The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across Content Areas
Abstract
Many teachers and educational researchers have claimed to adopt tenets of culturally relevant education (CRE). However, recent work describes how standardized curricula and testing have marginalized CRE in educational reform discourses. In this synthesis of research, we sought examples of research connecting CRE to positive student outcomes across content areas. It is our hope that this synthesis will be a reference useful to educational researchers, parents, teachers, and education leaders wanting to reframe public debates in education away from neoliberal individualism, whether in a specific content classroom or in a broader educational community.
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Multiple studies suggest that culturally responsive approaches increase students' motivation to learn; interest in content across literature, science, mathematics, and social studies; ability to engage content area discourses; and perceptions of themselves as capable students.
“Multiple studies suggest that culturally responsive approaches increase students' motivation to learn; interest in content across literature, science, mathematics, and social studies; ability to engage content area discourses; and perceptions of themselves as capable students (Aronson & Laughter, 2016).”
From Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context<sup>1</sup> (2019) · cites this paper as Aronson & Laughter, 2016
Cites
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High-Stakes Testing &amp; Student Learning
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Making culturally responsive mathematics teaching explicit: a lesson analysis tool
Aguirre, J. M., & del Rosario Zavala, M. (2013) · Pedagogies: An International Journal · doi:10.1080/1554480x.2013.768518 · Cited by 195 · cited 1× · see citing works
“To address such criticism, Aguirre and Zavala (2013) developed a culturally responsive mathematics teaching tool “designed to provide guideposts for teachers to plan and analyze their mathematical lessons among multiple dimensions that include children’s mathematical thinking, language, culture,…”
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Reeve, J., & Cheon, S. H. (2021) · Educational Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00461520.2020.1862657 · Cited by 766 · see citing works
Redding, C. (2019) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/0034654319853545 · Cited by 453 · see citing works
The Influence of ChatGPT on Student Engagement: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda
Lo, C. K., Hew, K. F., & Jong, M. S.-Y. (2024) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105100 · Cited by 392 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Aronson, B., & Laughter, J.
- Affiliations
- Miami University (US)
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
- Venue
- Review of Educational Research
- Published
- 2016-03
- Volume
- 86
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 163-206
- ISSN
- 0034-6543 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-1046
- OpenAlex
- W2101784742
- Cited by
- 928
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 113 · 2025: 148 · 2024: 97 · 2023: 98 · 2022: 92 · 2021: 113 · 2020: 109 · 2019: 81 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 82.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Review of Educational Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Race Theory in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Indigenous and Place-Based Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Keywords
- culturally relevant education, student outcomes, standardized curriculum, standardized testing, educational reform, neoliberalism in education, educational equity
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