elementary teachers' perceptions of children living in conditions of poverty

221 Pages·2017·1.37 MB·English

University of the Pacifc
Scholarly Commons
University of the Pacifc Teses and Dissertations Graduate School
2018
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS
OF CHILDREN LIVING IN CONDITIONS
OF POVERTY
Terri J. Robinson
University of the Pacifc,
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ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDREN
LIVING IN CONDITIONS OF POVERTY

by

Terri J. Robinson

A Dissertation Submitted to the
Faculty of the Graduate School
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

Gladys L. Benerd School of Educatio n
Doctor of Education Degree in Curriculum and Instructi on

University of the Pacifi c
Stockton, California
2018
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ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDREN
LIVING IN CONDITIONS OF POVERTY

by

Terri J. Robinson

APPROVIED BY:

Dissertation Advisor:
Committee Member:
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Copyright © 2018
Terri J. Robinson
All rights reserved
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DEDICATION

I dedicate this dissertation to my mother who was a strong and a wise person. She was
my first teacher, who encouraged me to believe in myself. She shared her infectious love
and generosity.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The success of this journey would not have come to fruition without my spiritual
relationship with God. Therefore, I acknowledge Him for guiding me along this
extraordinary, yet challenging path.
Next, I must thank my mother, Carolyn, for instilling her wisdom, strength,
motivation, and determination in me while inspiring me to follow through with the goals
I set for myself. Although she is not here with me, I thank her for giving me moments of
confirmation that she is still here, which helped me to endure some of the moments when
I thought I not be able to follow through with this dissertation journey. I thank my sisters
Tanya and Traci for being my cheerleaders from the very beginning all the way to the
end, believing in me that I would achieve this goal. I am truly blessed to have both of you
in my life. I’m blessed with your unconditional love. There is nothing like having sisters
and being able to talk about anything, hang out and enjoy each other’s amazing
personalities. I’ll take sisters over friends any day.
To my dad Thomas, I thank you for listening to me and making an effort to help
me over the phone or in person during short visits. Although you could not help me out as
much as you would like, I still had to learn the process of this dissertationj ourney chapter
by chapter. My aspiration to earn a doctorate wasd eeply influenced by your obtaining
your own doctorate. I followed in your footsteps and down the same career path in
education that almost mirrored yours.
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To my best friend, Leslie Perry, who I have known since I was three years old,
my special thanks. You have always been incredibly supportive of my education path and
have offered love and support for who I am as a person. You’ve always been there for
me, encouraging me while we enjoyed each other’s company. I value your friendship,
and I am forever thankful.
Finally, I thank my esteemed committee, Dr. Thomas Nelson, Dr. Harriett Arnold,
and Dr. Marilyn Draheim, who believed in me from day one and offered a secure support
network in completing my dissertation whether near or far on opposite coasts. I thank you
from the bottom of my heart for going out of your way during your busy schedules and
personal time off to read through my work. I genuinely thank you so much for seeing me
through to the end. I could not have gotten here without such an amazing committee and
an impressive group of people. Dr. Nelson, my dissertation advisorI, thank you so much
for having confidence in me, putting forth the effort and going the extra mile to work
with me! I am greatly indebted to you for being so dedicated .
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ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDREN
LIVING IN CONDITIONS OF POVERTY

ABSTRACT

Terri J. Robinson
University of the Pacific

This study analyzed elementary teachers’ perceptions of their challenges working
with children who live in conditions of poverty. This study found that teacherso ften
work with children from very difficult situations, including exposure to alcohol, drugs,
violence, and abandonment. This study found that no matter the challenges teachers
encounter daily, they remain motivated, dedicated and determined to take the necessary
steps to meet the needs of their students. One way they do this is by using Culturally
Responsive Pedagogy, which attempts to include various aspects of their students’ daily
lives and interests in the curriculum. The teachers in this study were concerned about the
number and frequency of mandated tests , which can take away from instructional time.
However, this study also found that teachers valued formative assessments to help them
meet their students where they are academically. All the teachers reported that
establishing partnerships with stakeholder s was important to obtain community support
for their schools. Although children from a background of poverty will always present
challenges, the teachers in this study remained committed to working with their students
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with respect and appreciation and to meet their personal and academic needs in moving
these children towards academic success.
Keywords: academic success, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, poverty,
elementary teachers, assessments, formative assessments, curriculum, perceptions,
attitudes, challenges
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Table of Contents

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….. 12
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………. 13

CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………… …. 15
Background of the Study…………………………………………........ 17
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………… 21
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………... 23
Research Questions…………………………………………………… 23
Significance of the Study……………………………………………… 24
Definition of Terms…………………………………………………… 24

2. LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………. . 28

Poverty………………………………………………………………..... 29

Overview of Poverty…………………………………………………… 30

Relevant Theories of Poverty…………………………………………... 32

Poverty’s Influence on Learning……………………………………….. 36

Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools………………………... 43
Historical Foundations of the Study……………………………………. 49