Culturally Responsive Social Skill Instruction for Latino Male Students
Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions
Published online on April 28, 2014
Abstract
Cross-cultural friendships and peer interactions are important skills for Latino students to become socially adjusted in U.S. schools. Culturally responsive social skill instruction allows educators to teach essential social skills while attending to the native culture and personal experiences of the students. The present study examined the effects of culturally responsive social skill instruction through a peer-mediated format on the social interactions of eight Mexican-heritage elementary Latino male participants with non-Latino students during recess. Four participants were trained to serve as tutors to deliver 12 computer-assisted social skill lessons with embedded video models on friendship building to their peers. Using a single case, multiple probe across student dyads design, the results of this study indicated that all participants increased the number of appropriate verbal social interactions with non-Latino peers. Implications for practice and future research are discussed in relation to culturally responsive social skill instruction for Latino students.