Research Essay



Research Essay - Addressing Cultural Challenges in the Classroom

Introduction

Now days, there are some gaps that are complex to be examined especially in educational settings i.e. the cultural gap or distinction between teachers and students. Most of the people associated with educational professions are from diversified backgrounds such as middle-class, white, and monolingual-English speakers, and the similar type of profile cannot always be workable for each different student. A lot of teachers make efforts for bridging this distinction with an embrace of the Golden Rule or color-blindness, by treating others in the manner they would desire to be treated. But, the reality is that: 'culture matters'.

In this research essay, there will be the exploration and discussion of three different challenges that can come up in the ways of teaching to culturally diverse students, and require some appropriate teaching strategies to address those challenges in an effective manner. Also, there will be summary of the classroom challenges in relation with any of the sociological perspective and the theory of Piaget for the pre-operational stage of cognitive development.

Discussion

There come many challenges in teaching especially in a classroom where the culturally diverse students are present to learn something. Such challenges may be of many forms like; a culturally challenged classroom is one where learners and teachers are different from each other by means of recognition, appreciation, and capitalization on diversity for enriching the total experience of learning. Regardless of any cultural differences such as gender, age, religious affiliation, ethnicity, political beliefs, and socioeconomic status, a teacher must be well efficient in developing personal contacts with all the students (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995). The learning environment in the classroom must be filled with genuine appreciation and mutual respect of cultural diversity for every learner.

Strategies to address Cultural Challenges involved in a Classroom

Figure 1 - Strategies to be used in a culturally diversified classroom (Barker et al., 2013).

Positive Interactions with Students

It is necessary for the teacher in a culturally diversified classroom to communicate with all students in a positive manner by making them clear on the first day of class that we are here to learn new things along with respecting each other differences in any sense (Black, 2006). The teacher must provide opportunities to students that they could be able to interact with teacher even informally other than just in classroom, as this thing will boost their confidence to ...