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    1. Implications for Further StudyI believe this work has implications for both theresearch and practice communities. For researchers, Isuggest that this kind of study must be replicated againand again. We need to know much more about thepractice of successful teachers for African Americanand other students who have been poorly served by ourschools. We need to have an opportunity to explorealternate research paradigms that include the voices ofparents and communities in non-exploitative ways.11For practitioners, this research reinforces the factthat the place to find out about classroom practices isthe naturalistic setting of the classroom and from thelived experiences of teachers. Teachers need not shyaway from conducting their own research about theirpractice (Zeichner & Tabachnick, 1991). Their uniqueperspectives and personal investment in good practicemust not be overlooked. For both groups-researchersand practitioners alike-this work is designed tochallenge us to reconsider what we mean by "good"teaching, to look for it in some unlikely places, and tochallenge those who suggest it cannot be madeavailable to all children.

      This section argues that more research is needed to understand effective teaching for historically underserved students, especially studies that include the voices of families and communities. It also encourages teachers to study their own practice, valuing their lived experiences. Overall, it challenges both researchers and educators to rethink what “good teaching” means and to ensure it is accessible to all students.

    2. What is Culturally Relevant Pedagogy?In the current attempts to improve pedagogy,several scholars have advanced well-conceivedconceptions of pedagogy. Notable among these scholarsare Shulman (1987), whose work conceptualizespedagogy as consisting of subject matter knowledge,pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical contentknowledge, and Berliner (1988), who doubts the abilityof expert pedagogues to relate their expertise to novicepractitioners. More recently, Bartolome (1994) hasdecried the search for the "right" teaching strategies andargued for a "humanizing pedagogy that respects anduses the reality, history, and perspectives of students asan integral part of educational practice" (p. 173).

      This text explains that culturally relevant pedagogy goes beyond finding “correct” teaching strategies. Instead, it emphasizes a humanizing approach that values students’ histories, realities, and perspectives. It builds on earlier ideas about pedagogical knowledge (Shulman) and critiques the limits of expert teaching models (Berliner), arguing that teaching must connect deeply to students’ lived experiences.

    3. Critical consciousnessCulturally relevant teaching does not imply that itis enough for students to chose academic excel-lence andremain culturally grounded if those skills and abilitiesrepresent only an individual achievement. Beyond thoseindividual characteristics of academic achievement andcultural competence, students must develop a broadersociopolitical consciousness that allows them to critiquethe cultural norms, values, mores, and institutions thatproduce and maintain social inequities. If school is aboutpreparing students for active citizenship, what bettercitizens

      This text highlights that culturally relevant pedagogy centers students’ lived experiences. Instead of focusing on perfect teaching methods, it emphasizes a humanizing approach that values students’ identities, histories, and perspectives, arguing that meaningful teaching must connect directly to who learners are.