adult-child interactions
within your classroom. You have the option to participate in only one portion of the data
collection. Only three teachers will be observed and only five teachers will be asked to share
documents.
Your participation is voluntary and you will be free to not answer any questions that you choose
and to stop the interview at any time. At the conclusion of the study, you will receive a monetary
gift card to show appreciation for your information and your time.
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APPENDIX C
OBSERVATION BEHAVIORAL TOOL
Emotional Support
Observed
Y/N Evidence Comment
Classroom Climate
Warmth and respect displayed.
Children are encouraged to participate
Students act well with one another
• Water Play — Wait until there is an opening at the
water table (taking turns)
• Dramatic Play — Children Plan together “Let’s be
singers” “Let’s be farmers”
• Bicycle Area — Children take turns being Police
Officers and Traffic Officers
Teacher Sensitivity
Responsive to students needs
Awareness of students academic and emotional needs
Children feel safe to explore and learn.
Awareness
• Teacher anticipates problems and plans
appropriately.
• Teacher notices lack of understanding and/or
difficulties
Responsiveness
• Teacher acknowledges emotions.
• Teacher provides comfort and assistance
• Teacher provides individualized support.
Addresses Problems
• Teacher helps in an effective manner.
• Teacher helps children resolve problems.
Student Comfort
• Children feel comfortable seeking support and
guidance from teacher.
• Children feel comfortable participating.
• Children feel comfortable taking risks at learning
new things or answering questions.
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Emotional Support
Observed
Y/N Evidence Comment
Regard for Student Perspective
Teacher places emphasis on student interests, motivation
and points of view.
Teacher is flexible and respect students’ initiation with
activities.
Flexibility and Student Focus
• Teacher shows flexibility with schedule.
• Teacher incorporates students’ ideas.
• Teacher follows students’ lead.
Support for Autonomy and Leadership
• Teacher allows children to make choice.
• Teacher allows students to lead lessons.
• Teacher gives students responsibility.
Student Expression
• Teacher encourages student talk.
• Teacher prompts ideas and/or perspectives
Restriction of Movement
• Teacher allows movement.
• Teacher is not too rigid.
Items School Culture Models School Culture Settings
Posters
Messages
Review of Protocol
Staff Appraisal
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APPENDIX D
RECRUITMENT FLIER
Teacher’s Meeting
Topic: Research Study Participation (Teacher’s Role on the Socio-Emotional Development
of African American boys in public preschools)
If you are interested in participating for a study that focuses on the role that early education
centers play in enhancing the socialization skills and emotional development for African
American boys, come and hear how.
When: TBD
Where: Staff Lounge
Time: 1:30 pm-2:15pm
Participation is voluntary and gift cards will be given after the end of the study as a token of
appreciation.
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APPENDIX E
PERMISSION REQUEST FOR PRINCIPAL (EMAIL)
To: Principal ____________
From: Ayanna E. Davis
Re: School Site for Study
Per our previous conversations, you have agreed and given permission to conduct a study
involving a few of your early education teachers. I would like to host a staff development to
explain the study and procedures to participate to any teacher who is willing to volunteer. The
staff training will be held at the normal early education center training hours (1:30 pm-2:15 pm)
throughout the district.
If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached by phone (310) 598-0202 or via email
ayannada@usc.edu
Best wishes,
Ayanna E. Davis
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
167
APPENDIX F
SCALE OF TEACHERS’ EARLY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE SURVEY
1. How long have you worked in the field of Early Education?
a. 0-3 years
b. 4-9 years
c. 10-15 years
d. Over 15 years
2. What is your race/ethnicity?
a. Black or African American
b. White
c. Hispanic or Latino
d. Asian/Pacific Islander
e. Native American or American Indian
f. Other
3. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?
a. Associate of Arts
b. Bachelor of Arts
c. Master of Arts
d. Doctorate degree
4. What is your gender?
a. Female
b. Male
5. How would you describe your knowledge of socio-emotional development for preschool
children?
a. Very knowledgeable
b. Knowledgeable
c. Somewhat knowledgeable
d. Very little knowledge
6. Since you’ve been a teacher, how likely is it for you to be involved in discussions about the
socialization and emotional development of African American boys at your school?
a. Extremely likely
b. Moderately likely
c. Slightly likely
d. Moderately unlikely
e. Extremely unlikely
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
168
7. How aware are you and think on the school readiness gap and of those students who are
falling behind?
a. Very aware
b. Somewhat aware
c. Not aware
8. I consider myself an expert on cultural relevant pedagogy.
a. True
b. Somewhat true
c. I’m familiar with cultural relevant pedagogy
d. Absolutely false
9. As far as I’m concerned, all children learn the same way.
a. Yes
b. No
c. Maybe
10. I interact and engage with all children equally the same.
a. Always
b. Most of the time
c. About half the time
d. Sometimes
e. Never
11. I know how to develop all children’s self-regulation skills.
a. Very Confident
b. Somewhat confident
c. Not confident at all
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
169
APPENDIX G
EVALUATION TOOL (SURVEY) DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
Please write next to the following items
Criteria
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Engagement
1. Training objectives were clearly defined
2. Technology was easy to navigate.
Relevance
3. The content was useful to creating positive
classroom environment to foster socialization
and emotional development for all children.
Customer Satisfaction
4. The overall course structure is helpful to
enhance job performance?
Level 2 Learning
Please answer the following open-ended questions.
Knowledge
What concepts of adult-child interaction and ways to improve the development of socialization
skills in young children were learned during this session?
Attitude
What is the importance of applying what you learned to teach preschool children how to trust
adults?
Confidence
I feel confident that I will be able observe and assess the needs of each child and plan ways to
teach them how to interact with adults and peers in the classroom.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
170
APPENDIX H
INFORMED CONSENT FORM
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089
INFORMED CONSENT FOR EARLY EDUCATION CENTER TEACHERS
Teacher’s Role in the Development of the Socio-Emotional Development of Urban African
American Boys in public preschool
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Ayanna E. Davis, Doctoral
Candidate and Dr. Melora Sundt, faculty advisor at the University of Southern California,
because you are an Early Education teacher working in a public preschool. Your
participation is voluntary. You should read the information below, and ask questions about
anything you do not understand, before deciding whether to participate. Please take as much time
as you need to read the consent form. You may also decide to discuss participation with your
family or friends. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to sign this form. You will be
given a copy of this form.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to understand what teachers know and how teachers are motivated in
developing the socialization and emotional development in urban African American public
preschools.
STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to semi-structured, open-ended
interview. You do not have to answer any question you don’t want to. The interview will last for
about 45 minutes to an hour. Direct questions will be asked along with a conversational
interview and follow-up questions may be asked as well. The interview will be recorded and if
you don’t want to be taped, you will not be able to participate in the study. The interview will be
conducted at your school site.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There is not any anticipated risk. Participants are free to discontinue the study at any time.
Possible discomfort may be between the researcher and participants given that the researchers
role may conflict with the researchers role as a Principal.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
Your participation will benefit the profession of early education by informing the practice of
teacher-child interaction and the socio-emotional development for urban African American boys
in public preschools.
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
171
PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
If you are willing to participate in the study, you will receive a monetary gift card at the end of
the interview as a token of appreciation for your time and input.
CONFIDENTIALITY
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we
are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about you. The members
of the research team, the funding agency and the University of Southern California’s Human
Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors
research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
The data will be stored on password-protected computers. You, as the participant have the right
to review and edit the audio recordings or transcripts. The study team and a professional
transcriber will have access to the audio recordings. The recordings will be destroyed after
they are transcribed.
CERTIFICATE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential,
except if necessary to protect your rights or welfare (for example, if you are injured and need
emergency care). A Certificate of Confidentiality has been obtained from the Federal
Government for this study to help protect your privacy. This certificate means that the
researchers can resist the release of information about your participation to people who are not
connected with the study, including courts. The Certificate of Confidentiality will not be used to
prevent disclosure to local authorities of child abuse and neglect, or harm to self or others.
When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or
remedies because of your participation in this research study.
ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
Your alternative is to not participate. There are no punitive actions to be taken nor your
relationship with your administrator will not be affected.
INVESTIGATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Ayanna E.
Davis, Principal Investigator, and/or Dr. Melora Sundt, Faculty advisor.
Principal Investigator
Ayanna E. Davis
Tel: (310) 598-0202
P.O Box 143
Paramount CA 90723
Email: ayanna.davis@lausd.net
TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS
172
Faculty advisor
Dr. Melora Sundt
Rossier School of Education
(310) 403-6671
Sundt@usc.edu
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu
SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT
I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have
been given a copy of this form.
□ I agree to be audio-recorded
□ I do not want to be audio-recorded
Name of Participant
Signature of Participant Date
SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR
I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.
Name of Person Obtaining Consent
Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
School readiness involves socio-emotional competencies and behaviors, including relationships with peers and teachers, which are generally predictors of later academic performance and the ability to adapt to school for preschool children. This study found that teachers who have the ability to create positive preschool classroom environments and instructional strategies to develop socio-emotional competency in African American boys in public preschool, specifically, those in low socioeconomic backgrounds are more motivated to meet job performance goals. To support African American boys in low-income areas conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge is required for teachers to understand the concepts of socio-emotional development and how to respond to children’s behavior. The study reveals that teachers need considerable support to design classroom management and instructional strategies to promote growth. This study, using Clark and Estes’ gap analysis method, evaluated the state of which early education center teachers achieve job performance goals to provide structured and unstructured opportunities for African American boys to cultivate socialization and emotional competence to improve their resilience, confidence and persistence with tasks. Triangulation of the data collected shows that teachers in the Pyramid Unified School District are lacking the knowledge and skills needed to support African American boys in public preschool.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Davis, Ayanna Ewunike
(author)
Core Title
The knowledge, skills, motivation and organizational factors that teachers need to support African American boys in public preschool: an evaluation study
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Publication Date
11/06/2017
Defense Date
10/20/2017
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
African American boys,culturally relevant pedagogy,early education teachers,Knowledge,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,professional development,public preschool,school readiness skills,skills,socio-emotional development,teacher-child interactions
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Sundt, Melora (
committee chair
), Howard, Tyrone (
committee member
), Mora-Flores, Eugenia (
committee member
)
Creator Email
ayanna.davis@gmail.com,ayannada@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-451505
Unique identifier
UC11264065
Identifier
etd-DavisAyann-5878.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-451505 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-DavisAyann-5878.pdf
Dmrecord
451505
Document Type
Dissertation
Rights
Davis, Ayanna Ewunike
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
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Repository Name
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Repository Location
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Tags
culturally relevant pedagogy
early education teachers
professional development
public preschool
school readiness skills
skills
socio-emotional development
teacher-child interactions