Culturally Responsive Teaching with Adult Learners

Education Sciences

The application of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in this article is used to provide a background into the instructional concept of CRT in higher educational settings and to provide examples for classroom pedagogical practice. This article provides instructional approaches that can be used in higher education classes to promote a cultural context to engage preservice teaching candidates who are seeking initial certification to become teachers-of-record and graduate-level teachers who are certified to understand and embrace the intersection of race, gender, religion, and regional cultures that contribute to identity. This article outlines instructional activities that can be used by faculty in higher education programs to assist their students with learning to co-construct culturally responsive lessons. This type of instruction should lead to a process in which faculty in higher educational settings can assist their preservice teacher candidates and graduate-level students in u...

e-Bangi, 2015

Malaysian school classrooms are characterized by its diversity whereby students (Malay Chinese, Indian and other ethnic groups) come from various cultural backgrounds. Studies have shown that culture influences the learning process and social adjustment of students. Providing culturally appropriate practice is one of the main concerns of the teaching profession. To do that teachers need to be able to promote cultural understanding to enable students to become sensitive to other students from other cultures and to eventually be able to live harmoniously in a multicultural community. They need to be multi-culturally aware of differences among students to better act as role models in classroom. The objective of this paper is to describe the effect of a multicultural competence workshop in raising a group of 128 primary school teachers' awareness about multiculturalism in the classroom. Multicultural competence comprises multicultural awareness (how people's attitudes, beliefs, values, assumptions, selfawareness affect the ways they interact with those who are culturally different from themselves), knowledge (informed understanding of cultures that are different from one's own culture) and skills (skills individuals use to engage in effective and meaningful interactions with those who are from different cultural backgrounds). The training workshop employs three main activities (a) self-awareness, (b) awareness of Malaysian cultures and (c) instructional strategies and resources. The qualitative data reveals that the teachers find that the workshop activities to be supportive of a culturally responsive pedagogy. These activities have helped them to be aware of their own thinking, biases and emotions towards diversity in the classroom. The activities of the workshop seem to have been facilitative in increasing the teachers' multicultural awareness and competency. It can be concluded that the teachers have positive responses to the workshop. The study indicates that teachers need to be exposed to multicultural activities that could assist them in implementing a culturally-responsive pedagogy.

2013

I would like to thank my committee members for providing such valuable feedback and support throughout this process. Dr. Hernandez-Gantez helped me synthesize and clarify my theoretical framework. Dr. Kromrey encouraged me to stretch my understanding of and ability to apply statistical theory to my research, for which I am incredibly grateful. Dr. Closson provided the spark which ignited my passion for culturally responsive teaching and is my role model of teaching excellence. Finally, Dr. James was not only a major professor, but also a mentor. I have learned so much from the experiences she has exposed me to, as well as simply listening to her timely and wise advice. Again, to all of my committee members, I thank you for guiding me during this process. I would like to thank all of the teachers and panel members who gave their time to complete my study. I would also like to thank my fellow students in Adult Education Department, especially my dear friend, Carmeda Stokes. The support, encouragement and friendship that we have shared made this an even more incredible journey. My mother has instilled in me the belief that if I put my heart and mind into something, I can accomplish anything. I thank her for that unconditional belief in me. Finally, it is almost impossible to describe the support that I have received from my husband, Barry Fossard. His patience and sense of humor helped me maintain my motivation and equilibrium. Thank you for helping me every step of this journey. i

International Journal of Lifelong Education, 2025

There is limited evidence about how culturally responsive teaching and learning (CRTL) is implemented in adult education. Departing from this gap, this study aimed to reveal culturally responsive adult education practices in a public education centre in Türkiye by investigating the perspectives of adult educators and students. This study was designed as a case study. Seven adult educators with experience teaching culturally and linguistically diverse adult learners and six of their students participated in this study. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed through content analysis. Six themes emerged during the study: adult educators' conceptualisation of culturally responsive education, adult students' needs and ideas, educators' role and expectations, CRTL practices implemented by adult educators, changes conducted implementing training modules, and problems encountered. The findings revealed that adult educators' conceptualisation of CRTL was restricted to considering all students equal. The cultural background of the adult students was rarely integrated into the teaching strategies of adult educators. In addition, adult educators depicted several problems such as language problems, lack of training and teaching material, and national policies. Turkish adult educators and students' perspectives may offer valuable guidelines for planning and conducting CRTL.

explores the importance of understanding the multidimensional of cultural diversity and inclusion and how this understanding can be used by professors and instructors to more effectively develop varied instructional strategies which will allow them to teach with better cultural responsiveness. The author describes a variety of approaches she has used in highly diverse classrooms with undergraduate and graduate teacher education students.

Curriculum Inquiry, 2013

This discussion examines some of the major issues and attributes of culturally responsive teaching. It begins with explaining my views of culturally responsive teaching and how I incorporate cultural responsiveness in my writing to teach readers what it means. These general conceptual frameworks are followed by a discussion of some specific actions essential to its implementation. They are restructuring teacher attitudes and beliefs about cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity; resisting resistance to cultural diversity in teacher education and classroom instruction; centering culture and difference in the teaching process; and establishing pedagogical connections between culturally responsive teaching and subjects and skills routinely taught in schools. Excerpts from samples of my own and others' scholarship are woven throughout to exemplify general patterns, themes, and principles of culturally responsive teaching.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

Studies have shown that culture influences the learning process and social adjustment of students. As agents of change, teachers need to be multi-culturally aware of differences among students and promote cultural understanding to enable them to become sensitive to other students from other cultures and to eventually be able to live harmoniously in a multicultural community. The objective of this paper is investigate 128 primary school teachers' understanding and level of multicultural competence and the effects of the training in raising awareness about multiculturalism in the classroom. Multicultural competence comprises multicultural awareness (how people's attitudes, beliefs, values, assumptions, self-awareness affect the ways they interact with those who are culturally different from themselves), knowledge (informed understanding of cultures that are different from one's own culture) and skills (skills individuals use to engage in effective and meaningful interactions with those who are from different cultural backgrounds). The training workshop employs three main activities (a) self-awareness, (b) awareness of Malaysian cultures and (c) instructional strategies and resources. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal a positive impact on the teachers' multicultural awareness and competency which supports a culturally responsive pedagogy. It can be concluded that the teachers had a positive response to the workshop. The study supports the need for multicultural awareness and competency training for teachers to help them manage a multi-culturally diverse classroom.

Focus on Exceptional Children

The field of education faces a number of issues regarding how to improve the quality of school life and educational outcomes of culturally different 1 students-namely African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians. All of the issues (high dropout rates, high suspension and expulsion rates, high rates of school failure, low test scores and grades, low academic engagement, poor student-teacher relationships, etc.) fall under the umbrella of three broad areas: the achievement gap, gifted education underrepresentation, and special education overrepresentation. Educators, administrators, and policy makers grapple daily with ways to resolve these issues and subissues but have yet to see much success on a large-scale and consistent basis. Many studies and theories, along with personal speculation, have been advanced to explain the differential school performance of the aforementioned culturally different students. Likewise, a number of interventions, strategies, and recommendations have been put forth. A strongly advocated recommendation, especially by culturally different scholars, is that educators avoid colorblind/cultureblind approaches and philosophies and, instead, give more credence to creating culturally responsive classrooms (CRCs) for the culturally different students listed above. MAY 2009 The term culturally responsive can have numerous meanings and interpretations. At its core, it means responding proactively and empathetically to appeals, efforts, and influences es. When we are responsive, we feel an obligation, a sense of urgency, to address a need so students will experience success. When teachers are culturally responsive, they are student centered; they break down barriers to learning and, hence, provide keys that open doors to students' success. Thus, to be culturally responsive means that teachers work proactively and assertively to understand, respect, and meet the needs of students from cultural backgrounds that are different from their own. Cultural responsiveness is the recognition that students are similar to, but also different from, each other. 1 In this article we adopt the term culturally different rather than culturally diverse. Everyone has a culture; every group is culturally diverse. Instead, we propose that cultural differences are what contribute to misunderstandings, tensions, and frustrations. Dr.

This study examines how African American adult female students respond to a culturally relevant curriculum. Research confirms that adults enter college classrooms with a variety of experiences that they value and experiences to which they wish to connect. Black female students in particular possess knowledge unique to their positionality in American society, and they want to apply this knowledge to what they are learning. A curriculum that speaks to their personal experiences and ways of knowing can be a bridge to connect what they want and need to learn. Three themes emerged from this study involving Black women and culturally relevant curriculum: language validation, the fostering of positive self and group identity, and self-affirmation or affirmation of goals. The study's findings reveal that the approach of integrating students' experiences as an explicit part of the learning agenda encourages them to participate to the fullest extent in their own education.