What should teachers understand in order to address student diversity in their classrooms?
Page 3: Cultural Diversity
When we use the word culture, we are generally referring to the beliefs, values, customs, and social behaviors of a group that are reflected in their everyday life. Cultural norms are learned as they are passed down from one generation to the next. Though culture can be tied to specific racial or ethnic groups, it can also encompass broader groups of people. Think about the term Southern. It encompasses and reflects something about Southern culture that is very different from that of the North or the Southwest. As mentioned on a previous page, there are over 1,000 different cultures represented in our schools today. This cultural diversity means that teachers will have students who display different ways of learning, behaving, communicating, and interacting with others.
Why Culture Matters
Because culturally based behaviors are so ingrained, teachers often don’t realize that tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language can vary across cultures. Consider the story of seven-year-old Amelia. Not long after she’d moved to a new school, the principal called her parents to complain about her behavior; she continued to address her teacher as “ma’am” (something the teacher was uncomfortable with) even after being told not to. As you might have already guessed, in Amelia’s culture, saying “ma’am” was the expected appropriate behavior, an ingrained reflexive response that was difficult for her to stop. Further, she knew she would get in trouble at home if she did not address female authority figures in this manner. From the teacher’s point of view, however, Amelia’s behavior appeared patronizing and disrespectful, especially after she had been told to stop. And this was just one brief interaction. Imagine the potential for other culturally based conflicts—known as cross-cultural dissonance—that Amelia might experience throughout the course of a day, much less an entire school year.Cross-cultural dissonance can also occur when the methods of instruction used in school differ from what students may be used to. For example, in some cultures children are expected to observe quietly and then imitate adult activities. In others, adults spend a great deal of time talking to and questioning children. In yet others, students are expected to be inquisitive and ask lots of questions. When these types of learning behaviors conflict with the teacher’s expectations, the teacher may mistakenly believe that the student is inattentive, lazy, or defiant. Similarly, when the teacher’s instructional behaviors conflict with the student’s expectations, the student may perceive the teacher as unfair, uncaring, intimidating, or insensitive to his or her feelings.
Day 1
| Teacher behavior | Student behavior | Misperception | Reality |
| Because Marcos appears to be struggling in math, his teacher tells him to ask for help if he doesn’t understand something. | Marcos does not ask for help and only gets a 54% on his assignment. | The teacher thinks Marcos is lazy and doesn’t want to ask for help. | In Marcos’ culture, asking for help implies that the teacher did not explain the topic well. He does not ask for help because he does not want to insult her. |
Day 2
| Teacher behavior | Student behavior | Misperception | Reality |
| The next day, Marcos’ teacher decides to work with him, despite his “refusal” to ask for help. She calls his name, beckoning with one finger for him to come to her desk. | Marcos looks ashamed as he approaches her desk. As they work together, he seems to become frustrated and gives only short, curt answers. Frustrated, the teacher finally sends him back to his desk. | The teacher thinks Marcos does not want to work with her, reinforcing her perception of his laziness. | In Marcos’ culture, beckoning with one finger is an obscene gesture. He is deeply hurt that his teacher would behave this way toward him, but also embarrassed and angry that she would do so in front of everyone. |
After one brief interaction, the teacher already has a negative perception of Marcos. Her misperception is reinforced after the second interaction. On the other hand, Marcos, who was only trying to be polite, ends up feeling insulted and humiliated.
A curriculum that fails to adequately or accurately reflect multiple cultural viewpoints can send an unspoken message to students that their cultures’ contributions or history are not valued. Further, instruction might be confusing to students if their cultural experiences or background knowledge are different from or inconsistent with those of their teacher. For example, in the Challenge movie, some of Ms. Christie’s students who have American-Indian heritages questioned her lesson on Westward expansion because it contradicted their families’ oral histories in which their people were invaded by settlers from the East. Similarly, these students may experience a cultural disconnect if their group’s knowledge or contributions are not recognized in other classes as well.
Making a Difference in the Classroom
- Acknowledge and respect different cultural heritages
- Teach students to understand and appreciate their own and others’ cultural heritages
- Recognize the strengths and contributions of individuals from historically underrepresented groups
- Activate students’ prior knowledge and connect what they know to what they are learning
- Use a wide variety of instructional techniques (e.g., role-playing exercises, storytelling) that align with the way in which the student is taught in his or her own culture
- Expand the traditional curriculum to ensure that diverse perspectives are embedded by incorporating multicultural knowledge, resources, and materials in all subjects
For Your Information
Teachers can turn to a variety of sources for more information about cultures, including:- Museums and cultural centers
- School district trainings
- School personnel from diverse communities
- Community events
- Group or individual meetings with families
