I am the researcher and practitioner of this qualitative study. I will be actively collecting data while conducting lessons to analyze the effectiveness of CRTP and its effects on student learning. My aim of this project is to expose my students to the significance of “culture” in hopes that they will gain an understanding and appreciation of their customs and traditions as well as the customs and traditions of those around them.

          Growing up, my parents were very adamant that I needed to learn English to succeed in life. They spoke to me in Ilocano and I understood the context of their words but I never really mimicked what they said. I was taught that I shouldn't speak Ilocano because I would be looked down upon just as they were when they came to Hawai'i. I was exposed to customs of the Filipino culture but never really understood the history or significance of it. 

          Now that I am older, I regret not attempting to learn the language of my parents and relatives. Although it was their orders that I never spoke Ilocano, I honestly wish that I had adapted to connect with them in that way. I believe that it's a bit more challenging to learn a language at an older age rather than learning it when you're young. I also feel like there has been a big shift in cultural appropriation and appreciation in recent years as opposed to the insensitivities that my parents experienced when first coming to Hawai'i. Additionally, the August Ahrens community has a large Filipino population and a lot of my students' parents speak Ilocano. If I had learned the language, I feel that it would've credited me in a way to be able to communicate and form a deeper relation to my students' families. 

          However, this personal deficiency in the lack of cultural exposure fuels my desire to empower my students' exploration of their own culture. I strongly encourage students who speak another language to share the words they know and continue vocalizing this knowledge. I actively inform parents, who might have the same mindset as my own parents, that their home language is not a hinderance but an asset for their child. In my seven years, I tried different ways to possibly include cultural exploration into the curriculum but because of mandated constraints, it was difficult for me to do so. This is why this study is very important to me; to not only ignite the interest and importance of culture but also to possibly promote the inclusion of this content in elementary education and its core curriculum. 

          To collect data for this project, I am using my self-designed unit plan to assess the CRTP framework as presented in Banks's five standards (listed above.)  I will need to change hats from practitioner to researcher to analyze how the unit effectively fosters CRTP outcomes through the students' survey results, their cooperation in the lessons, and their behavior and how it affects the classroom environment as a whole.