A PRACTITIONER TEACHER INQUIRY PROJECT EXPLORING CULTURALLY INFORMED LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND INCLUSIVE CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM

This mixed methods practitioner teacher inquiry project examined the role of culturally informed literacy instruction and inclusive children’s literature in shaping students’ understanding of culture and identity and explored how to design more effective professional learning experiences to support teachers who want to enact this instruction in their own classroom. Taking on the roles of both teacher and researcher, I worked with a small group of 10 fifth-grade students/participants over the course of five weeks. A pre-instruction survey was used to assess students’ prior knowledge of culture, which helped inform the selection of culturally inclusive picture books that served as the foundation for instruction. Each week, students actively engaged in discussing one focal picture book, making personal connections, and developing reflective responses through writing/drawing in their journals. Ongoing data analysis and reflection were used after instruction each week as part of shaping the selection of subsequent culturally inclusive picture books and writing/drawing activities. Additionally, mid-point focus group interviews, final one-on-one interviews, and post-instruction surveys were conducted to better understand students’ evolving understanding of culture across time and to evaluate the impact of the books and instruction. Through this iterative, responsive approach to both teaching/learning and research, students developed a deeper awareness of culture, including their own cultural identities. Findings suggest that intentionally eliciting and incorporating ongoing student voice, carefully reviewing and selecting culturally inclusive picture books, using probing questions to guide critical discussions, and taking on a reflective teaching approach can enhance cultural awareness, literacy engagement, and inclusivity in the classroom. Furthermore, these practices critically disrupted traditional teacher-centered models by positioning students/participants as co-constructors of knowledge. This transformation fostered a more democratic classroom culture, validating diverse identities and experiences, and challenging dominant narratives that often marginalize non-dominant voices in curriculum and literature. By leveraging culturally inclusive picture books and enacting these kinds of practices, classrooms can become spaces for critical consciousness, empowering students to see themselves as agents of change both within and beyond the school setting. This study contributes to the field of culturally sustaining pedagogy by highlighting the impact of responsive, student-centered culturally informed literacy instruction during a time in which teachers/schools are facing political pressure at the state and national level to de-emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.<p></p>