A Study on Community and Technical College Students' Identification of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Author

• Cynthia J. Carow Schiebe, Minnesota State University MoorheadFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-7-2026

Document Type

Dissertation (799 registration)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Graduate Studies

Committee Chair

Caitlin Johnson Ph.D

Keywords

culturally responsive pedagogy, community college, higher education, CRP competencies, intersectionality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students could identify culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and, to what extent, in a community or technical college classroom where a set of goals and strategies had been established to guide methodology. Previous research on CRP traditionally focused on the educators’ or administrators’ interpretation of what students had learned when CRP was used as a methodology to reduce the opportunity gap. Students in classrooms where CRP was used were able to identify content that was aligned with their needs and wants, bring their own lives into the class without fear, balance their lives and classroom content, and see their culture within the content of the course material. Learning what students experienced in the classroom helped identify the student voice and what they observed, which, in turn, provided the opportunity to help educators understand if what had occurred in the classroom was experienced by students. This study aimed to investigate whether community and technical college students were able to identify CRP methodology in a class they had completed between Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. Equity-focused and CRP methodology had been directed to be integrated into college classrooms using goals and strategies that were created by the state higher education system that governed the colleges involved in this study. The researcher conducted a quantitative study using a convenience recruitment method, focusing on students who had been enrolled in classes at colleges that were members of the statewide system between the years 2024-2025.

Results of the survey showed that a higher number of White students than Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) or Biracial students identified CRP as being used in their classes. BIPOC, Biracial, and White students all reported that faculty had high expectations and standards in class. The use of CRP as a methodology involved using materials from authors who represented the students in class, introduced topics or perspectives related to students, and created a classroom where students could guide their learning and apply material to their own lives. This meant faculty not only had to integrate resources from diverse authors, but they also had to use different pedagogical strategies to teach the information. When one component of creating an equitable classroom was used, for example, introducing diverse authors into the reading, it does not mean pedagogy was changed. The same example can be shared in reverse: using CRP strategies but continuing to use resources and readings that reflected one population or the Eurocentric hierarchy perspective did not mean success rates and the opportunity gap would change. Integrating diverse content and using CRP to deliver the content reflected changing a classroom to be equity-focused and using CRP.

White students identified CRP as being used in their classrooms at a higher rate than BIPOC or Biracial students, which could have meant that faculty used CRP strategies to teach content but were not diversifying the content. Therefore, White students were able to see themselves in the material and experience the pedagogy that was used. BIPOC and Biracial students did not experience CRP at the same rate as White students. BIPOC and Biracial students may not have been able to see themselves in the content, which resulted in them not being able to experience the pedagogy, since the pedagogy focused on supporting students through their learning by having curriculum and content that reflected themselves and could be relatable.

Recommended Citation

Carow Schiebe, Cynthia J., "A Study on Community and Technical College Students' Identification of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy" (2026). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 1136.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/1136