Academic Success for Culturally Diverse Students from Households of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Perceptions
Open AccessDespite an increase in culturally responsive pedagogy in schools across the country, national achievement data continues to show Black and Hispanic students falling academically behind their White and Asian peers (Condition of Education, 2012). This trend that begins in grade school for these subgroups leads to lower high school graduation rates and higher incidences of low economic mobility (Condition of Education, 2012). This study, “Academic Success for Culturally Diverse Students from Households of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Perceptions,” was conducted with the intention of hearing from a key group of stakeholders, the caregivers, regarding how they define academic success, what factors they feel influence the academic success of their children, and what roles schools should play in their children’s attainment of academic success. Phenomenological research methods were used to conduct six in-depth interviews aimed at exploring caregivers’ perceptions regarding this phenomenon. The six study participants were purposefully selected in order to elicit feedback from those most closely associated with this current trend in education, namely Hispanic and Black individuals living within low socioeconomic households. The interview data, along with field notes and observations of the local elementary school and housing complex, were coded in order to distinguish the reoccurring patterns or themes that emerged throughout. These textural and structural descriptions were then synthesized to represent the essence of the phenomenon. This process gave way to three key results: 1. Parents value authentic opportunities to be involved in their child’s school experience, 2. Pivotal relationships with teachers and administrators played an important role in their child’s success in school, and 3. Living in a community that offered many support services helped provide a setting in which their children flourished in school. Recommendations were made for school systems to redefine their relationships with caregivers, and for future educational policy and reform movements to focus on supporting the whole family rather than the individual child.
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