Validating Classrooms: Teaching Strategies to Advance Equity in Developmental Education

Research on developmental education reform has given surprisingly limited attention to what happens inside the classroom between faculty and students. Our qualitative study used interview data from 20 faculty and 20 students in corequisite math and English courses at one of the nation’s largest and most racially diverse community college systems. Specifically, we used validation theory to examine faculty teaching strategies and support structures that may increase academic success among corequisite students. Our findings demonstrate that the most effective faculty, who often had course pass rates 20% above the institutional average, created validating learning environments that addressed students’ academic and interpersonal needs. We provide recommendations for expanding the use of validating teaching and learning practices in corequisite-developmental education courses to ensure more equitable student outcomes.