Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice

In this wonderful new volume, Geneva Gay makes a convincing case for using culturally responsive teaching to improve the school performance of underachieving students of color. She combines insights from multicultural education theory, research, and classroom practice to demonstrate that African, Asian, Latino, and Native American students will perform better, on multiple measures of achievement, when teaching is filtered through their own cultural experiences and frames of reference. Key components of culturally responsive teaching discussed include teacher caring, teacher attitudes and expectations, formal and informal multicultural curriculum, culturally informed classroom discourse, and cultural congruity in teaching and learning strategies. The personal stories woven throughout enliven the deeply textured scholarly analysis. This is an excellent resource for anyone who cares about improving and recognizing the factors that shape culturally responsive teaching and learning.

Geneva Gay is Professor of Education and Associate of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of WashingtonSeattle.