Successful emergent literacy Head Start teachers of urban African American boys living in poverty

Abstract

SUCCESSFUL EMERGENT LITERACY HEAD START TEACHERS OF URBAN AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS LIVING IN POVERTY by John Michael Holland A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University 2012 Director: Dr. Michael Davis Professor, School of Education This integrated methods study used a sequential explanatory design to explore the culturally relevant teaching beliefs of successful emergent literacy Head Start teachers of urban African American boys living in poverty. The study utilized emergent literacy gain scores as a measure of success, a survey of culturally relevant teaching beliefs to describe variation in beliefs within the sample, and two rounds of interviews to explore the context of teacher agency with urban African American boys living in poverty. The four teachers interviewed expressed culturally relevant beliefs integral to their teaching practices. These beliefs were conveyed through descriptions of relationships with parents in and out of the classroom, through awareness