Date of Conferral

4-10-2024

Date of Award

April 2024

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Felicia Blacher-wilson

Abstract

Black boys in grades third through fifth are not developing reading comprehension skills compared to their peers in an urban southeastern school district. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of third through fifth grade reading teachers on reading comprehension of Black boys in this district. The conceptual framework was culturally relevant pedagogy. Research questions involved teachers’ perceptions of why Black boys in grades 3-5 struggle with reading comprehension skills and what they felt was needed to support them for success. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 reading teachers with at least 5 years of experience in this district. Incorporating thematic analysis, key findings were that participants perceived Black students to struggle with reading comprehension due to lack of interest, home life problems, and lack of interest in reading among role models. Findings indicated instructional strategies and differentiations based on student needs are necessary to best meet the needs of this population of students. Participants claimed additional cultural-related classroom resources, more engagement tools, diverse text, and extra time were needed to be effective in meeting the reading comprehension needs of reading comprehension for -this population of students. Further recommendations for research regarding specific engagement tools, cultural-related resources, and diverse texts could improve reading comprehension for this population. Recommendations from findings will help teachers enhance their instruction of reading comprehension skills so Black boys gain a deeper understanding of reading with hopes of performing at a level that is equal with their peers.

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