Richness of complexity within diversity: educational engagement and achievement of diverse learners through culturally responsive pedagogies
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2020
Authors
Price, D.
Green, D.
Memon, N.
Chown, D.
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Journal article
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The Social Educator, 2020; 38(1):42-53
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Abstract
Educators are fully aware that educational settings have become increasingly diverse, learners and educators bringing their own unique life worlds to them. These rich histories, experiences, beliefs and values shape approaches to learning and teaching, thus affording opportunities to deepen educators’ personal understanding and respect for diversity while learning from others. From an educator’s perspective, drawing on learners’ lifeworlds increases educational engagement, achievement and proactive contribution to society as active, respectful, socially just and informed citizens, thus highlighting the importance of applying inclusive and responsive pedagogical approaches (Price & Green, 2019). Culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP) extend conceptions of intercultural understanding and inclusive education by suggesting that the cultural, and in the case of learners who functionalise a religious identity, the religious ways our students know the world, are learning assets that we can build upon as educators. This paper draws on the authors’ teaching and research into CRP informed through a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Council of Australia-Arab Relations (CAAR) grant in 2020. The co-authors facilitated workshops at eight schools and four universities in Dubai and Doha to share conceptions of culturally responsive pedagogy and gain understandings of the Gulf context in being responsive in culturally diverse classrooms. The aim of this paper is to challenge educators thinking about the diverse needs and strengths of learners in their educational contexts through the following provocations: What does it mean for an educator to be culturally responsive in their teaching? What practices do educators currently employ in their context? What are some of the challenges educators encounter in being culturally responsive in their context? How could educators further employ CRP to promote equity, inclusion, humility and high expectations to maximise academic achievement?
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Copyright 2020 Social Educators' Association of Australia