It is stressed now more than ever that
teachers need to capitalize on the
growing racial and ethnic diversity in
their classrooms.
Why culturally responsive
practices are needed
Gloria Ladson-Billings said culturally
responsive practices empower students
intellectually, socially, emotionally, and
politically by using cultural references
to impart knowledge, skills, and
attitudes of inclusion.
These practices also involve using
students’ cultural knowledge, prior
experiences, and frames of reference
to make learning more relevant and
effective. In the absence of culturally
responsive instruction, students
may experience slower literacy
development.
Cultural relevance, or
responsiveness, was introduced
in the early 1990s by scholars who
believed students of color were prone
to low academic achievement due to
the discontinuity between home and
school, which is reflective of some
parents’ views about school not being
important. Ethnically diverse students
are often celebrated culturally, but
within the classroom their culture is
not used as a learning tool.
Robert T. Jiménez suggested a need
to transform literacy education through
examining the cultural and linguistic
backgrounds of students to modify and
adapt the content and instructional
methods. Researchers believe if
educators incorporated elements of
culture and language, diverse students
would show academic growth.
Scholars agree that as students
from diverse backgrounds become the
majority, there will be a greater need to
provide them with an education that is
relevant to their experiences.
Consider Amla
The following anecdote is a real
example of the instructional dimension
of culturally responsive practices:
While transitioning from her
native country to the U.S., Amla
admitted difficulty connecting with
students: “I am from South Africa and
my parents are from India. I am not
used to teaching black and Hispanic
students or seeing the lackadaisical
manner in which some of them take
education.”
In building relationships with
students, Amla had to explore their
lifestyles, culture, and language.
Eating lunch together provided the
opportunity to engage in culturally
based conversations. As a result, many
of the misunderstandings she had
disappeared.
Through analysis of her own
sociocultural experiences, Amla
incorporated cultural ways of thinking
and learning into the classroom. She
expressed she could not rely on prior
knowledge and experiences with the
diverse cultures in her classroom
because these experiences did not
necessarily match the lives and
experiences of her students.
Amla integrated various
perspectives when teaching literature.
She brought in works that related to her
own country to demonstrate her way of
life was not extremely different from
that of her students. She taught them
that racism is a struggle for people all
over the world.
Amla used the movie Skin to have
a critical dialogue. The movie, set in
South Africa during apartheid, involves
the main character, Sandra Laing, a
black child born to white Afrikaners.
Sandra’s complexion was the result of
black ancestry of which neither parent
had knowledge.
While Amla felt the content fit the
theme of racism and other “isms” that
oppress, one student took issue and
asked, “Why do we have to watch this?
What does this have to do with English
class?” When Amla brought up the
lesson objectives, the student replied,
“We’re tired of hearing about your life.
That has nothing to do with us.”
Although the movie met the
objectives, Amla failed to supplement
the lesson with relevant instructional
materials or real-world experiences to
which her students could relate.
Becoming a culturally
responsive teacher
Culturally responsive pedagogy covers
three dimensions: institutional,
personal, and instructional. The
instructional dimension is most
important as it relates directly to
student achievement because it
includes the materials, strategies,
and activities that form the basis of
instruction.
Materials are designed to
effectively teach students how to read
and write using materials in which they
see their own culture. Research shows
students who do not see themselves in
the materials become disengaged.
Strategies allow students to analyze
and construct meaning from their own
experiences. Metacognitive processing
strategies demonstrate the overlap of
the skills they use at home and in the
classroom. Graphic organizers, primary
language reading materials, and basal
texts can be used to teach specific skills
in a primary language and then transfer
them to English.
Cultural responsiveness goes
beyond the celebration of holidays and
requires a complete shift. One obstacle
is many teachers possess limited
intercultural experiences to bring into
the classroom.
However, teachers can become
culturally responsive by respecting and
learning more about the culture and
experiences of all students; adopting
inclusive practices; encouraging critical
conversations on diversity issues; and
validating students and promoting
equity within the classroom.
I believe teachers must have
the motivation and prior training
required to teach literacy in a culturally
responsive way or they will continue
to perpetuate the Western style of
individualism. Because education is
not “one size fits all,” utilizing only
one teaching style prevents culturally
diverse students from reaching their
literacy potential and becoming
productive citizens. ■
Cultural responsiveness goes beyond
the celebration of holidays and requires
a complete shift.
READING TODAY | March/April 2015