| The current study sought to extend the empirical literature pertaining to the academic performance of African Americans to include middle school students, and to examine how math achievement relates to instructional practice when participants' cultural preferences are emphasized. This study directly considered how student preferences for communal, individualistic, and vervistic cultural values influence student performance. It was suspected that cultural predilections for classroom instruction correlate with academic performance, as such preferences are grounded in the students' personal relevance, interests, and lived experiences. Results show that themes of communalism and verve closed the performance gap between high and low achieving students. Sixth graders also performed better in the communal context than in the individualistic context; the same was true for eighth graders and the vervistic context. The present study demonstrated that when their cultural experience is considered, children are better prepared to perform optimally given a demanding, yet inclusive, classroom environment. |
