Living Academic Research
Dr. Melanie M. Acosta
A Culture-Focused Study with Accomplished Black Educators 
on Pedagogical Excellence for African American Children

 
Dr. Melanie M. Acosta

Title: Assistant Professor of Elementary Education & Literacy, Department of Curriculum & Instruction College of Education University of Alabama
Research Topic: A Culture-Focused Study with Accomplished Black Educators on Pedagogical Excellence for African American Children
Institution: University of Florida
Committee Chair: Dorene Ross
Abstract: To address the pedagogical needs of African American learners, some educational researchers have rejected the seductive tendency to document damage, but rather intentionally showcase excellence in Black education. They have studied highly successful teachers of African American students, their teaching practices, beliefs, and self-efficacy. What emerged were rich descriptions, characterizations and interpretive frameworks of effective pedagogy, which constantly remind us that there are exceptional educators doing great things in African American education (Delpit, 2012; Hilliard, 2003). However, the strength of this work, which lies in its theoretical and philosophical core, is often underemphasized in many preparation programs (Gordon, 1997; Murrell, 2002) and even less well represented in the majority of classrooms across the country.

University of Florida @UF

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Bio

Melanie M. Acosta is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Alabama. Her work also examines the professional practice and identity of effective African American educators in ways that illuminate how they have relied on their cultural ethos to resist, transform and liberate themselves in ways that result in meaningful and non-alienating improvements in education and society. Her work is featured in such journals as Urban Education, The Urban Review, and African American Learners.  Prior to her work in higher education, Melanie was an elementary school teacher and a community organizer for a grassroots parent empowerment group.

Scholarship

Her scholarship is focused on the examination of pedagogical excellence and pedagogical hegemony, or the confluence of ideology and practices that either promote educational excellence for African American children or limits their opportunities to excel, particularly in the elementary literacy classroom. 

Abstract

This dissertation presents a conception of pedagogical excellence for African American learners as a way to help teachers and teacher educators understand the comprehensive nature of good teaching for Black children in America. It builds on the effective pedagogy literature as well as research on effective Black educators, and is grounded in the cultural knowledge and perspectives of a group of community-nominated, accomplished African American educators

The Unexpected 
from Research

The Interview

Click here to read Dr. Melanie M. Acosta's study: A Culture-Focused Study with Accomplished Black Educators on Pedagogical Excellence for African American Children.