Considerations in Teaching Culturally Diverse Children
Recent projections (Griffith, Frase, & Ralph, 1989) have
estimated that minorities in the United States will comprise one-third of the
population; in some metropolitan areas African Americans and Hispanics will
constitute a majority of the school-age population. In other communities, there
are concentrations of school-age children from both Native American and Asian
backgrounds with growing numbers of immigrants and refugees from Asia, Latin
America, and the Caribbean (First, 1988). Currently, the majority of prospective
teachers are White females (American, 1990), which stands in sharp contrast
to the backgrounds of the students they will teach. This digest examines considerations
within preservice teacher education programs to address this challenge.
BACKGROUND
There has been growing concern about how best to meet the educational
challenge of learner diversity. Some researchers (National, 1991) have raised
questions about the efficacy of teacher education programs which attempt to
deal with learner diversity and which explore changes in prospective teachers'
roles in modifying instruction. However, other researchers (i.e., Banks & Banks,
1989; Bennett, 1990; Sleeter & Grant, 1988) have recommended that the following
be included within the teacher education curriculum:
- At least one course in multicultural education that takes into
consideration the needs of all students
- Information about the history and culture of students from
a wide number of ethnic, racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds
- Content about the contributions made by various groups
- Information about first- and second-language acquisition and
effective teaching practices for working with students from limited English
proficient (LEP) backgrounds
- Field experiences and student teaching opportunities with students
from varying backgrounds.
COURSES IN MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
Currently there are multicultural education courses across
the United States which are used in teacher preparation programs. The issues
raised with respect to educational equality, equity, and social justice within
a historical, legal, and sociopolitical context are central to the content.
For many prospective teachers, the information provided in these courses is
new and has not been discussed in general education courses or in preservice
education courses. This background is important for the teacher to have in
order to understand the rights and responsibilities of students as well as
of teachers and parents. While having this information may not eliminate the
stereotypes or misconceptions that teachers have about groups, it can serve
to inform more directly future instructional decisions which they will make.
For example, while it may not eliminate some gender beliefs, being aware of
the attitudes and perceptions a teacher has about girls and boys and mathematics
may diminish sex-segregated groups within the class during math activities.
INFORMATION ABOUT HISTORY AND CULTURE
Information provided on the history and culture of future students
can be a valuable resource for the prospective teacher when making decisions
about students, adapting pedagogy, and involving parents. Successful models
of open communication between diverse teachers, students, parents, other school
personnel, and community liaisons can also be incorporated into teacher education
courses.
Many African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian
Americans have had educational experiences where they suffered as a result
of negative social, economic, and educational policies (Banks & Banks,
1989). Practices such as referral of these students in disproportionate numbers
to special education classes continue even today. With additional information,
teachers may be able to ask further questions or request technical assistance
in providing appropriate instruction before a referral is considered.
Some researchers (Bennett, 1990; First, 1988) have focused on
the miscues which occur between teachers and students based on misinterpretations
and generalizations made about cultural background. Student behaviors such
as attention-getting strategies, ways of responding to questions, and ways
of interacting are examples of actions which are influenced by cultural background.
For some African American, Native American, and Hispanic students, cooperative
grouping instructional activities may be better because they parallel the context
for learning found in their cultures. Teachers can consider modifying traditional
direct instruction to include other types of instruction from which all students
can benefit.
Another classroom factor to be considered is the extent to which
the literacy tradition of the home and culture closely resembles that of the
school. If there is a strong emphasis in the culture on the oral tradition,
then knowledge may be transmitted through "verbal usage and memorization" as
in the cases of Moroccan and Western Samoan cultures (Field & Aebersold,
1990). This is different from the highly literate tradition in the United States
and presents problems if the teacher expects certain types of classroom interaction
based on reading text.
The cultural values transmitted by parents can be markedly different
from those the children encounter in the schools. For example, among some Southeast
Asian parents the individual's role within the family is of primary importance;
personal desires are secondary (Morrow, 1989). Thus, for these students a decision
to care for younger siblings while parents work might come before a decision
to complete a school assignment. Understanding child-rearing practices, family
relationships, and interpersonal communication is critical in understanding
parents. Communication can be increased by using the home language for conferences
and providing written notices in both languages for those parents who have
difficulty with English. Community liaisons, aides, translators, or volunteers
who are bilingual can assist in this area. The teacher can solicit more participation
and cooperation from parents if the message is communicated appropriately.
INTEGRATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS
Modeling the integration of content about the contributions
of various groups is vital for prospective teachers because it can demonstrate
effective ways of using this information within the classroom. For many students
this may be the first opportunity they have had to be exposed to others' national
heroes, heroines, events, notable contributions, and theories.
LANGUAGE BACKGROUND
In working with students from varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds,
prospective teachers must recognize that many will come from diverse language
backgrounds. While there may be a group which can generally be described as "Southeast
Asian," these students come from different countries and also speak different
languages.
The incorporation of information about first- and second-language
acquisition and effective teaching practices for working with students from
LEP backgrounds is critical for teacher planning. Information about the language
strengths and needs of students will be helpful for working with special personnel
such as bilingual teachers and English as a second language teachers.
Knowledge about the student's use of both languages can assist
the teacher in the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking
skills activities. The teacher may know that one student has contact with English-speaking
peers outside of school and also reads material in English at home. Another
student may socialize primarily with students from his/her own language background
and read materials at home in the native language. This information can be
helpful to the teacher in setting up homework assignments as well as in-class
interactions with other students (Hudson & Fradd, 1990; Cheng, 1987).
FIELD EXPERIENCES
There is a need for field experiences and student teaching
opportunities to work with diverse students. Prospective teachers can benefit
interacting with these students before they enter the field and while they
are still able to dialogue with teacher educators and teachers in the field.
It can be a time to design instructional activities which can be applied within
a variety of contexts and with different learners. With changes in school populations
projected within this decade, it is important for prospective teachers to also
have contact with the populations which they will ultimately serve.
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