collaborated on studies combining culture and education, two such studies were “In search of cultural themes and their expressions in the dynamics of classroom life” (2005) and “Culture in the sanctioned classroom practices of elementary school teachers serving low-income African American students” (2006). Culture In addition to combining culture and education in his studies, Boykin also studies culture on its own. Boykin is interested in researching and developing appreciation for African American culture. Two of these studies are “Examining cultural socialization within African American and European American households” (2008) and “Communalism: conceptualization and measurement of an Afrocultural social orientation” (1997). In addition to general studies of culture, Boykin also studies the impact of culture on attitudes. “Culture-based perceptions of academic achievement among low-income elementary students” (2005) is one such study in which Boykin examines the mediating effect of cultural learning orientations on opinions of academic achievement. This work takes on the task of arguing with those who claim that African American students have negative attitudes towards academic achievement. The study involved low-income African American and Caucasian fifth grade students. The students were given a scenario in which academic achievement occurred, each scenario represented a different learning orientation: individualistic, competitive, verve, or communal. The children were then asked questions that evaluated their attitudes towards the scenarios. Boykin and his colleagues found that African-American students supported academic achievement in the scenarios that represented the orientations of verve and communalism. These same students held negative perspectives when the academic achievement occurred through competitive or individualistic means. Previous findings have asserted that African American children have negative views of academic achievement, this study shows that these views are not of the achievement itself, but of the means by which it is attained. Additionally, this study demonstrates how pervasive cultural learning orientations are in the lives of children. Boykin and his colleagues go onto assert that integrating communal and verve orientations into public schools might be a good way to make African American children feel more positive about academic achievement. This study captures the type of research and contributions that Boykin puts forth; he assesses the problem and makes suggestions to remedy it. Methods Boykin has also conducted studies on specific methods and constructs, particularly those used in educational research. “Analysis of complexity preference in Head Start nursery school children” (1971) is a study that examines the meaning of findings regarding children's choice of more