The Importance Of Student-Teacher Congruency In Academia
Perhaps the most significant issue in academia today is the achievement gap between minority students/students of color and their White peers. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP), the achievement gap in education refers to the phenomena when one subgroup of students outperforms another group based on average standardized test scores, grades, graduation rates, and other forms of academic measures. By acknowledging this racially charged achievement gap, we must first understand the significance of race within the classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of student-teacher demographic congruence, also known as race matching between students and teachers in academia. We will begin by demonstrating a clear distinction between the student-teacher demographics, identify negative experiences through underrepresentation, discuss several advantages of student-teacher congruency, then provide steps which may help alleviate negative experiences from student-teacher incongruency. The national demographic disparities in the United States between student-teacher representation is extremely daunting. In the 2011-2012 academic year alone, the U.S. Department of Education: Civil Rights Data Collection survey reported an overall public-school enrollment rate of 51.7 % for White students, 45.7% for racial/ethnic minority students, and 2.6% for students that claim two or more races. In direct comparison, the 2011-2012 U.S. Department of Education: National Principal & Teacher Survey reported an overall public-school rate of 81.9% White teachers, 17% racial/ethnic minority teachers, and 1% for teachers that claim two or more races. The rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino student population has not been accordingly met by adequate teacher-student ratios; Nevada is a great example of this, in which the Hispanic student demographic is an overwhelming 39%, while Hispanic teachers only make up 9%. This data clearly demonstrates a mismatch between growing minority student populations and the lack of equal racial/ethnic representation within the public-school system. One common problem that educational researchers consistently address among student-teacher incongruency is the possibility of racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination. An example would be the ‘model minority’ stereotype assigned to Asian Americans for their educational success and achievements within the U.S. This stereotype is inherently “misleading and damaging to ethnic groups that are extremely disadvantaged” because it implies that other minorities, such as African Americans and Latinos, are not trying hard enough and should look to Asian Americans for the blueprint to success. Additionally, this is harmful to other Asian Americans who have not met these academic or social standards of achievement.
In the classroom environment, teachers may classify all Asian students as academically capable, and therefore hold them to higher standards; when in fact “South Asians, Chinese, and Koreans, outperform whites on a number of measures, but low-achieving Asian American groups such as Cambodians and Laotians have outcomes comparable to African Americans”. Being of Asian American/Pacific Islander descent, I was consistently a victim of this type of prejudice. My teachers expected a well behaved, passive, and intelligent student. However, as I struggled with the curriculum and often questioned the teacher’s authority, I was labeled as an outlier and a troublemaker, which developed feelings of inadequacy in my failure to live up to such expectations. Latino students also suffer from such racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination. Cherng (2017) found that first and second-generation immigrant Latino students experience forms of prejudice by math and English teachers, in perceiving Latino students as inadequate in their ability to understand course material due to cultural and language barriers. Discrimination toward these students often result in an unattached, weak student-teacher relationship, thus developing feelings of inadequacy associated with the classroom environment. As members of a potentially stereotyped group, whether African American/ Native American/ Asian American/ or Latino, there develops a level of mistrust toward anyone outside one’s group. Due to previous experiences of racism, prejudice, or initial socializations by the primary or secondary group, minority students who suspect such bias by instructors, are likely to suffer in terms of motivation therefore levels of academic achievement and success. Crocker and others (1991) also argue that attributional ambiguity, not knowing whether the feedback one receives is based upon merit or affiliation to stereotyped group, causes high levels of uncertainty and anxiety, which may also effect levels of self-esteem. Students who typically struggle with English, such as Hispanic/Latino students, may experience attributional ambiguity, resulting in low self-esteem and motivation to fully participate in classroom environments which focus on their weaknesses. When tutoring children at Esther Bennett Elementary School in Sun Valley, NV, majority of the children were of low-socioeconomic status spoke Spanish at home, and English as their second language. As I skimmed the room for volunteers to practice reading, it became apparent that the children who struggled most with reading comprehension and Standard English avoided volunteering to practice as often as possible. Therefore, it is important that non-congruent teachers, myself in this case, have a cultural understanding of their students in order to be mindful of their insecurities and insure them that practice and effort will produce good results. Now that we have discusses some of the negative experiences through lack of student-teacher congruency in the classroom, we can discuss some advantages of having minority group teachers: Role models – previous research indicates the importance of minority students to see themselves as reputable members of the community, especially in the classroom environment.
Inner city public schools with high demographics of African American and Latino students can benefit from representation by African American and Latino teachers. If these students are only exposed to forms of authority by predominantly White teachers and faculty, while simultaneously exposed to minorities in non-authoritative low-level positions such as maintenance and janitorial work, self-affiliation to those most like themselves is inevitable. The result of such exposure could develop direct associations of placement in the hierarchy of society based on similar attributes, characteristics, cultural background, etc. As we alluded to, it is imperative that minority students are exposed to “teachers of color” (Villegas, Strom, & Lucas, 2012) and authority figures of similar cultural background, who of which may serve as direct role models within a system that places minority groups at a clear disadvantage. These role models can offer several benefits: first, is the understanding of the students’ cultural background. In an ideal situation, teachers of color that grew up in the same neighborhoods, stem from similar socioeconomic status, and have a direct understanding of the culture surrounding their specific community, are most effective in having a much deeper level of understanding than that of an outsider. Similar to those who dedicate their lives to making a difference in their own community through law enforcement, these teachers of color understand social norms unique to their own community that cannot be taught in the classroom setting but learned through direct community involvement and upbringing. Because of these personal experiences, teachers can mentor and guide students through social issues they too have experienced. Quiocho & Rios (2000) agree that minority group teachers “are more likely to bring critical, social justice orientation and consciousness that stems from their real, lived experiences with inequality”. It should be known that although the academic achievement gap has narrowed, it is still prevalent today among minority students creating a racial and ethnic hierarchy in the educational system; which is why teachers of color are important in their roles, providing a sense of hope, change, and a direct example of how ones efforts and persistence can achieve levels of success. The perfect example of this would be my SOC 101 instructor at Solano Community College, Professor Johnson also known as “Professor J”. Of African American ethnicity, he was born and raised in Vallejo, Ca, which is known for its extremely high crime rate, ranked among the top 100 most dangerous cities in the U.S. and top 4 most dangerous in California, tracking right behind the city of Oakland, Ca. In 2008, Vallejo was the largest city in America to claim bankruptcy, which contributed to an alarming rise in crime, prostitution, unemployment, etc. Consisting mainly of racial/ethnic minority groups (African Americans, Filipino Americans, and Latinos) of low socioeconomic status, professor J, through his efforts and persistence worked his way into UC Berkeley on an athletic scholarship, shortly after he obtained a master’s degree at Sacramento State University, and is currently a tenured professor at Solano Community College in Vallejo. Professor J does not only teach sociology, but is an active member of the community, providing avenues for students to develop their sociological lens through attending conferences, participating in rallies concerning social justice issues, hosting guest lectures by extraordinary public figures, last but not lease, serving as a role model for his students.
As a teacher of color, coming from a rough, at-risk, highly discriminated, low socioeconomic background, Professor Johnson is a living example to his students that come from similar circumstance, that through education, it is possible to be successful and live a meaningful life of service. Villegas and others (2012) report that “many students of color come from economically impoverished backgrounds and have limited access in their communities to successful professionals who are racially or ethnically similar to them, exposure to teachers of color gives them hope that they, too, can aspire to hold responsible positions as adults”. Teachers of similar background are also able to relate to students on through personal experiences. Professor J, for example, was able to directly connect with his students because they shared the same alma mater. In fact, he went to the same high school as some of his students and graduated from Solano Community College prior to his acceptance to UC Berkeley. There is a saying “if it has been done before, it can be done again”, and it was through Professor J’s experiences that students were able to imagine their own possibilities of success. Teachers of color also offer unique experiences that most White teachers cannot, and that is their personal experiences in facing racial inequalities, racism, ethnocentrism, etc. When I first graduated from SCC and transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno, I was a young eager sociologist, passionate about the current issues of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem during NFL games. Being that UNR was Kaepernick’s alma mater and it was football season, I attended my first UNR football game after just weeks of arriving. Holding a “Veterans For Kaepernick & Black Lives Matter” sign during the game, I was verbally threatened by people in the stands, hit with different types of stadium snacks, and physically jumped by three white males. Of course, they had gotten away with it, in which security was more concerned about me causing a scene. The first person I contacted was professor J, explaining what happened. This speaks volumes about my trust in him as a both a mentor and an authoritative figure that I felt, could empathize because of shared minority experiences.
Favorable perceptions of teacher by student – Egalite & Kisida (2018) found that on average, student-teacher congruency in terms of race and ethnicity, report having more favorable perceptions of their teacher, which is significantly strengthened when also matched in gender. For example, while analyzing the student-teacher demographic match on academic perceptions and attitudes, Black-male students were found to have an extremely negative correlation of effort with white female teachers, in comparison to white-female students and a positive correlation of effort with white-female teachers. Black-male students had a higher correlation of effort with black-male teachers, indicating that positive perceptions and attitudes also positively affect efforts. We must also be wary however, that there are always a variability of factors, and that direct student-teacher congruency may also have to pertain not only to race/ethnicity or gender, but also similar socioeconomic status, as Cohen (2002) explained; that black teachers of high socioeconomic status can be perceived as ‘acting white’ within this oppositional culture, therefore the strength of teacher-student congruency is dependent upon the strength in similarities of race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. As we continue to focus on narrowing the educational achievement gaps within the United States, it is important to also consider the positive effects that student-teacher congruency has on feelings of motivation, increased efforts, and overall connection/belongingness within the classroom, also known as the “heart of the nation”. Although recent research has tackled various methods of hiring teachers of color to close the gap between student-teacher congruency through policy implementation and recruiting efforts, I find it extremely important that in attempt to stabilize student-teacher congruency several points should be met:
- Gendered/Racial/Ethnic representation,
- Socioeconomic representation,
- Community based leadership and recruitment programs, and
- National training requirements for non-ethnic/non-colored teachers to take a course on community/cultural understanding of the district of which the school they are teaching is located.
