Notes to study ETH 305V

Multicultural Education

Name and discuss 3 policy documents which outlawed discrimination in education

1.

The South African Constitution (1996)

2. 3.

The South African Schools Act 84 ( 1996)

Report of the Gender Equity Task Team (1997)

The South African Constitution (1996)

Founding Principles Human Dignity, Non-Sexism, Non- racism, equality Everyone has the right to a Basic Education and higher Education and to receive education Everyone has the right to choose there own official language to be taught in any public institution where it is reasonable practical. Section 9 of the Constitution protects individuals against discrimination by stating that learners may not be excluded from any school activities on the grounds of race, gender, language, and religion. Section 15 requires schools to recognise the diverse religions that exist Section 30 requires that learners language and culture should be recognised and protected.

The South African Schools Act 84 ( 1996)

Provides for a democratic transformation of schools in SA in order to redress past injustices in the education system That education should be provided of the highest quality Hoped that education will lay the foundation for the development of all the learners capabilities and talents, help transform society in the future and combat racism and sexism and all other types of discrimination and intolerance.

Report of the Gender Equity Task Team ( 1997)

The report of the Gender Equity Task Team: Gender Equity in Education In the report it included evidence of child abuse, violence against woman and sexual harassment, as well has deeply held ideologies on gender differences that women and legitimate girls are seen in subordinate roles in schools and society. Because the formative years of a child are crucial in developing a non-racism, non-sexism behaviour, the task team suggested that these issues be addressed in all phases of education

Compare the Emergence of multicultural education in the USA with South Africa

Opposition against state affairs gained momentum.

Resulted in the civil rights movement 1954: Brown vs. Board of Education court case ruled separate education was unequal
After this they started to include ethnic minorities into the education courses and programmes to accommodate these groups. Then 5 phases can describe the development of multicultural education in the USA

SA population had always been culturally and Constitutionally divided 1976: signalled the beginning of the end of separate development After 1976: various attempts were made to create an education system that would benefit all race groups.

South Africa
These attempts included the Peoples Education Movement, the Open Schools Movement and the opening of previous white schools to all races. From then on the curriculum reacted slowly towards including content from various different cultural groups. However to this day multicultural education has still not reached the stage where we can claim that multicultural education has been implemented.

Which aspects of the learners different cultural backgrounds should teachers know about

1. A teacher must know what topics are considered taboo in certain cultures, so that no learner may feel prejudiced towards them. 2. A teacher should be able to refer to celebrations, festivals, basic laws, important people and language. 3. Furthermore aspects of socialisation, communication, learning preferences, social values, world views should be considered.

How does cultural knowledge about groups help teachers work more effectively in the classroom

1.Knowledge about the diverse cultural groups help teachers structure their classrooms, design effective teaching methods and be able to create different ways of learning about the various cultural groups in the classroom. 2.This also helps the teacher to prevent cultural isolation, cultural erosion, and conflict arising from misunderstanding.

List 4 Aims of Multicultural Education

1. Aims at providing learners with educational experiences which will help them preserve their own cultural heritage as well as being able to go out into society and function in a civic culture and community as well. 2. To acknowledge that cultural diversity is an asset rather than a handicap 3. To reform the whole school environment so that learners wills acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to go out and function in an ethnically and racially diverse community and nations. 4. Encourages mutual interaction and cooperation 5. Advocates equal educational opportunities 6. Advocates equal rights of all cultural groups in a society.

Do you think multicultural approach is appropriate for monoculture schools?

Yes Teachers are required to create a suitable learning environment that will meet the needs of all the learners that come from culturally diverse backgrounds, different language backgrounds, educational and socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore it is appropriate for monoculture education because it will change the whole school environment, and create and sustain a multicultural environment.

Name and discuss 4 factors that influence the learning environment of the learner
1. Physical: learners have different preferences for learning and may differ in the way they learn material, you get learners that are auditory learners which learn best when they hear, visual learners that learn best when they see things and read, and Tactile and kinaesthetic learners learn best when they write and use there hands. Psychological: some learners have different psychological preferences according to there cultural ways therefore it is important for teachers to know which learners are analytic and which are global learners. Analytic learners prefer to break up a problem or information into parts to understand it. Global learners prefer to see an overall picture of the learning content and strive to unify the learning matter. Emotional: Some learners are motivated by extrinsic rewards, such as prizes or fear of punishment and others are intrinsic learners which are motivated by a particular subject at school. Learners also have levels of persistence when preforming their work, some learner can concentrate for long periods of time on one task and other learners cant they need to take breaks and others require structure in their work and others dont need lots of structure. Environmental: the seating of the classroom needs to be adaptive to the learners preferences because some learners prefer to sit in the front and other s at the back. Another factor that can play a role is the sound, sound of traffic outside the classroom, the lighting of the classroom the light may be too dim for some and too bright for some. Sociological: Some learners prefer to work in a buddy system or in groups and others prefer to work alone. Learners that love to work in groups enjoy the competition amongst each other.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Give a definition of the concept learning style

A learning style is the way the learner approaches and masters the learning content; and begins to discover his or her world and forms concepts. A learner has their own habitual preference due to cultural upbringing and personality as well as school and at home.

Definition of teaching style

Teaching style refers to the teachers own personal approach to teaching irrespective of media or method used. A teaching style must not be confused as to how information is be taught through lectures, oral work or group work.

Name 3 Barriers to effective multicultural communication

Physical Barrier: Notice from traffic outside the classroom

Psychological: Emotions, negative attitudes

Physiological: stuttering, hearing difficulty

Name and Discuss 4 aspects which could influence the assessment and examining of learners in a multicultural classroom.

1. Pupils

perception:

Not all learners recognise the role of tests and examinations, and therefore learners need to be informed and taught the significance, value and purpose of testing and evaluation.

2. Language

and cultural reference:

Often Concepts belonging to an English language culture may result in a misinterpretation due to the fact that culture being taught may be unfamiliar with that particular term. Therefore it is the reason why often language may be inappropriate in terms of the level of readability and comprehension towards learners not belonging to that culture.

3. Teacher expectations:

A teacher may consciously or unconsciously convey messages to pupils that they are not clever, or are incapable of doing well in tests or exams and they always fail, which generates feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt in a learner.

4. Teacher bias

When evaluating and interpreting tests and examination results a teacher may hold her own personal feelings towards a learner and this may result in the teacher being unfair and unreasonable towards the learner.

Difference between CALP and BICS

BICS
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
Consists of visible aspects of language we use for everyday communication, such as pronunciation of words, grammar, and basic vocabulary. This language is used in everyday situations however it cannot be used alone in academics as it is not sufficient enough.

CALP
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Is the Proficiency needed for academic concepts and to be able to understand them and to perform higher cognitive operations necessary for school. Learners learning a new language often find difficulty with academic concepts and terminology because these terms are more abstract and less easily understood than the terms used in everyday situations. Therefore I teachers have reported t hat in a multicultural school learners face these difficulties in the English language because they are not proficient enough.

Read and discuss how you would deal with the following situation

After talking to a parent of a minority group in your school you realise that the parents dissatisfaction with the school largely lies within the hidden curriculum of the school. You decide to do something about it.

 Hidden curriculum A hidden curriculum can be considered to be the schools ethos - school has a set of ideas , values, and ethos and this is of extreme importance in the informal curriculum as this creates a pleasurable environment in which to learn in. A school with a strong ethos creates an environment in which people from different cultures feel important and respected as well as cared for by the school. To create this environment I would have to address the schools ethos as this is critical for our school and for a democratic society. I would first look at the school foyer to see if there are any welcoming messages for the community that is written in all 11 official languages Then look at the physical environment and place pictures in my classroom and outside to demonstrate the diverse learners we teach as well as posters displaying the different cultures.

It is your 1st day in a multicultural classroom. Discuss how you will handle the following issues

1) Opening of the school Day: Structure in the classroom is the key tool in order to facilitate inner calmness in learners. - Need to form rules, time schedules, physical plans and different class groups for different tasks must be told to all learners. When setting the classroom rules it is best when the class chooses a classroom representative and the class forms the rules through negotiation and democracy. The teacher can explain the basic rules to what is regarded of the learners, such as what is acceptable behaviour and noise levels, paying attention to the work given out and regarding movements around the classroom and keeping the classroom clean and tidy. Therefore classroom principles and values can be negotiated between the learners and teacher. I will then go to the blackboard and write democracy within the classroom rights of the learners and teachers and their responsibilities.

 Learners have the right to education of high quality, but I would write that they are responsible for coming to school and attending class, be on time, work within the group, and to keep negotiated rules. Teachers are responsible for providing good education. And are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. The teacher will then list standard procedures required in the classroom and go through the list and ask the class if they have any comments. Teachers are justified in pointing out that there are certain universal rules regarding teaching and learning and these are not negotiable.

2. Religious Conflict
1. 2. Conflict is unavoidable part of life. All conflict should be dealt with by the educational manager. The educational manager should know how to deal with the conflict situation there are 2 types of conflict situation. The 1st being the constructive conflict and 2nd destructive conflict Therefore if there is conflict the conflict situation should always be dealt with constructively. This type of conflict has the potential to contribute to growth. Therefore if there is conflict revolving around religious beliefs then the educational manager would rather minimise or channel it into a positive learning experience for the parties involved in this conflict. The Educational manager should use the following guidelines

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4.

Following guidelines regarding with dealing with a conflict situation.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Acknowledge the conflict, talk about the conflict Discuss the conflict Maintain a neutral position Keep control and try and avoid argument and competition Unique background, each learner comes from a unique background. Understand as much as possible about the background of this conflict. Separate counselling Sufficient time, make sure each party is given sufficient time to present their case. Agreement about a problem, ask both parties what is upsetting them and try and distinguish the facts from assumptions Listening attentively, diagnose the problem Reasonable solutions. Underlying dynamics, focus on the interests rather than on the persons status and establish consensus amongst them, and acknowledge that no single party is right or wrong in these situations Strategy, to facilitate the discovery rather than whose is responsible for the conflict and summarise a fair account of the issue and the events that took place.

Discipline

There are 3 ways of looking at discipline

1. Behaviouristic Approach: Is also known as an authoritarian approach Obedience is the required approach and reward and punishment are used in this approach.

The Humanistic Approach: This approach emphasises individual freedom, the learners can decide the discipline and teachers have little authority over the learners behaviour

3.
Democratic approach: This approach lies in between the Authoritative approach and the Behaviouristic approach, In this approach they follow a set of principles: 1. Discipline should be reasonable and interpreted as such by learners 2. Discipline should show respect between both learner and educator 3. Discipline should be handed out according to the behaviour of the learner.

4. Approach but is part of the democratic approach

This is the critical constructivist approach This approach will help learners to learn from their mistakes and reflect on them. This approach needs the educator to invest time in the learners and understand them, and by getting to know their different views, learning styles and social values will help the teacher understand what is appropriate behaviour in their culture. By integrating the critical approach with the constructivist approach it will be more effective discipline for the learner.

Terms to remember
Prejudice: Is when a person or group prejudges a person or group by their personal feelings, opinions, or attitudes before being given the true facts. Stereotypes: is an overgeneralisation of a group of people or individual that have the same characteristics. Often people would be categorised into groups such as racial, cultural or national and the person has the genetic characteristics of that group and therefore it cannot be changed.

Racism: Is when a person believes that their race is superior to another race.
Discrimination: This is when a person or group is treated differently based on their race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, social class and exceptionality.

Multicultural Education: Multicultural education is seen as a broad term and includes ethnic studies, multi-ethnic education and anti-racist education. It consists of the total reformation of the school environment which is designed so that the school may accommodate diverse groups of learners namely from different ethnic groups, women, disabled learners, and learners that are gifted and may receive equal education amongst all learners and have the right to receive education of high standards.

Is it important for teachers to study different cultures?

Yes 1. It is important for teachers to study the different culture since she is teaching in a multicultural school 2. By the teacher having knowledge about the different cultures it may help prevent cultural conflicts, cultural isolation and communication breakdowns, etc. in the classroom. If learners are meant to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to work with people in society and school then it is important for the teacher to understand their cultures and study them.

Which aspects of the learners different cultural backgrounds should teachers know about?

Teacher must know what topics are considered taboo in certain cultures, so that no learner will feel prejudiced towards them. A teacher should know what celebrations, festivals, basic laws, important people and language the learner belongs to. Furthermore aspects such as socialisation, learning styles of the learners, there preferences and worldview should be also considered.

How does cultural knowledge about groups help teachers work more effectively in the classroom?
Knowledge about cultural groups helps teachers to structure there classrooms, to design effective lesson plans, and to apply her knowledge about the different cultural groups and to design creative ways in which will accommodate all the learners learning styles. This also helps the teacher to suppress cultural isolation, cultural erosion, and may prevent future conflict amongst learners due to

Give examples of how variables such as race, gender and class influence the behaviour of learners and their educational needs
Some races find learning material difficult or understanding due to being taught in either a second or third language, so often they are often stereotyped as being dumb or unintelligent. And example is that people believe that all chinese people are good at maths and science but are hopeless in English and this can influence their behaviour and their educational needs.

Boys are often regarded as disruptive in class than girls, and girls are often regarded as more noiser than boys. Another example is that boys are regarded at doing woodwork better than girls and girls should rather do home-economics. This can affect the behaviour of the learners and their needs. The upper class will have more material possessions such as the best stationary, books, and clothing than the poorer lower class learners who can only afford the cheapest stationary and often dont have stationary and have second hand clothing. Another example is that learners from the upper class may come to school with packed lunches and other pupils who cant afford lunch come with no lunch. Therefore this may cause feelings of inferiority amongst one another and judged.

LISTEN

CHECK PERCEPTIO NS

SEEK FEEDBACK

RESIST JUDGEMENT AL REACTIONS

DEVELOP SELFAWARENES S

TAKE RISK S

1. LISTEN
LISTEN TO NOT ONLY WORDS OF WHAT THE LEARNER IS SAYING BUT ALSO LISTEN FOR MEANING. OFTEN LEARNERS ARE COMMUNICATING IN THEIR 2ND LANGUAGE SO THE TEACHER NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION CAREFULLY TO WHAT THE LEARNER IS SAYING. NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHAT THE LEARNER IS SAYING BUT LOOK AT THE NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE TOO.

2. CHECK PERCEPTIONS

IT IS NECESSARY TO ASK THE LEARNER WHETHER THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE HAS SAID AND WHETHER IT HAS THE SAME MEANING BETWEEN THE LEARNERS CULTURE AND THE TEACHERS. CHECK THAT PERSONS POINT OF VIEW.

3. SEEK FEEDBACK
THE EDUCATOR NEEDS TO CLARIFY AND ASK THE LEARNER WHETHER THEYUNDERSTOOD WHAT THE LEARNER WAS TRYING TO SAY. AND THE EDUCATOR NEEDS TO ASK WHETHER THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE WAS SAYING. SO THAT THEY HAVE A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

4. RESIST JUDGEMENTAL REACTIONS

AVOID PREMATURE OR EMOTIONAL JUDGEMENTS. SUSPEND JUDGEMENT DURING 1. LISTENING 2.CHECKING PERCEPTIONS 3. SEEKING FEEDBACK THIS WILL DEVELOP AN OPEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOTH THE LEARNERS AND TEACHER WHICH WILL DEVELOP CROSS CULTURAL TOLERANCE AS WELL.

5. DEVELOP SELF-AWARENESS

THE TEACHER NEEDS TO EXAMINE THEIR OWN WAY THEY COMMUNICATE AND THEN THEY WILL BECOME MORE AWARE OF THEIR STYLE OF COMMUNICATION AND THIS WILL HELP THEM TO COMMUNIC ATE EFFECTIVELY WITH LEARNERS BY UNDERSTANDING THE COMMON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION.

6. TAKE RISKS

IT IS OFTEN ESSENTIAL TO TAKE RISKS AS A TEACHER TO ESTABLISH TRUST BETWEEN THE LEARNER AND YOURSELF. WE NEED TO AS TEACHERS TO TAKE EMOTIONAL RISKS, SUCH AS ASKING FOR FEEDBACK OR SAYING SOMETHING THAT MAY BE MISUNDERSTOOD.

DISCUSS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING AND LEARNING STYLE