About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 3. Schooling and Education

Abstract

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The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially contributed to lasting change to elementary education for Black American families. Facing disproportionately adverse health outcomes and economic stressors, these families are continuing to engage in telelearning at higher rates than White American families (Horowitz, 2021). A critical factor influencing educational quality and student outcomes is the teacher-student relationship, which has been relatively unexplored in telelearning environments (Arnesen et al., 2019). A central facet of the teacher-student relationship, teacher sensitivity to elementary student social, emotional, and academic needs has been variably linked to supportive outcomes, depending on students’ race, socioeconomic status, age, and ethnicity (Cornelius-White, 2007). This mixed-methods content analysis examined existing literature on teacher sensitivity, with a focus on cultural and contextual dimensions, to conceptualize teacher sensitivity for Black American elementary students within telelearning settings to advance understanding of its protective influence. A PRISMA-informed systematic search identified 60 relevant studies of teacher sensitivity and elementary telelearning published between 2017 and 2022 (Moher et al., 2009). Articles were deductively coded to examine quantitative frequencies and qualitative descriptions of components of teacher sensitivity, the learning environment, and Black American elementary student experiences. During this process inductive codes related to distinctive components of teacher sensitivity were also identified. After coding was completed, iterative content analysis began (see Figure 1). Quantitative findings across literature coded as highly attentive to the Black American experience and literature coded as telelearning, identified warmth, cultural sensitivity, demand, individual focus, teacher disposition, and equity as the most frequently occurring components of teacher sensitivity (see Figure 2). Finally, thematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings from coding revealed teacher sensitivity for Black American elementary students in the telelearning context prioritizes safety, fosters authentic and humanizing interactions, and emphasizes equitable and culturally relevant technology use. Implications for advancing research on teacher-student relationships and enhancing telelearning teaching practices to support Black American elementary students were derived.

Keywords: Black American youth, cultural sensitivity, elementary education, teacher-student relationship, telelearning

Author information

Author	Role
Stephanie Swanberg, Tulane University	Presenting author
Courtney Baker, Tulane University, United States	Non-presenting author

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