DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

Diversity in Education
Molly E. Rathje
Concordia University

Diversity is present in multiple forms in the education system. Race, gender, religion,
and even disability are some of the mainstream types of diversity in the world today. From
children who have special needs to students with exceptional skills, each child in the education
system needs to be taught in different ways in order to meet their different needs. Each educator
is there to benefit the child and to help them grow the best they can. The actual definition of
diversity can seem like something that would want to be avoided in a classroom, yet in all
actuality it is vital to a thriving environment. A key term that is related to diversity is
ethnocentrism, which is the attitude or impression that ones own belief system is superior to the
belief system and cultures of others, (Heuberger, 2004). This idea can lead to numerous
problems within the learning environment. This can prevent awareness and understanding of
difference by assuming ones own beliefs are superior and therefore cause misunderstanding and
conflict to occur (Heuberger, 2004). It can lead to many left out students, not by choice, but by

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self-beliefs. To some, diversity can mean a negative experience for a child, but to others it is the
thread that brings students together. In todays society, diversity is becoming more and more
common, which is an outcome of years without it.
Diversity can come in many different forms, such as racial diversity. Racial diversity has
been a large part of the education system, dating back to 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education
of Topeka. This case involved a young girl named Linda, whose father thought it was unfair that
she was not allowed into a white school near where she lived. This was a large milestone for
those who fought for equality in education. It took many years of fighting and lawsuits for
children, but segregation of color in the schools was banned, although, even to this day, there still
is not perfect equality for all students. Research is being done, though, to close this gap because
having diversity in the classroom can be very beneficial. Socializing with someone of a
different racial group or discussing racial issues contributes to the students academic
development, satisfaction with college, level of cultural awareness, and commitment to
promoting racial understanding, (Chang, &Astin). Tests have been made to see if students can
benefit from a racially mixed schooling environment. According to a study done by Chang and
Astin, the definition of diversity in relation to education is to provide opportunities for all
students to interact with students from different racial groups. If this definition was used for
their study, then their research would seem to be relevant. In one of the studies that specifically
tested these new measures, the results show that racial diversity has a direct positive impact on
the individual white student: The more diverse the student body, the greater the likelihood that
the white student will socialize with someone of a different racial group or discuss racial issues,
(Chang, & Astin). This study shows that diversity can have a positive impact on a student. Each
student has different experiences which will make each outcome slightly different. Socializing
with students of different backgrounds can be hard for a student at the beginning, yet great things
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can come as a result. They will have a greater understanding of other cultures and will gain
knowledge about other students, which without the diverse grouping, they could not.
Another form of diversity comes in the form of gender in society. As we all know, in the
past, males have had more opportunities than females to receive greater career advancement.
Males have held the higher paying jobs such as principals while females held jobs such as
secretaries. Although, in todays society, the females are being found more and more in higher
paying jobs. However, females have often been singled out and have received less education
than males, as well. Throughout history, females were not expected to grow up with education,
and rarely was one seen attending college, but over the past sixty years this began to change.
Hornay (2002) stated that the first woman was accepted into the Harvard Medical School in
1945, and by 1972, Title XI was passed to help end the discrimination based on sex for any
educational program that received federal funding. So by 1980, enrollment of women nearly
equaled men in many of this nations colleges. Women currently make up 57% of all college
students (Marklein, 2005). So as you can see, the gap between men and women is slowly being
closed. This change will hopefully improve the diversity in the education system, in that same
manner.
There are issues with religion being diverse in education today also. The reason with this
is that religion in schools is not allowed, yet schools take off days that are only prevalent in some
religions. According to (Goodstein, 2010) the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, asked
roughly 3 thousand Americans thirty-two questions on religion, and the results were shown that
on average nearly half of all questions were answered incorrectly. She also said most
Americans wrongly believe that anything having to do with religion is prohibited in public
schools. Also, she said eighty-nine percent of those surveyed answered correctly the
question about teachers leading prayer in the classroom. Although less than fifty percent of
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those surveyed knew that the Bible is allowed to be read from the Bible as an example of
literature. Only about one third knew that a public school teacher is permitted to offer a
class comparing world religions. The surveys authors concluded that there was
widespread confusion about the line between teaching and preaching. (Goodstein, 2010)
According to this, many Americans have misconceptions about religion in the classroom.
Religion is a very diverse topic in America today. It is not something that can be taught in
the classroom. The Bible is allowed to be read from, but only for literature purposes. There
is no way for religion to be plainly taught. Every American wants his or her child to learn
only their religion. This diverse issue has raised many problems in public schools. Many
teachers, in order to not cause any issues, simply do not talk about religion in any way,
except when necessary. Religion has been, for years an issue in the education system, and at
this rate, will stay that way for many years to come.
Another type of diversity in the classroom is among children with Obsessive-Compulsive

Disorder (OCD). A child who has OCD does not have the same educational experiences as one
without. This type of disorder can be recognized and dealt with in and outside of the classroom.
In order to give the child the best experience, the cooperation of the parents and school is very
important. There are several signs that a child may have OCD, which can be noticed in and out
of the classroom, which include frequent hand washing, cleaning, counting, or hoarding. There
can be many different ways to combat the problems of OCD in the classroom. One way to help a
student with OCD can be to have a spot for them to just go and relax - somewhere they can sit
and cool down. Students with OCD can become very easily distracted. They function well in
classrooms where there is a clear schedule. Therefore, if a child is known to have this disorder
they should be placed into an environment where there is going to be a clear pattern followed
regularly. Children with OCD can be picked on and teased by other children in their class. This
can be caused due to the lack of knowledge the students have about this disorder. It can be
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greatly beneficial for students to be informed of what OCD is and what it is not. By doing this, it
can prevent much further verbal abuse of the student with the disorder. OCD is not a disorder
that cannot be helped, it can just be understood.
Another type of diversity in the classroom is the child with ADD. Having a child with a
learning disability such as ADD, can be a difficult task to overcome in the classroom. There
have been different practices for teachers to follow to overcome this obstacle. Research has
shown that nearly five percent of middle-school aged children have ADD, (Sears, 2006). These
children are often misunderstood. Children with ADD are usually punished for their difference,
not guided through it. Many times students with ADD are not aided correctly for the teachers
lack the understanding of how to assess the child. Teachers must assess the unique educational
needs of a child with ADD in your class. Working with a multi-disciplinary team, consider both
academic and behavioral needs, using formal diagnostic assessments and informal classroom
observations, (Attention deficits add:). Children need to be understood and for that to happen
affectively they need to have the proper assessment. There are many types of affective ways to
keep a child with ADD away from distractions, such as seating a child away from any windows
or doors. Children with ADD focus better when they are not in view of anything that is off topic.
Children with this disability tend to achieve more when there are not things in their surroundings
that can cause them distractions. Children with ADD tend to interrupt during class
conversations, although most of the time the child is unaware of what they are doing. These
children usually have quite low self-esteem, so calling attention to this behavior in class is not a
great idea for teachers. It is important for teachers to have a type of code or sign to let the child
know that they are interrupting. A project provided by ("Cooperative learning tips," 2009)
entails the class beginning the year making a list of skills that they want to learn throughout the
school year. This method is effective for those who are very creative, yet lack the attention to
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finish their work. It will give students a goal that they set themselves that they want to
accomplish. The students should be given colored pencils, crayons and markers to decorate their
ideas, which will interest them more. Giving the students reinforcement throughout the project
will aid them in being more successful. If the students are given an opportunity to present their
work, then they will be more likely to gain confidence.
In the classroom, there are also many diverse learning styles. There are those students
whose learning ability is far beyond that expected of them, but also those who are significantly
below. The learning style in which each group benefits the most varies greatly. There are many
different ways to teach a lesson. Each way reaches children with different types of learning
methods, such as kinesthetic, auditory, or visual. Using different methods can aide in the
learning process of the child. According to (Block, & Smith, 2010) auditory learners learn
best by talking and listening. These children work well, by reciting facts through songs, or by
pretending that they are on a radio show. Auditory learners usually work well with others.
Visual learners learn best through reading or observing. These children learn well by changing
fonts on computer assignments, and using colored flash cards to study. The visual learner works
best by writing or drawing their ideas on paper so that they can see them. There are also those
students who are tactile/kinesthetic learners who learn best by touching something or moving
throughout a lesson. For these students, different objects that can be used for counting can
greatly aid their learning process. These students also learn through acting out scenes from
literature or history. It is best if they are able to use clay and objects to make collages or models.
Each of these types of learners is present in every type of classroom. From the student who is far
above grade level to the student who is significantly below, there are many ways to incorporate
their learning style in the classroom. Each child is important and needs to have their needs met
within the classroom as best they can be. It is impossible to reach each child in the same way.
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There is no single teaching style that can work for every single student, so it is up to the teacher
to take the initiative to reach all of his or her students. The teacher needs to be able to take the
core of the classs instruction and be able to reproduce it in a way that each child benefits. This
type of differentiated instruction is a key term in a successful classroom. A teacher needs to be
able to balance the students who are beyond the grade level expectations and finish their
classwork rather quickly with those students who are significantly below grade level
expectations and cannot even finish simple problems. Each of these cases to a teacher could
seem rather difficult to deal with. Teachers have to be able to balance having students in their
classroom who are exactly where they should be, behind, or ahead.
Diversity in the classroom can even come in the form of teacher to student ratio. The
classroom that has a higher student to teacher ratio v. a higher teacher to student ratio is usually
found to be less productive. Each child cannot have their own teacher, yet there should be
someone to represent each one. The reason that the ratios are not where they should be is the
amount of money that is saved by sending children to public schools. Any child could benefit
greatly from having their own teacher, yet students with special needs are usually treated in a
more caring manner. Also, the number of students who can be considered a special needs child
is becoming more and more varied. According to a blog (NYC Public Schools, 2010) teacherstudent ratio provides as much one-on-one attention as possible for each child, since every
student has their own learning style. This type of diversity in the classroom can make a large
difference in the education of a child. Either the child can receive the help they need with
smaller numbers, or not enough with larger numbers. The children who do not need extra help
benefit the most from either situation.
Solving problems is something that each person handles differently. Each person will
bring to the table their own beliefs about handling the diversity among the students. There are

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many problems with solving issues for people who have diverse communication styles. If one
person avoids confrontation, but another goes directly to the source of the problem and create a
solution, then problems can arise. If neither side is willing to compromise, then the issue will
never be solved. If a child sees people at home dealing with problems with a physical response,
then they are more likely to respond in the same way while solving a problem with a classmate.
Along the same lines, if a child sees someone shy away from confrontation, they are more likely
to do the same. A teacher may have to be the one to step in and aid the children with the right
type of communication skills. These types of problems are the most prevalent in classrooms that
are diverse, and these classrooms are very common in todays society. This is why teachers must
take the initiative for their students well-being.
Each type of diversity that is present in the education world can either be a stepping stone
to building a better society or a handicap that causes a setback. Diversity in the world is a basic
characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we
see today, (Jinato Hu). Diversity helps people to develop and grow closer together with
different personalities. Therefore, diversity should be embraced, not only for the betterment of
the classroom, but for the betterment of society.

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

Works Cited
Attention deficits add: tips teachers should know. Unpublished manuscript, Office of the
Special Education Programs, Chesapeake Institute, Washington D.C., United States. Retrieved
from http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/adhd/whatteachers.html
Block, J., & Smith, M. (2010, January). Add/adhd and school. Retrieved from
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm
Chang, M., & Astin, A. (n.d.). Who benefits from racial diversity in higher education?.
Retrieved from http://diversityweb.org/digest/w97/research.html
Cooperative learning tips for students with add/adhd. (2009). Retrieved from
http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/24512.aspx
Goodstein, L. (2010, September 28). Basic religion test stumps many americans. The
New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28religion.html?_r=1
Heuberger, B. (2004). Cultural diversity. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Company.
Horany, E. (2002, May 18). Women's issues then and now. Retrieved from
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/education.shtml
Marklein, M. (2005, October 19). College gender gap widens: 57% are women. USA
TODAY, Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-10-19-male-collegecover_x.htm
NYC Public Schools, Initials. (2010, September 25). Is teacher-student ratio important?
[Web log message]. Retrieved from http://nycprivateschoolsblog.com/education/is-teacherstudent-ratio-important/09/25/2010/
Sears, Dr. (2006). A.d.d. & a.d.h.d.. Retrieved from
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t101000.asp