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Becoming Culturally Responsive Educators: Rethinking Teacher

Education Pedagogy
Dr. Cathy Kea, orth Carolina !"T #tate $niversityDr. %loria D.
Camp&ell'(hatley, $niversity o) orth Carolina'CharlotteDr. *eraldo
+. Richards, !ustin Peay #tate $niversity,-../CCRE#T
Despite the steadily increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically
diverse student populations in schools, not all teacher education programs
(TEPs) readily embrace multicultural education or culturally responsive
teacher education pedagogy (Gay, 2002) This brief has a t!ofold purpose"
(a) to demonstrate the need for rethin#ing current approaches to teacher
education pedagogy and (b) to provide guidelines for developing culturally
responsive teacher education pedagogy
What Are the Key Challenges Related to Diversity in Teacher
Education Programs?
$ome schools of education have ac#no!ledged the urgency for developing
culturally competent teachers, !hile others grapple !ith !ays to %t
appropriate programs into their curriculum &nconvinced of the academic
merits of culturally responsive programming, but not !anting to appear
'anti(diversity,) some TEPs !ill grudgingly add a diversity course to their
curriculum *vercoming this resistance is crucial to developing e+ective TEPs
that !ill provide preservice teachers !ith the #no!ledge, s#ills, and
dispositions needed to educate diverse learners , ma-or part of the
resistance comes from teacher educators. discomfort, if not fear of,
addressing issues such as race and racism in their courses, or even on their
campuses (/ochran($mith, 2000) 1esistance !ill persist and children from
ethnically and linguistically diverse bac#grounds !ill go unserved until
schools and faculty ac#no!ledge the need for culturally competent teachers
in the classroom and the responsibility of TEPs to properly prepare these
teachers /oupled !ith this ac#no!ledgement must be a !illingness to truly
value and celebrate diversity in programming and practices
What Should Be Done to Create TEPTEPTEPs that are Mindul o
Diversity?
&nfortunately, most preservice teachers lac# the #no!ledge, s#ills,
dispositions, and e2periences needed to teach ethnically and linguistically
diverse students Davis (2003) found only 32 empirical articles pertaining to
multicultural teacher preparation in special education bet!een 3452 and
2000, and the studies reported limited ideas about diversity ,nalysis of
these studies revealed that researchers often limited ideas about culture to
race and ethnicity
1esearch suggests that !hen teachers have had the bene%t of multicultural
teacher education preparation, they are less li#ely to embrace cultural de%cit
vie!s (6rvine, 2007) 8oreover, teachers !ho have learned culturally
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responsive pedagogy are more con%dent and believe they are e+ective in
their instruction of diverse children (Pang 9 $ablan, 3445)
Despite the gro!ing ethnic and linguistic diversity in our classrooms today,
TEPs continue to utili:e pedagogy of decades past *ur schools need
teachers !ho #no! !ho they are teaching, !hat to teach, and
methodologies to teach them (;ea 9 &tley, 3445) 6n other !ords, !e need
teachers !ho can use <uality research(based pedagogy= that is pedagogy
responsive to the learning, emotional, and social needs of ethnically and
linguistically diverse students !ith and !ithout disabilities in urban schools
There is a dire need for TEPs to o+er many and varied cross(cultural
e2periences Teachers need to #no! ho! to adapt the content of instruction
and teaching styles /urriculum, methodology, and instructional materials
should be responsive to students. values and cultural norms Thus, the
ultimate challenge for teacher educators is to prepare re>ective practitioners
!ho can connect, commit, and practice an ethos of care !ith diverse
students and their families
,lthough many TEPs have attempted to address these issues by
incorporating 'multicultural education) content into courses and %eld
e2periences, multicultural education has not been integrated in a thorough,
persistent, and overt manner (;ea, Trent, 9 Davis, 2002) Presently, the
ma-ority of TEPs in special education, for e2ample, provide little e2posure to
broader multicultural perspectives ($orrells, ?ebb(@ohnson, 9 To!nsend,
2000) Teacher educators need to"
( Develop cohesive and comprehensive multicultural curricula in general
and special education TEPs
( 6nfuse multicultural principles throughout to prepare teachers to
respond to the needs of diverse learners and their families
( 6dentify critical teaching behaviors and
( Essential best practices for diverse students
What Are the Characteristics o Culturally Res!onsive Teachers?
Aillegas and Bucas (2002) encourage teacher educators to critically e2amine
their programs and systematically inter!eave si2 salient characteristics
throughout the course!or#, learning e2periences, and %eld!or# of
prospective teachers to better prepare culturally responsive teachers to !or#
successfully in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms Celo! is a
brief description of the si2 characteristics
#ocio cultural consciousness means understanding that one.s !ay of
thin#ing, behaving, and being is in>uenced by race, ethnicity, social class,
and language Therefore, prospective teachers must critically e2amine their
o!n socio cultural identities and the ine<ualities bet!een schools and
society that support institutionali:ed discrimination to maintain a privileged
society based on social class and s#in color Teacher candidates must inspect
and confront any negative attitudes they might have to!ard cultural groups
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!n a0rming attitude to1ards students )rom culturally diverse
&ackgrounds signi%cantly impacts their learning, belief in self and overall
academic performance Cy respecting cultural di+erences and adding
education related to the culture of the students, programs become inclusive
Commitment and skills to act as agents o) change enable the
prospective teacher to confront barriersDobstacles to change, and develop
s#ills for collaboration and dealing !ith chaos ,s agents of change, teachers
assist schools in becoming more e<uitable over time
Constructivist vie1s o) learning contend that all students are capable of
learning, and teachers must provide sca+olds bet!een !hat students
already #no! through their e2periences and !hat they need to learn
/onstructivist teaching promotes critical thin#ing, problem solving,
collaboration, and the recognition of multiple perspectives
2earning a&out students3 past e2periences, home and community culture,
and !orld both in and outside of school helps build relationships and
increase the prospective teachers. use of these e2periences in the conte2t of
teaching and learning
Culturally responsive teaching strategies support the constructivist
vie! of #no!ledge, teaching, and learning ,s teachers assist students to
construct #no!ledge, build on their personal and cultural strengths, and
e2amine the curriculum from multiple perspectives, an inclusive classroom
environment is created
There are several implications for culturally responsive TEPs 6n the ne2t
section, implications for culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogical
practices are discussed
(hat !re the 4mplications )or a Culturally Responsive Curriculum5
8orey and ;ilano (344E) propose a frame!or# for infusing attention to
diversity throughout the teacher education curriculum !hile encouraging
self(analysis and re>ective thin#ing using three levels of curriculum
transformation"
( E2clusive, the lo!est level, represents traditional mainstream
perspectives of diversity
( 6nclusive, the ne2t level, represents a mi2ture of normative and
nontraditional diversity perspectives
( The highest level, the Transformed curriculum, represents a structural
transformation
The E2clusive level focuses on minor aspects of diversity at the lo!est level
Teaching about
diversity is restricted to one part of the course Gender and diverse groups
are discussed in relation to stereotypes, and activities are limited to the four
'f.sFfood, fol#lore, fun and fashion) The content encompasses traditional
mainstream e2periences and stereotypes E2tracurricular reading materials
focus on authors !ho perpetuate and con%rm those myths 6nstructional
strategies are mainly lecture,
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basic <uestion and ans!er, and other basic didactic methods 6nstruction is
teacher(centered, !ith assignments that focus on content !hile avoiding
social dynamics E2ams are usually ob-ective (eg, multiple(choice and %ll in
the blan#s)
The 6nclusive level adds diversity content but retains the traditional, original
structure That is, diversity is discussed throughout the course and compared
to the dominant norm 1eading materials include authors !ith varying,
signi%cant, diverse vie!points $ocial vie!s are discussed but not elaborated
upon There is a !ide array of assessment methods, and various spea#ers
add >avor to the content ,lthough the instruction remains teacher(centered,
a variety of methods are used to relate ne! #no!ledge $tudents are
encouraged to construct their o!n #no!ledge and use critical thin#ing s#ills
in con-unction !ith peer learning
Table 3 Guidedelinesnesnes for a /ulturaturaturaturally
1espespesponsnsiveve /urrurrurricuculum ($chchmit:, 3444)
3 De%ne Bearning Goals ( ?hat do students in your %eld need to
#no! about"
( the history of diverse groups" their
!ritings, theories, and patterns of
participationG
( the social dynamics of identity formation
and changeG
( structures of po!er and privilege in
society, pre-udice,
( discrimination, and stereotypingG
( patterns of communication and
interaction !ithin and among di+erent
cultural groupsG
( theories of personal, institutional, and
societal changeG
2 Huestion Traditional
/oncepts
( Iave traditional !ays of organi:ing
content in this course obscured,
distorted, or e2cluded certain ideas or
groupsG
( ?hat ne! research is available that
addresses past distortions and
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e2clusionsG
( Io! !ill the course change if 6 include
this ne! researchG
( Io! might a change in this syllabus
a+ect its relationship to the rest of the
curriculumG
7 &nderstand $tudent
Diversity
( ?hat #inds of diverse perspectives and
e2periences !ill students bring to the
classG
( Io! can 6 assess students. prior
#no!ledge of race, class, gender, etcG
( Io! can 6 incorporate diverse voices
!ithout relying on students to spea# for
di+erent groupsG
( Io! !ill my o!n characteristics and
bac#ground a+ect the learning
environmentG
( ?ill some students see me as a role
model more readily than othersG
( Io! can 6 teach to all studentsG
0 $elect 8aterials and
,ctivities
( 6f the course topics remain the same,
!hat ne! research, e2amples, and
!ritings can illustrate these topicsG
( 6s there a ne! thematic approach to this
material that !ill help to put cultural
diversity in the foregroundG
( Io! do 6 integrate ne! material so that it
is not simply an 'add(on)G
( ?hat teaching strategies !ill facilitate
student learning of this ne! materialG
J Evaluate E+ectiveness ( ?hat are my strengths and limitations
relative to the ne! content and teaching
techni<uesG
( Io! !ill 6 assess student learningG
8odi%ed from" $chmit:, C (3444) Transforming a course /enter for
6nstructional Development and 1esearch Teaching and Bearning Culletin,
2(0), 3K2 $eattle, ?," &niversity of ?ashington
The Transformed curriculum challenges traditional vie!s and encourages
reconceptuali:ation and ne! !ays of thin#ing The instructor engages in
critical pedagogy and issue(oriented approaches 6nstruction is student(
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centered, and students self(evaluate through pro-ects and related
assignments that contribute to real(life change $tudents learn from each
other, and concepts and personal e2periences are analy:ed Transformed
courses represent a paradigm shift that presents content from a diverse
perspective $elf(assessment and re>ection techni<ues are employed that
encourage sharing, diverse perspectives and e<uity in participation, and
critical problem solving 6nstruction centers on content(related vignettes that
re<uire application and e2amination of values
Designing a transformed curriculum is a developmental process ,fter TEPs
e2amine their e2isting curricula, they can determine the current level of
cultural involvement and begin an initiative to evolve to a transformed level
6f current programming is e2clusive, moving through to the inclusive and
then the transformed may be the best option The follo!ing suggestions can
assist in the development of a transformed curriculum (see also Table 3)
1e<uire preservice students to demonstrate multicultural competence via
assignments, pro-ects, lesson and unit plan development, and instructional
delivery &tili:e discussion groups bet!een preservice and inservice teachers
!ho are regarded as e2cellent culturally responsive teachers in urban
schools to dialogue about complicated e<uity issues that arise in practice
,dvocate student volunteerism in a local culture as a 'service learning)
e2perience /reate opportunities for preservice teachers at ethnically
encapsulated university settings (eg, historically blac# colleges and
universities, other minority institutions, and traditionally !hite institutions) to
engage in multicultural conferences and student and instructor e2change
programs
(hat !re some %uidelines )or Culturally Responsive Pedagogy5
/onsidering issues of diversity should be an inherent part of course
conceptuali:ation /onse<uently, the course description and ob-ectives
should re>ect ho! the course !ill contribute to the development of
a!areness andDor s#ills related to diversity and relevant to the focus of the
course The course te2t, readings, and materials listed on course syllabi
should include the interests and contributions of diverse populations and
re>ect multiple perspectives ,dditionally, !here feasible, multiple !ays to
access course materials should be made available (eg, materials on reserve
at the library, course pac#ets, information on instructor.s ?eb page, etc)
/ourse re<uirements, pro-ects, and activities for each chapter or topic
presented should discuss the implications for ethnically and linguistically
diverse learners 6nformation and activities related to diversity should be
infused throughout the course, as opposed to being an isolated single
session or segment of the class This does not preclude sessions that are
designed speci%cally to highlight issues of diversity, but it does suggest that
this should not be the only means by !hich issues are addressed
6t is important to provide varied activities through !hich students gain
#no!ledge or s#ills, as !ell as demonstrate competence Lor e2ample,
consider the format in !hich course content is presented (eg, lecture, large
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group discussion, small group activity, reading assignment, simulation,
performance activity, etc) 6f care is not ta#en to balance the types of
activities used, students !hose cultural practice repertoires do not match
those favored by the instructor may be placed at a disadvantage
Transformation begins !ith one course and then a focus on the entire
curriculum These changes in the curriculum should reveal that learning
e+ective cultural pedagogy is not -ust course or curriculum development, but
rather a change in students. thin#ing, behavior, and ultimately teaching
Me2t, attention is given to classroom(based pedagogical practices in
preservice courses and %eld e2periences
Classroom'&ased Pedagogical Practices in Preservice Courses
Aillegas and Bucas (2002) outlined classroom(based practices essential to
promoting the development of culturally responsive teachers in preservice
courses"
Creating classroom communities o) learners F learners construct
meaning individually through cognitive processes and socially through a
collective participatory process involving interactions !ith others Developing
dispositions, #no!ledge, and s#ills of culturally responsive teachers by
engaging students in the follo!ing"
Re6ective 1riting F students engage in introspection about their beliefs
and assumptions by !riting in -ournals
#imulations and games F students participate in games and cross(
cultural simulations to get %rst(hand e2periences of socio cultural di+erences
and po!er di+erentials Lor e2ample, 'Ca La Ca La) is a three(hour simulation
in !hich students have the opportunity to become members of one of t!o
completely opposite cultures $tudents must learn the language, rules, and
roles of their ne! culture ,ll students have the opportunity to observe and
interact !ith strangers from a ne! culture ,t the end of the activity students
!al# a!ay !ith real empathy, the ability to stand in someone else.s shoes
and feel !hat they are feeling) ($hel#in, nd, 1etrieved 8ay 2J, 2000)
E7ploring )amily histories F students investigate family histories by
intervie!ing family members (eg, parents and grandparents) This practice
can enlighten students about familial cultural in>uences on their o!n lives
!rticulating socio cultural a0liations F students locate themselves as
members of di+erent communities and e2amine the po!er and privileges
that come !ith aNliation !ith each one Lor e2ample, students may !rite an
essay e2ploring ho! their racialDethnic identity has impacted their
educational e2periences or complete a social group membership pro%le
indicating their membership in di+erent groups identi%ed by race, gender,
class, age, se2ual orientation, religion, and abilityDdisability
E7ploring personal history and development F students e2amine their
personal history and the development of their a!areness of their identities
and values
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2earning a&out the history and current e7periences o) diverse
groups F students learn about the lives and history of people di+erent from
themselves to better understand that personal vie!s are not universal
!ccounts o) success)ul teaching and learning in diverse settings F
students read about e2emplary teaching practices in settings !ith diverse
students to begin to develop a 'vision of success)
Teaching case F students analy:e cases to promote their understanding of
di+erent approaches and perspectives to teaching and learning in diverse
settings
Pedagogical Practices )or 8ield E7periences
8ason (3444) found that learning about the theory and practice of
multicultural education in the university classroom coupled !ith an urban
%eld e2perience made the information about culture and ethnicity and its
implications for teaching more meaningful Thus, TEPs should include
speci%c, structured activities aimed at increasing a!areness and
understanding of cultural diversity !ithin the conte2ts of the community,
home, and school of the diverse student population served Transformation
of both the teacher educator and the preservice teacher is the goal $peci%c
activities to accomplish this should include the follo!ing (Badson(Cillings,
2003= 8ason, 3444= Aillegas 9 Bucas, 2002)"
( Lorm university partnerships !ith urban schools that have strong
principals, small studentDteacher ratios, fair discipline policies, high
teacher e2pectations for students, and programmatic e+orts to include
parents in the educational process
( Place teacher candidates in a %eld e2perience setting that is di+erent
from their o!n ethnicity and socioeconomic status 8any preservice
teachers. %rst impressions of unfamiliar places are informed or
challenged by their o!n personal e2periences in ne! environments
$urveying preservice teachers about their e2periences as students in
schools may help them understand ho! their personal histories can be
enriched !ith ne! e2periences
( /ultivate and re<uire early %eld e2periences, practical, and internship
sites in culturally diverse classrooms and communities
( Provide meaningful immersions in multicultural schools and
communities ,n important aspect of 'meaningful immersion) is
participation in community(centered activities Teachers are able to
support families and communities as they gather to celebrate
meaningful events This re<uires preservice teachers to invest time
into learning about students and families by -oining them in meaningful
activities and events outside of the formal school environment
1elationship building !ith families and communities becomes a
resource for school(related goals and ob-ectives
( Place students in schools !here all students learn and develop to their
highest potential 6t is not enough to use the rhetoric of 'all children
can learn) Preservice teachers should e2perience teaching and
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learning in schools !here students are actively engaged in learning
successfully
( Place preservice teachers !ith cooperating teachers !ho have a
thorough #no!ledge of and e2tensive e2perience !ith culturally
responsive education
( Provide authentic e2periences in culturally diverse schools and
communities over an e2tended period of time Cuild meaningful
relationships !ith community members so that preservice teachers can
genuinely engage in community(related activities !ith other
community members
( Develop host sites !here preservice teachers can live in culturally
di+erent communities !hile completing their student teaching
Conclusion
TEPs are critical in giving prospective teachers opportunities to learn and use
culturally relevant pedagogy 6mplementing curricula and %eld e2periences
that are committed to diversity enables future practitioners to engage in
pedagogy !ith insight and vie! all communities as resources for learning
and social -ustice
Re)erences
/ochran($mith, 8 (2000) ?al#ing the road" 1ace, diversity, and social
-ustice in teacher education Me! Oor#, MO" Teachers /ollege Press
Davis, / P (2003) The evolution of pedagogical changes in a multicultural
conte2t" @ourney of a university professor &npublished doctoral dissertation,
/harlottesville, A," &niversity of Airginia
Gay, G (2002) Preparing for culturally responsive teaching @ournal of
Teacher Education, J7(2), 30PK33P
6rvine, @ @ (2007) Educating teachers for a diverse society" $eeing !ith the
cultural eye Me! Oor#, MO" Teachers /ollege Press
;ea, / D, Trent, $ /, 9 Davis, / P (2002) ,frican ,merican student
teachers. perceptions about preparedness to teach students from culturally
and linguistically diverse bac#grounds 8ultiple Perspectives, 0(3), 35K2J
;ea, / D, 9 &tley, / , (3445) To teach me is to #no! me @ournal of
$pecial Education, 72(3), 00K0E
Badson(Cillings, G (2003) /rossing over to /anaan" The -ourney of ne!
teachers in diverse classrooms $an Lrancisco, /," @ossey Cass
8ason, T / (3444) Prospective teachers. attitudes to!ard urban schools"
/an they be changedG 8ulticultural Education, P(0), 4K37
8orey, ,, 9 ;ilano, 8 (344E) 8ulticultural course transformation in higher
education" , broader truth Meedham Ieights, 8," ,llyn and Cacon
Pang, A *, 9 $ablan, A , (3445) Teacher eNcacy" Io! do teachers feel
about their abilities to teach ,frican ,merican studentsG 6n 8 E Dil!orth
(Eds), Ceing responsive to cultural di+erencesKho! teachers learn (pp 74K
J5) Thousand *a#s, /," /or!in Press
$chmit:, C (3444) Transforming a course /6D1 Teaching and Bearning
Culletin, 2(0), 3K2
10
$hel#in, @ (nd) 1esources opportunities" 6nternational proposal (1esources)
1etrieved 8ay 2J, 2000 from Estrella 8ountain /ommunity /ollege,
6nternational Education ?eb site"
http"DD!!!emcmaricopaeduDacademicsDinternationalD/lassQ1esourceshtml
$orrells, , 8, ?ebb(@ohnson, G, 9 To!nsend, C B (2000) 8ulticultural
perspectives in special education" , call for responsibility in research,
practice, and teacher preparation 6n $ 8 $orrells, @ I 1eith, 9 P T $indelar
(Eds), /ritical issues in special education (pp E7K43) Coston, 8," Pearson
Education
Aillegas, , 8, 9 Bucas, T (2002) Educating culturally responsive teachers
,lbany, MO" $tate &niversity of Me! Oor# Press
!dditional Resources
Can#s, @ ,, 9 Can#s, / , 8 (2007) Iandboo# of research on multicultural
education (2nd ed) $an Lrancisco, /," @ossey(Cass
6rvine, @ @ (2002) 6n search of !holeness" ,frican ,merican teachers and
their culturally speci%c classroom practices Me! Oor#, MO" PalgraveD$t
8artin.s Press
6rvine, @ @, 9 ,rmento, C (Eds) (2003) /ulturally responsive teaching"
Besson planning for elementary and middle grades Coston, 8," 8cGra!(Iill
Llorio(1uane, $ (2003) Teacher education and the cultural imagination"
,utobiography, conversation, and narrative 8ah!ah, M@" Ba!rence Erlbaum
;ing, @, Iollins, E, 9 Iayman, ? (Eds) (344E) Preparing teachers for
cultural diversity Me! Oor#, MO" Teachers /ollege Press
$hade, C @, ;elly, /, 9 *berg, 8 (3445) /reating culturally responsive
classrooms ?ashington, D/" ,merican Psychological ,ssociation
9rgani:ations
/enter for &rban BearningDTeaching and &rban 1esearch in Education
(/&BT&1E$), directed by Dr @ac<ueline @ordan(6rvine, focused on ho! to
enhance the success of elementary and middle schools in educating
culturally diverse students by providing professional development for
teachers /&BT&1E$ o+ered forty hours of professional development services
to P0 teachers annually The teachers too# classes at Emory &niversity and
also made visits to culturally diverse communities F meeting Iispanic(
immigrant mothers, ,frican(,merican children enrolled in an after school
program, and Aietnamese social !or#ers, among others
http"DD!!!emoryeduD61A6MED/&BT&1E$D
!&out the !uthors
Dr. Cathy Kea is currently an associate professor at Morth /arolina ,9T
$tate &niversity !here she coordinates the $pecial Education Program $he
is a teacher educator and researcher !ho studies critical teaching variables,
multicultural education, and special education, and is the author of several
-ournal articles in these areas
%loria D. Camp&ell'(hatley, EdD, currently teaches doctoral( and
masters(level courses in special education at the &niversity of Morth /arolina
at /harlotte Ier research focuses on social s#ills and diversity issues in
special education, and she has !ritten articles for various -ournals in her
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%eld Dr /ampbell(?hatley has led research strands, !or#shops, and
presentations for various schools and communities
*eraldo +. Richards is an associate professor in the $chool of Education at
,ustin Peay $tate &niversity, !here he directs a state(funded program to
recruit and prepare culturally and linguistically diverse students for careers
in education