Learning Styles of African American Children
Learning Styles of African American Children
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Issue Date
1996
Authors
Bethea-Walker, Sharon Lynn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
Research shows that African American children have a unique learning style. This project reviews factors that influence these learning styles. These influences include culture (African American and African traits), child-rearing practices, living environments, biculturalism, and the imposed social conditions and stigmas of being Black in America. These described conditions have contributed to the way African Americans interpret and perceive information as well as their responses in educational situations. This inquiry will also reveal that, because of the interplay of these conditions, the learning style of African American children tend to be more relational. Since the American educational system tends to reward a more analytical approach to learning (an approach that is in contrast to relational learning) a conflictual situation exists between many African American children and their educational process in school. This project suggests that African Americans have an autonomous culture, that autonomous culture contextualizes African American students' learning styles, recognition of these distinctive learning styles is essential to effectively teaching African American children, and the lack of such recognition has led to a conflictual relationship between African American students and mainstream
American educational institutions.