Culturally relevant teaching
Encyclopedia
Culturally Relevant Teaching is a pedagogy
that recognizes the diverse cultural characteristics of students from different ethnic backgrounds and adjusts teaching methods to account for this diversity Culturally relevant teachers display cultural competence: skill at teaching in a cross-cultural or multicultural setting. They enable each student to relate course content to his or her cultural context.
The term “culturally relevant teaching” is often used interchangeably with "culturally responsive teaching"
While the term culturally relevant teaching often deals specifically with instruction of African American students, the theories are applicable to other cultures as well. For instance, there is extensive research on culturally relevant teaching among Indigenous American youth.
in the early 1990s and has become more widely known and accepted in the education field. For example, the U.S. Department of Education's Equity Assistance Centers, such as the Equity Alliance at ASU
help states, school districts and schools to establish the conditions for equitable educational outcomes for all students, using cultural responsiveness as one of the measures of the needed capabilities of teachers, principals and school communities as a whole.
The theory surrounding culturally relevant teaching is connected to a larger body of knowledge on multicultural education
and helping culturally diverse students excel in education. Researcher argue that there are gaps in academic achievement between mainstream culture and immigrants or ethnic cultural groups. Often, culturally diverse students are unnecessarily placed in special education classes simply because of linguistic and cultural differences. In response to these challenges, some researchers and teachers believe that education should be adapted to “match the cultures students bring with them from home.” Many of these researchers and educators support the constructivist theories of education
because such perspectives recognize the value of multiple cultural viewpoints.
, where students and teachers take turns leading the class discussions. Reciprocal teaching methods give students the opportunity to express the material according to their cultural viewpoints, which is very important according to the constructivist educator.
Similarly, many educators recommend cooperative learning
methods as effective teaching strategies to promote culturally relevant learning. Rather than fostering competitiveness among students, group learning strategies encourage collaboration in the completion of assignments.
Games and cross-cultural activites allow students personal interaction with different cultures. For instance, in the three-hour game, “Ba Fa Ba Fa”, students participate in one of two very different cultures and must learn the languages and customs of that cultural group.
Other suggested strategies include family history research where students interview family members and learn about familial cultural influences on their own lives, and reflective writing
where students write about their beliefs and cultural assumptions Students may choose to write about their cultural identity and its connection with their educational experiences.
In culturally relevant pedagogy, new teachers must be taught how to adapt their curriculum, methodology, teaching methods, and instructional materials to connect with students’ values and cultural norms. Therefore, another challenge for educators is to prepare reflective practitioners who can connect with diverse students and their families. Even though some schools of education acknowledge credibility in training culturally relevant educators, many wrestle with how fit such training into their program and “grudgingly add a diversity course to their curriculum.” One contributor to this reluctance comes from the education professors’ discomfort with or fear of addressing issues such as racism in their courses.
Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID)
is a program from the San Diego (California) public schools that helps underrepresented students (including those from different cultural groups) by mixing low-achieving students with high-achieving students in college preparation programs. “AVID employs many principles of cooperative learning in its "writing, inquiry, and collaboration" approach to curriculum and instruction. The Russian Mission School in Alaska incorporates Native American culture with the standard curriculum and emphasizes hands-on activities that are relevant to their local lifestyle. Gloria Ladson-Billings
, in her book The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children., presents several examples of excellent cultural relevant teaching in African American classrooms.
No author identified. Culturally Responsive Teaching.http://www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/culture/Teaching.htm
Similar terms include: Culturally Appropriate; Culturally Congruent; Culturally Responsive; and Culturally Compatible
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
that recognizes the diverse cultural characteristics of students from different ethnic backgrounds and adjusts teaching methods to account for this diversity Culturally relevant teachers display cultural competence: skill at teaching in a cross-cultural or multicultural setting. They enable each student to relate course content to his or her cultural context.
The term “culturally relevant teaching” is often used interchangeably with "culturally responsive teaching"
While the term culturally relevant teaching often deals specifically with instruction of African American students, the theories are applicable to other cultures as well. For instance, there is extensive research on culturally relevant teaching among Indigenous American youth.
Historical Context
Culturally relevant teaching was made popular by Dr. Gloria Ladson-BillingsGloria Ladson-Billings
Gloria J. Ladson-Billings is an American pedagogical theorist and teacher educator on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education. Ladson-Billings addresses the issues of educational incongruity in teaching African American children in the 21st Century within her book The...
in the early 1990s and has become more widely known and accepted in the education field. For example, the U.S. Department of Education's Equity Assistance Centers, such as the Equity Alliance at ASU
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
help states, school districts and schools to establish the conditions for equitable educational outcomes for all students, using cultural responsiveness as one of the measures of the needed capabilities of teachers, principals and school communities as a whole.
The theory surrounding culturally relevant teaching is connected to a larger body of knowledge on multicultural education
Multicultural education
Multicultural education is a set of strategies and materials in U.S. education that were developed to assist teachers to promote democracy while responding to the many issues created by rapidly changing demographics of their students. Multicultural education means to ensure the highest levels of...
and helping culturally diverse students excel in education. Researcher argue that there are gaps in academic achievement between mainstream culture and immigrants or ethnic cultural groups. Often, culturally diverse students are unnecessarily placed in special education classes simply because of linguistic and cultural differences. In response to these challenges, some researchers and teachers believe that education should be adapted to “match the cultures students bring with them from home.” Many of these researchers and educators support the constructivist theories of education
Constructivism (learning theory)
Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Piaget called these systems of...
because such perspectives recognize the value of multiple cultural viewpoints.
Characteristics of Culturally Relevant Teaching
- Validating and Affirming: Culturally relevant teaching is validating and affirming because it acknowledges the strengths of students’ diverse heritages
- Comprehensive: Culturally relevant teaching is comprehensive because it uses “cultural resources to teach knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes.”
- Multidimensional: Culturally relevant teaching encompasses many areas and applies multicultural theory to the classroom environment, teaching methods, and evaluation.
- Liberating: Culturally relevant teachers liberate students.
- Empowering: Culturally relevant teaching empower students, giving them opportunities to excel in the classroom and beyond. “Empowerment translates into academic competence, personal confidence, courage, and the will to act.”
- Transformative: Culturally relevant teaching is transformative because educators and their students must often defy educational traditions and the status quo.
Suggested Teaching Strategies
In order to be culturally relevant, teachers must create an accommodating and inviting classroom culture, if they are to reach diverse audiences. Teachers must demonstrate that they care for their students, because a genuine attitude of interest is likely to yield positive emotions that empower and motivate students. One way teachers can make their classroom less intimidating is through reciprocal teachingReciprocal teaching
Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity in the form of a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text. Reciprocal teaching is an excellent reading technique which aids the teaching process...
, where students and teachers take turns leading the class discussions. Reciprocal teaching methods give students the opportunity to express the material according to their cultural viewpoints, which is very important according to the constructivist educator.
Similarly, many educators recommend cooperative learning
Cooperative learning
Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. Students must work in groups to complete tasks collectively...
methods as effective teaching strategies to promote culturally relevant learning. Rather than fostering competitiveness among students, group learning strategies encourage collaboration in the completion of assignments.
Games and cross-cultural activites allow students personal interaction with different cultures. For instance, in the three-hour game, “Ba Fa Ba Fa”, students participate in one of two very different cultures and must learn the languages and customs of that cultural group.
Other suggested strategies include family history research where students interview family members and learn about familial cultural influences on their own lives, and reflective writing
Reflective writing
Reflective Writing is a practice in which the writer describes a real or imaginal scene, event, interaction, passing thought, memory, form, adding a personal reflection on the meaning of the item or incident, thought, feeling, emotion, or situation in his or her life...
where students write about their beliefs and cultural assumptions Students may choose to write about their cultural identity and its connection with their educational experiences.
Challenges to Culturally Relevant Teaching
Not all educators favor culturally relevant teaching. Indeed, there are many practical challenges to implementing culturally relevant pedagogy including a lack of enforcement of culturally relevant teaching methods, and the tendency to view students as individual units only, rather than seeing them as linked inseparably with their cultural groups.In culturally relevant pedagogy, new teachers must be taught how to adapt their curriculum, methodology, teaching methods, and instructional materials to connect with students’ values and cultural norms. Therefore, another challenge for educators is to prepare reflective practitioners who can connect with diverse students and their families. Even though some schools of education acknowledge credibility in training culturally relevant educators, many wrestle with how fit such training into their program and “grudgingly add a diversity course to their curriculum.” One contributor to this reluctance comes from the education professors’ discomfort with or fear of addressing issues such as racism in their courses.
Examples of Culturally Relevant Programs
There are many examples of culturally relevant programs:Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID)
Advancement Via Individual Determination
Advancement Via Individual Determination is an American college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges, focusing on students in the academic middle. The formula is to raise expectations of students...
is a program from the San Diego (California) public schools that helps underrepresented students (including those from different cultural groups) by mixing low-achieving students with high-achieving students in college preparation programs. “AVID employs many principles of cooperative learning in its "writing, inquiry, and collaboration" approach to curriculum and instruction. The Russian Mission School in Alaska incorporates Native American culture with the standard curriculum and emphasizes hands-on activities that are relevant to their local lifestyle. Gloria Ladson-Billings
Gloria Ladson-Billings
Gloria J. Ladson-Billings is an American pedagogical theorist and teacher educator on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education. Ladson-Billings addresses the issues of educational incongruity in teaching African American children in the 21st Century within her book The...
, in her book The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children., presents several examples of excellent cultural relevant teaching in African American classrooms.
External links
Coffey, Heather (2008). Culturally Relevant Teaching.http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4474No author identified. Culturally Responsive Teaching.http://www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/culture/Teaching.htm
Similar terms include: Culturally Appropriate; Culturally Congruent; Culturally Responsive; and Culturally Compatible