Afrocentricity for all: A case study examining the self-healing power of alternative curricula as a mediating tool of inclusion

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Watson, M. (2015). Afrocentricity for all: A case study examining the self-healing power of alternative curricula as a mediating tool of inclusion. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Student achievement and school reform are some of the most pervasive topics in public school discourse. However, the curriculum is one area that remains virtually unchanged across U.S. schools. The efflorescence of federal legislative policies, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and Race to the Top (RTTT) have attempted to modify national assessment measures without preemptively seeking true curriculum or pedagogical reform. As a result, today's non-White students seldom have the opportunity to learn and identify with multicultural perspectives in history. One alternative approach is to expose students to an Afrocentric education (Allen, 2009, 2010; Dei, 1994, 1996; Hilliard, 1998; Hilliard & Amankwatia, 1998; King, Swartz, Campbell, Lemons-Smith, & López, 2014; Murrell, 2002). Using a case study design, this work explores the perceptions and experiences of students and teachers at an Afrocentric school. The study examines the utility of Afrocentric schools as a curricular model of racial inclusion. The Afrocentric school this study investigates is high performing, and boasts 70% and 77% percent student mastery in mathematics and reading, respectively. The findings reveal that the students and teachers described their school as having: (a) a familial community, (b) small learning environment, (c) embedded Black history, (d) ancestral inspiration, (e) edification and positive imagery, and (f) an inclusive curricula that is welcoming of all students. The results of this study are especially important when considering the lack of multiculturalism found in traditional public schools and the dismal state of U.S. student achievement.

Details
Author

Watson, Marcia

Title

Afrocentricity for all: A case study examining the self-healing power of alternative curricula as a mediating tool of inclusion

Physical Description

1 online resource (246 pages) : PDF

Date

2015

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Student achievement and school reform are some of the most pervasive topics in public school discourse. However, the curriculum is one area that remains virtually unchanged across U.S. schools. The efflorescence of federal legislative policies, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and Race to the Top (RTTT) have attempted to modify national assessment measures without preemptively seeking true curriculum or pedagogical reform. As a result, today's non-White students seldom have the opportunity to learn and identify with multicultural perspectives in history. One alternative approach is to expose students to an Afrocentric education (Allen, 2009, 2010; Dei, 1994, 1996; Hilliard, 1998; Hilliard & Amankwatia, 1998; King, Swartz, Campbell, Lemons-Smith, & López, 2014; Murrell, 2002). Using a case study design, this work explores the perceptions and experiences of students and teachers at an Afrocentric school. The study examines the utility of Afrocentric schools as a curricular model of racial inclusion. The Afrocentric school this study investigates is high performing, and boasts 70% and 77% percent student mastery in mathematics and reading, respectively. The findings reveal that the students and teachers described their school as having: (a) a familial community, (b) small learning environment, (c) embedded Black history, (d) ancestral inspiration, (e) edification and positive imagery, and (f) an inclusive curricula that is welcoming of all students. The results of this study are especially important when considering the lack of multiculturalism found in traditional public schools and the dismal state of U.S. student achievement.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education
Curriculum planning
African Americans--Study and teaching
Ethnicity--Study and teaching

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

African-Centered
Afrocentric Education
Afrocentricity
Case Study
Curriculum
Inclusion

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Wiggan, Greg

Committee Members

Hutchison, Charles
Abrams, Lyndon
Smith-Ruiz, Dorothy

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2015.

Rights Statement

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Watson_uncc_0694D_10770

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1738