Author(s): Cedric D. Hackett
Published: October, 2016 in Journal of Pan African Studies
URL to article
Research Focus Area: Asset-based best practices for serving Black and Latinx teens
Abstract:
This article examines an undergraduate Africana Studies course on Black men in contemporary times at a public institution in California, with the majority (74%) of the students identified as Black or African American. Concepts of Kufundisha (Neville & Cha-Jua, 1998) were employed to create a co-curricular field-exercise called the “Men of Color Enquiry & Student Research Poster Session.” The poster session is an instructional practice that fosters intellectual investigation, discovery, and critical thinking skills of participants. Student groups develop a research question or hypothesis relevant to the course content. The research posters provide a means for communicating background information, methods, frameworks, and discussion of a topic of collective interest, while focusing on the specifics of the investigation results (Newbrey & Baltezore, 2006). As a culturally responsive teaching model used in Black studies, Kufundisha allows a professor to observe the collective categories of learners in order to support and encourage students to explore their social experiences in ways that are racially inspiring and liberating. This model also encourages the construction of an emancipatory educational setting which permits students to become actively engaged in their own learning process. Applicable components of the model, the student poster assignment and evaluation, and student reflections are discussed.
Research Question(s):
Does the culturally responsive teaching model of Kufundisha provide an effective method for teaching intellectual investigation and critical thinking regarding African Studies for Black men?
Methods:
Literature Review, Intervention
Setting:
Implementation of a Kufundisha program at a California institution for higher learning with 124 participants – 74% of whom identified as Black or African American.
Key Findings:
- Traditional teaching methods, particularly for African American students in white institutions, are not always effective pedagogical practices in helping students actively engage in their learning experience.
- Kufundisha, which involves education based on African culture, correlates with a greater awareness of the Black community’s needs regarding higher education.
- Kufundisha improves cultural awareness among all participants.
- Kufundisha is a proven, culturally responsive teaching model that helps faculty understand their students’ social realities in a way that is racially engaging regardless of race or ethnicity.
- Kufundisha is a teaching method found to foster validation, empowerment, and transformation in a racially liberating way, leading to college retention and success.
Implications:
When studying how to increase cultural awareness among the student population, the following should be considered:
- Providing education on cultural differences will improve and enhance cultural awareness.
- Cultural awareness is best achieved through entire campus support, including administrative support.
Limitations:
The study involves only one institution and one particular method of instruction, Kufundisha. Therefore, the results are valid for Kufundisha, but other culturally distinct methods would each require their own evaluation. Further study should also include a larger sample to ensure a more representative study.