The Impact of a Culturally Relevant Curriculum in a Bilingual Classroom

Brown-Jeffy and Cooper (2011) suggest that culturally relevant teaching allows teachers to acknowledge students’ home cultures by integrating relatable cultural experiences, values, and understandings into the learning environment. According to Lee (2010), if these strategies are not implemented, students can be limited by the instruction they receive because it disregards their native language and culture. The empowerment of both is necessary in order to create a successful learning environment. This self- study explores the effects of culturally relevant teaching in a first grade bilingual classroom. In this qualitative study, I utilized field notes, lesson plans, and student work samples to examine the integration of students’ cultures into the curriculum and the impact this has on the twenty- one students. As a result of this integration, I found an improvement in academic achievement, respect amongst students, and an increased level of engagement in the ELA, science, and social studies content areas.