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Teaching Black Immigrant Students in Urban Schools: Teacher and Peer Relationships and Academic Performances

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Abstract

This study examines teachers’ cultural awareness of Black immigrants and the pedagogical strategies they implemented that aided in the academic success of Black immigrant youth attending public urban schools. A related goal was to examine Black immigrant youths’ relationships with teachers and peers, the challenges they faced in navigating a new educational system, and how it influenced their academic performance. Drawing on culturally responsive teaching, we examined teachers’ cultural knowledge and understanding of the life experiences of Black immigrant students. Participants were 25 teachers and 20 Black immigrant youth. Qualitative research, including semi-structured and focus group interviews were used to collect data. Three major themes emerged from the study. These include (a) Black immigrant youth perspectives and experiences attending United States public urban schools comprising the following subthemes: (1) challenges attending urban schools, (2) students’ resilience to achieve success in school, (3) supportive parents and high expectations; and (4) navigating through school with bi-cultural identity. The second theme is (b) the multiple cultures Black immigrant youth bring to the urban classroom, and the third theme, (c) strategies of teaching Black immigrant youth in public urban schools. Findings demonstrate the need for teachers to understand the rich cultural diversity that Black immigrant students bring to the classroom to be able to connect with their life experiences inside and outside of school.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Theory and Practice, ED114, School of Education, University at Albany – State University of New York-Albany, New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Alex Kumi-Yeboah

  2. Psychology Department, Social Sciences Building Room 109, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Rd., Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

    Adaurennaya C. Onyewuenyi

  3. Department of Teaching and Learning, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Patriann Smith

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  1. Alex Kumi-Yeboah
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  2. Adaurennaya C. Onyewuenyi
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Correspondence to Alex Kumi-Yeboah.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Interview Questions—Black Immigrant Students

  1. 1.

    What goals did you have when you came to the U.S.? How are you doing regarding to achieving those goals?

  2. 2.

    Knowing what you know now, would you want to come to the U.S. again? Why or why not?

  3. 3.

    Tell me more about your educational experiences after moving to the U.S. How did your schooling experiences in your home country affect how you performed in your new schools? If so, why not?

  4. 4.

    What has been your relationship with your teachers?

    (Probes: Tell me how your teachers have helped you at school to succeed. What has been the most support you have received from teachers? Please give some examples.

  5. 5.

    In what ways would you describe your relationship with teachers as it relates to your academic success?

  6. 6.

    Has anyone (teachers or peers or school staff) treated you differently because you are from Africa and/or the Caribbean? Do you feel that you have ever been discriminated against in the U.S? Could you give me an example? Why do you think you were treated/discriminated? Could you provide me with one example?

  7. 7.

    What are the challenges do you encounter with your teachers in the classrooms and at school?

  8. 8.

    Please describe the role your play in helping you to achieve academic success in school?

  9. 9.

    Could you describe in detail your parents’ expectations from you?

  10. 10.

    Tell me what has been the most challenging moment in school for you? How did you manage through the challenges to succeed?

  11. 11.

    Describe your relationship with your classmates/friends at school? Tell me how do your classmates treat you at school? How do you collaborate with your classmates in class discussions or the classroom social environment? Discuss any positive experiences if any with your classmates in your new school; Please give me one example of your positive experience. Have you experienced any negative dealings with your classmates? If so in what ways?

  12. 12.

    How would you describe your educational experiences in urban school?

    (Probes: Do you get help in school? Do you get any respect by teachers and classmates in school? Who do you count on when you have questions about school work? Do you feel school is the place where you can talk to about your trouble/challenges?) If so, why? Please give me examples.

Appendix 2: Interview Questions—Teachers

  1. 1.

    How many students are you teaching this year? How many of them are Black immigrant students?

  2. 2.

    Among the immigrant students you teach, what have been the challenges they face in urban school? (Probe: Could you describe the cultural knowledge and experiences of Black immigrant youth you have observed in school?)

  3. 3.

    How many years have been working with immigrant students, particularly Black immigrant students attending urban schools?

    (Probes: Have you had any other professional experiences working/teaching with immigrant students? If yes, please describe? (e.g., teaching ESL to immigrant students).

  4. 4.

    Tell me how have your relationships been with Black immigrant students in urban school? (Probes: Could you describe how much interaction do you have with other Black immigrant students in class in relation to their cultural knowledge both inside and outside of school? How are they different from other immigrant students? How much are they different from non-immigrant students?

  5. 5.

    How would you describe Black immigrant students on the dimensions of attendance, completing assignments, motivation and effort? What about their behavior/conduct, relations with classmates and relations with authorities? What are their attitudes towards school?

  6. 6.

    What instructional supports do you provide to Black immigrant students in your classes to help them succeed in school? (Probe: Please give me some examples of the instructional support or strategies. What has been the best instructional support that seems to work well with immigrant students? Do you have any support you would like to share?)

  7. 7.

    Could you describe what has made Black immigrant students succeed in school? What do you think are the specific factors that have helped them to succeed in urban school?

  8. 8.

    Do you encounter any challenges teaching Black immigrant students? If so, in what ways? How do you address the challenges to help them succeed?

  9. 9.

    How often do you interact with the parents of Black immigrant students? What are your expectations from parents to help immigrant students to succeed in school?

  10. 10.

    Tell me how do much Black immigrant students share their schooling experiences in Africa and/or Caribbean? If so, in what ways, if any. What about their school and social experiences in U.S. schools?

  11. 11.

    Do you have any other thoughts to share about your experiences teaching Black immigrant students?

  12. 12.

    Have you taken any professional training or workshops on teaching immigrant students from Africa and/or Caribbean? If so, please give me the source, If no, why?

  13. 13.

    What are your future goals for teaching Black immigrant students?

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Kumi-Yeboah, A., Onyewuenyi, A.C. & Smith, P. Teaching Black Immigrant Students in Urban Schools: Teacher and Peer Relationships and Academic Performances. Urban Rev 53, 218–242 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00570-2

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