Strategies Used In Multicultural Classroom

Strategies Used In Multicultural Classroom

Introduction

Multicultural education is generally a concept of the education system that is built on the ideals of equality, freedom, justice, and human dignity that are provided in the declaration of human rights and also adopted by the United Nations (Taehee, 2016). It refers to the education that incorporates traditions, histories, values, and beliefs of people from different cultural backgrounds. It’s, therefore, a kind of education system that recognizes various roles that a school can play in developing and improving the values and attitudes that are important to establish oneself in this independent world (Taehee, 2016). It generally challenges all forms of discrimination within the society and the school by promoting the democratic principles of social justice and equality in the community.

Student diversity in schools helps to evolve coexistence among peers from different cultures, with better perspectives in the international field; However, there are differences in understanding cultures with some incompatibilities that make it challenging to understand methods that take students to a high level of internship, especially with the general respect of those who like to judge and have some prejudice (Bohm, Davis, Meares & Pearce, 2002).

Diversity can be in several ways. All the students from around the world, such as refugees and immigrant students, tend to influence not just their abilities or talents but also their culture and language skills in English classrooms (Cooper, Helmes& Ho, 2004). Like students and teachers, everyone has their cultural identification that determines their own beliefs, respects, and actions. Because their cultures are different from others, diversity can originate.

Once students and teachers are aware of cultural differences, they have the notion of racism and can vie to eliminate it. Classrooms with students and teachers from different cultures can be advantageous for both parties because they can examine what their culture has, try to understand and accept, or what makes a person identify(Witsel, 2003). Through their knowledge between cultures and races, they are able to reach a time of recognition of themselves and other cultures. The teacher is required to maintain peace and progress among the students. Therefore, the purpose of this research proposal is to examine the outcome in terms of students’ learning experience within different strategies that teachers need to use in multicultural classrooms.

According to Witsel (2003), the principal reason for this study will be to explore in deep the methods that are using in multicultural education with diverse social classes. A multicultural classroom can be designed when students and the teacher believe or recognize all races, cultures, and beliefs. This recognition is underlined by reading, thorough activities, and educational communication. In this research, it is important to assess how teachers overcome teaching by dealing with the cultural differences that are part of a majority education of the world today.

Problem statement

The most important responsibility towards the implementation of multicultural education to ensure that there is respect, equality as well as an equal opportunity for the performance and success of all the students belongs to the teachers. The teacher’s perception of multicultural education generally indicates how they will implement multicultural education. Data gathered from the study is this response to contribute to the literature related to the multicultural education that should be included in the education program.

Much research describes some of the obstacles that exist in multicultural classrooms. According to Witsel (2003), the main issue, having as evidence, the student’s academic level is lower according to the teaching perspectives. Notably, teachers’ work is not easy in terms of teaching, even if students have the same level of culture and economic background.

This is even more challenging, especially when teachers face difficult situations in which students are of different cultures and nationalities. This, therefore, becomes one of the reasons that undermine the educational level of students. Thus, teachers need to use their professional knowledge to try to understand other cultures and use professional knowledge to develop in the field of education, motivating students from different backgrounds to have better performance in the classroom.

Witsel (2003) proposes that the school teacher has a duty to be trained before beginning to apply different methods in different cultures of the classroom. Typically, the student does not live up to expectations to succeed for various reasons, such as language barrier, the dominion of diverse types of cultures which cover a broad range of topics and identities including race, religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or disability(Gayowsky, 2019).

As an example of a Chinese pupil that has been frightened of censure from his classmates, ask the teacher to avoid making enquires during the classroom to avoid him to commit mistakes by the fact that the interrogation method in education wasn’t aware in his own culture. According to it the teacher confronted with teaching issues and barriers in communication with the student that didn’t have a valuable and concrete model of education and studies methods of his background, consequently the chines pupil received low outcomes in the academic year (Cooper, Helmes & Ho, 2004)

There are important differences among cultures in communication; therefore, the interaction with students in the multiethnic classroom (Gayowsky, 2019).  The communication is different, originating from a negative influence on the international students’ academic accomplishment.

In this case, when both sides, the teachers and pupils in the multiethnic classroom does not have the same verbal type for communicating, it’s clear that they don’t comprehend each other and reveal themselves in a straight line for both sides the barrier differences. Thus, the effect is that pupils may have low academic achievement (Bohm, Davis, Meares & Pearce, 2002) (Cooper, Helmes& Ho, 2004). Different research demonstrated that the fact pupils in the multicultural classroom are frequently learning subjects in the following language, and this will critically disturb the pupils’ accomplishment when they don’t pursue aptitude or ability to learn different languages (Cooper, Helmes& Ho, 2004).

First and foremost, any school education teacher should teach students to respect their peers in conjunction with different cultures and beliefs. It is necessary to exclude prejudice in the early years of study and to understand that prejudice is used not only by adults often but also by children who are also exposed to various types of discrimination between them. Prejudices appear through the differences between people and schools that sometimes reproduce this discrimination, rather than eliminating and teaching how to promote this discrimination among students (Cooper, Helmes& Ho, 2004). The teacher is required to clarify the student about the three essential concepts:

The study reported that East Asian pupils are unenthusiastic in collaborating in tasks or communicating in the multicultural classroom for the reason they are studying in a new setting that they have been feeling not familiar(Bohm, Davis, Meares & Pearce, 2002). Consequently, tutors and students may encounter communication problems, such as the norms of teaching and learning due to scenario adaptation. The research also demonstrates that some tasks involving group or group study of teachers may not be familiar to some international students. In this sense, the different scenario is an issue that impairs some students to achieve their educational performance due to the cultural-educational environment.

Issues with identity, as well as the new culture and belief, sometimes bring issues in the intercultural classroom. Another study established that a good relationship and confidentiality, among tutors and their pupils within diversity classroom, is essential for creating confidence among pupils and the lecturer. This study also proposed that education should be measurable, and teachers may use tactics that should be changed to distinguish the pupils’ cultures and to increase students’ confidence. Therefore, students will feel appreciated and secure with their tutors and colleagues (Gayowsky, 2019).

The purpose of the study

The main purpose of this study is to discover the general perception of teachers who work in a diverse secondary classroom environment. In order to gain further understanding of how teachers plan their teaching strategies for use within the multicultural classroom to support pupils learning, the research questions and objectives are described below.

• How do teachers engage all pupils within a diverse classroom?
• How do children interact with a diverse classroom?
• How do you encourage diversity in the classroom?
• What are the advantages of multicultural education?
• Why is it important to teach culture in the classroom?

Literature review

The goal of multicultural education is to prepare their children for the world of ever-increasing diversity also to increase the student’s ability to communicate with others by engaging in active communication with others. Proper and effective teaching in multicultural education necessitates most of the culture, together with the creation of equal opportunities for personal development and educational success (Gayowsky, 2019). In a bid to become a successful multicultural teacher, the teacher must continuously examine him/herself to ensure that they are continually transformed. (Gayowsky, 2019) argues that the most effective teachers in the education system are those teachers who can learn and adapt to various cultures and teachers that the students can trust.

An explanation of what multicultural literature represents may be better understood before discussing it. The multicultural culture involves literature regarding people that are considered abroad, in certain form, have been marginalized. The main point of multicultural people is based on people of different races, cultures, religions, and ethnicities (Gayowsky, 2019). According to Colby &Lyon, 2004, the current article examines how children reflect themselves in the books and have been finding some correlation with their character and culture.  Pupils have the capability of making a connection between literature and their daily lives.

Children with knowledge literature may have wisdom and confidence in regard to their values (Gayowsky, 2019).

May the most important feature for selected a book is the capability to select the book that relays to types of situations of affair (Gayowsky, 2019).  When children don’t discover themselves mirrored in books, they don’t feel interested in literature and may don’t want to be involved in any type of reading; in addition, they see a School with a different perspective, a place not designed to them (Gayowsky, 2019). Students can establish a connection between literature and their daily lives. Literate children have more wisdom and confidence in their values (Taehee, 2016). The most important resource may be the wisdom of selecting the book that helps in situations of multicultural diversity (Taehee, 2016). When children do not find themselves mirrored in books, they are not interested in literature and may not want to engage in any kind of reading, and see a school with a different perspective, a place not designed for them (Taehee, 2016). When all students are engaged and respected may originate Multicultural literature (Taehee, 2016).

Importance of teaching culture in classroom

Multicultural literature can be important as a key to elucidating students. It contributes to stimulating and understanding diversity in the classroom as well as creating respect for people from other cultures. Therefore, this can be one of the ways of identifying racism (Joshua, 2002).

The standing of multicultural literature is more significant with younger children for the reason they obtain the most of their communications over images.  In cases that some children don’t identify themselves in literature, they tend to feel not evaluated because of the skin color; furthermore, in most cultures, children’s literature demonstrates white pictures of children. When pupils understand the results of looking in books where white people are only represented, they begin to identify with children from ignored cultures in children’s literature (Colby & Lyon, 2004).  The absence of consciousness is a real advantage that skin color can remain equally for adults and the same for children. Other importance may involve the development of vocabulary, incentivizing thoughts, helping others, shared information of their tradition, and encouragement positively their ideas and characteristics (Colby & Lyon, 2004).  Children can know about their background and the importance of their history.

How Teachers Take Part in Engaging and Encouraging Diversity in Classroom

Classroom diversity is very essentials in education setup hence the need to cultivate it due to social and academic advantages (Dills, 2017). Several strategies are used by teachers to encourage diversity in schools, as discussed in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, teachers can encourage diversity in the classroom through the examination of teaching materials (Dills, 2017). This involves identification of the speaking voices in the classroom, for example, in social sciences and humanities, materials for teaching may mostly be restricted to white, western, and middle-class narratives. Authors of color should teach literature. The missing voices can be identified by examination of descriptions such as examination of how civil rights interact with immigration, gender equality, and the narratives of the American people. Additionally, the diversity of ideas builds a productive environment that enables the evolvement of ideas into a more and new refined style. The pedagogical strategy facilitates student’s appreciation and valuing of all diverse forms and enrichment of diversity to learning.

Other projects applied to encourage diversity in the classroom include; ending homelessness using the first-grade rally (Warmington, 2005). That will aid in learning about homelessness and civil engagement. Pupils use creative skills to write letters and create awareness items such as songs and posters. Further, the use of language trials in second grade, pupils who speak Spanish in their residential areas can teach other pupils in class and the teachers on the style of production of Spanish songs. Next, the application of fourth-grade history, education on the gold rush, pupils can record diaries form different historical actors such as mine owners and workers alongside the women and immigrants’ perspectives working together with them.

Moreover, teachers should take to learn about their pupils. That can be done from the point of scheduling time within the day to walk and visit classrooms and the halls. Pupils should be initiated to see the sense of approaching the teacher with problems or rather to say hello so that the teacher follows through what they come forth — communication of the vision and goals to the teacher for the school. Pupils are therefore encouraged to go with any concern or question and work together to embrace diversity in the classroom. The other point should be showing school spirit. The pupils are given time to participate in the school events and reach out to other clubs and activities; hence they will be more willing to participate in school cultures.

Engaging diversity demands for meeting diverse learning necessities (Warmington, 2005). Diversity extends beyond measurable factors, only like social, economic status, and ethnicity. Instead, it involves ways students are exposed to learning in the classroom either through supports towards the disabilities or accelerated course for learning. Adaptive technologies should be introduced to equip pupils with the necessary support to get involved in the lesson together with their peers. Teachers should be encouraged to apply different teaching strategies such as differentiated instructions and project-based learning to enable teachers to meet the diverse needs of the learners and ensuring that all pupils are involved in the discussions in the classroom and activities. That can be done through tracking class participation and making the necessary adjustment (Dills, 2017).

They are making a connection with parents and the community. Schools being a central section of the city, should celebrate and reflect its diversity. The diversity goals should be communicated to the parents in the classrooms as they listen and presents their concern. The community is invited to go through the school curriculum in a school culture that could be focused on diversity. When students come across the community members, they see the people from different backgrounds making successful ideas hence get inspired about their future — hosting community food drive whereby the neighbors and parents are asked to bring non-perishable foods as a donation for the local food bank.

How Pupils Interact with Diverse Classroom in the School

As pupils begin their first year in learning institutions, they meet peers’ diverse abilities, languages, cultures, and backgrounds. Pupils, therefore, naturally express their curiosity, and it becomes the role of the grownups to accept the differences and similarities of diversity as a source of strength.

Moreover, this can be enhanced by Identifying and choosing of some classroom topics that uplifts celebrate diversity (Warmington, 2005). Pupils are making multicultural ideas besides the regular issues, and classroom activities usually made all year long. For example, they are avoiding inviting different families to present best traditions once a year with the class while embedding cultural conversations and experiences frequently in the year in learning institutions. Pupils are engaged in discussions regularly to felicitate viewing of the multicultural lessons.

Again, pupils also celebrate differences and similarities with artworks and charts (Rose, 2000). This is done concerning pointing out how amazing it is to have several pupils in a classroom setup with diversity in similarities and differences as it adds uniqueness and specialty — making chars with different eye colors, favorable foods, favorable stories, and family traditions (Rose, 2000). A shelf is also used to facilitate the display of classroom charts and artwork, signifying the differences and similarities of the pupils. This done proudly helps pupils to value diversity.

Pupils also verbally share the items that make them unique. Building cultural identity and giving time to communicate the strengths with the class to facilitate the boosting of self-esteem is considered very significant (Rose, 2000). Pupils talk in class about how significant to embrace the wellbeing of other people by making them feel good about who they are. Demonstrations are made to show how discouraging it can be to think that one is different from the other and what sharing of the uniqueness of oneself or the family demands of bravery. Pupils get the chance to share the amazing facts in themselves, families and talents, and passion. Children are taught words that can give support to one another and portray the value of everyone during the session of sharing. For example, that’s cool; I like the way you have handled that, among others.

Furthermore, pupils hold open conversations based on biases and stereotypes. Generally, the root cause of preferences holds when children are young (Lowe & Joffe, 2017). An explicit tackling of prejudices and stereotypes at early childhood helps in the reduction of biases as it aids the development of understanding and compassion in children. It expounds on how important it is to observe numerous similarities and differences besides the fact that other people also have lousy treatment on others due to their appearance in skin color, beliefs culturally, or based on gender. Pupils learn that it is unfair and not how one should be treated. Such conversation in a diverse global society is, therefore, important as it helps in the reduction of the likelihood likely to be adopted by the pupils concerning biasness and stereotypical point of view.

Advantages of Multicultural Education in the Classroom

There are several career benefits from learning a broad seen in every field of professionalism by the learners deciding to learn in multicultural classrooms compared to those who are not (Rose, 2000). The learners achieve a more comprehensive knowledge based on the diversity of cultures of the learning on the current global trade works and the human race. The first benefit is an elasticity to adjust. Bearing in mind that there are grading of lifestyles, commitments, and beliefs, pupils achieve the priority of independent choice on the right way to follow. Pupils get familiar with numerous cultures, cuisines, music, and activities matured on by others. A multicultural classroom also reduces the idea of favoring the minority group (Lowe & Joffe, 2017). The pupils learning in a multicultural classroom also get the advantage of becoming flexible and compliant with the changing situations of life.

Secondly is the increased awareness of diverse cultures. Learning classrooms having different races, religion, and cultural backdrops allow the pupils to grow higher conscious of different cultures existing in the world (Rose, 2000). The pupils easily comprehend new perceptions, ideas, vast values and able to understand and revere the choices and lifestyles of other people.

Thirdly, multicultural classroom enables the learners to discover the need to labor in a multicultural team. The most frustrating business dilemmas are mostly made in the multicultural groups. Learning in the multicultural classroom, therefore, enable professional understanding routines from diverse groups (Lowe & Joffe, 2017). This hence makes it possible able to conduct business globally with no misunderstanding likely to come in due to working with different countries.

Multicultural diversity helps to gain knowledge of many languages. People speaking many languages hold a higher possibility of success in commerce. The globalized economy has an unquestionable advantage for successful corporative. The global community has realized the importance of effective communication across several languages as a tool for connection creation and success to the economy.

Brighter opportunities also characterize the multicultural classroom (Lowe & Joffe, 2017). The leaner creates a more profound understanding of the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of others hence possessing higher levels of social and interpersonal skills, which is highly advantageous to pupils dropping school and getting to the workplace and higher education. The approach of the future becomes liberal to live as they become united in the community.

Conclusion

Based on the literature above, regardless of their abilities and background, all children in the classroom deserve equal treatment as capable and competent learners. Challenges often experienced like difficulty in communication or behaviors like temper tantrum and empathy should be practicing to reflect the learners that you know their areas of origin (Rose, 2000). Teachers should use statements that demonstrate respect to the learner’s perspectives. Additionally, teachers should set a role model for the learners and the people, although the school day. Teachers should remain mindful, looking like a model and decide to set a good. For example, to be followed by responding to diversity in an empathetic way, more consistently, to teach children about the practical strategies and positive attitude to create assurance that the learners can look for them for support in the classroom. The multicultural education system is a necessity because of the need for people who are having different characteristics and cultures to live with equal rights, furthermore, the need of everyone in the society to have equal democratic rights (Lowe & Joffe, 2017). The research thus recommends that several studies concerning democracy and other kinds of educational programs should be extended so that it can include a multicultural education system.

References

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Gayowsky, A., 2019. Reflections of an Ontario Student-Teacher in Scotland: Cultural Language  and Cross-Cultural Classroom Management. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 13(1), pp.71-77.

Lowe, H., and Joffe, V. (2017). Exploring the feasibility of a classroom-based vocabulary intervention for mainstream secondary school students with a language disorder. Support for Learning, 32(2), pp.110-128.

Rose, R. (2000). Classroom support: Using classroom support in a primary school. British Journal of Special Education, 27(4), pp.191-196.

Warmington, E. (2005). Book Review: Practical Ways to Support New Arrivals in the Classroom. Journal of Research in International Education, 4(3), pp.372-374.

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