Culturally sustaining social studies teachers: Understanding models of practice

Abstract

There is scant research that documents models of culturally sustaining pedagogy, especially within social studies education. The researchers used a qualitative multiple-case study to better understand the practices of 10 self-identifying culturally sustaining secondary social studies teachers. They found that the teachers' practices were grouped into three different models: exchanging, discovering, and challenging. The teachers' approaches to culturally sustaining pedagogy were influenced by their school contexts and their students' backgrounds. Yet, there were shared characteristics across the teachers, including drawing on the students' local communities, developing students’ sociopolitical consciousness, and providing activities that helped sustain dynamic community practices.