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Signature Assignment Stakeholder Analysis

Annaliese M. Gilsinger

Arizona State University

SED 322

Professor Monica Eklund

7 November 2021
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Signature Assignment Stakeholder Analysis

Students

Students have one of the greatest stakes in the classroom. After all, they are the ones

going to school, getting an education, and preparing for adulthood. For some students, this is

difficult for them. Howard (2003) writes, “…teachers must be able to construct pedagogical

practices that have relevance and meaning to students’ social and cultural realities” (p. 1). After

all, if the students do not understand why they are being taught something or how it is relevant,

or worse, if they know it is not relevant or meaningful, then why should they learn it? By

integrating culturally relevant pedagogy, students will be able to have a stake in their education

that they feel personally responsible for. While this may seem like something students should

already have, because they are graded and given marks and feedback, there are an increasing

number of students who are disengaged and feel they have no control over their education.

Howard (2003) states that the purpose of culturally relevant pedagogy is to “increase the

academic achievement of culturally diverse students” (p. 2). By creating experiences where

students feel like their cultural background and identity matter, that their experiences are valid,

they have a purpose and stake in their education. They will do better academically.

There is not a clear downside for students. Learning about other cultures and experiences

can help them broaden their understanding of others and increase empathy, validating their

experiences can make them more engaged and responsive, their academic achievement can

increase, and they can be better prepared for adulthood. Students are the biggest stakeholders in

culturally relevant pedagogy, and as such, they have the most to gain.

Teachers
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Teachers always have a stake in education, so it should be no surprise that they have a

stake in culturally relevant pedagogy. After all, teachers are the ones delivering the curriculum,

the ones being observed, and the ones ultimately responsible for the success of their students.

Culturally relevant pedagogy is no different. Scherff & Spector (2010) write that teachers of

minority students, specifically Black students, “viewed their responsibilities of helping students

succeed as giving back not only to the society at large but also to the students’ communities” (p.

23). This indicates that teachers are not only mentors and role models, but they are members of

their communities and feel a responsibility to their students and their communities. In this way,

teachers are stakeholders in education problems, community problems, and especially where

these problems come together. This makes culturally relevant pedagogy, or lack thereof, an

important problem for educators.

Teachers have an increasingly diverse classroom to teach. Scherff & Spector (2010) point

out that high poverty schools have a larger population of minority students than other higher

income schools (p. 23). Howard (2003) agrees; schools are becoming more diverse, while

teacher demographics have not changed as much (p.1). While these classrooms are getting more

crowded and more diverse, the curriculum stays largely the same. Teachers are no longer

teaching content that is relevant to or representative of their students. By changing curriculum,

teachers can relate to their students better, increase their engagement, and cater to every student,

in every school (Scherff & Spector, 2010). Additionally, teachers will be able to learn about their

students and their community, which can make them more aware and culturally responsive.

Teachers can gain the respect of their students, knowledge of their community, student

engagement, and an overall higher achieving classroom. The downsides for teachers include

having to learn new strategies and curriculum, which can make it more difficult for teachers who
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are already experiencing burnout to be successful in their classrooms. However, culturally

relevant curriculum does not just call for added curriculum, but changed curriculum, which will

not necessarily add more content for teachers to teach; it may only add different content.

Furthermore, teachers may enjoy their professions more if their students are more engaged,

prepared to learn, and successful because they are able to bring their own experiences and culture

into the classroom.

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References

Howard, T. C. (2003). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Ingredients for critical teacher reflection.

Theory Into Practice, 42(3), 195–202. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477420

Scherff, L., & Spector, K. (Eds.). (2010). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Clashes and

confrontations. R&L Education.

https://search.lib.asu.edu/permalink/01ASU_INST/kl6fr8/alma991005626639703841