Research shows that Black and Latinx students disproportionately experience lower feelings of belonging in school compared to White peers, with negative consequences for their academic trajectories. School districts are increasingly turning to asset-based pedagogy (ABP), which leverages students’ cultural identities and experiences as educational strengths, to more equitably support students’ sense of belonging. This study will examine how incorporating a validated student survey into APB shapes teacher practices, knowledge, and beliefs in ways that improve student belonging and learning. The team will collect and analyze quantitative data on teachers’ utilization and experiences of ABP professional learning, resources, and supports, as well as shifts in teachers’ practices. They will also use regression analysis to examine the descriptive relationships between ABP professional learning, teachers’ identity-affirming practices and beliefs, and student belonging and grades. By conducting this work in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), the team will advance theory on the mechanisms through which asset-based pedagogy improves belonging and learning for Black and Latinx students.
How does teachers’ professional learning about asset-based pedagogy shape Black and Latinx students’ belonging and academic development in different district contexts?
