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Assessment 3

EDUC 1003

(3230 words)

Cultural Diversity

A Resource for Educators

“Diversity Tree” (Kumar, 2013)

Table of Contents

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Scenario …………………………………………………………………………... 3

Introduction .....................……………………………..………………………… 4

Cultural Diversity …………………..……………………………………………..4

Culturally Diverse Classrooms …………………..…………………….. 4

Refugee and Immigrant Students ………………………….…………..5

Disadvantaged Students and Educational Inequity ……...…………...7

Embracing Difference and Diversity …………………………………... 8

Defensible Strategies ….…………………………………………………………9

Curriculum Links …………………………………………………………….……12

Ideas Into Practice ………………………………………………………….........13

Conclusion ……………..……………………………………………………….....14

Additional Resources for Educators ……….………………………………...... 15

References ……………………………………………………………………….. 16

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Scenario

Scenario 4

Marika has been working as a primary school teacher for a couple of decades in an

ethnically diverse lower socio-economic suburb of Western Sydney. As she

emigrated from Greece to Australia with her parents when she was 6 years old,

Marika takes a keen interest in how students think about the ethnicity of themselves

and others, and their place in the world. She has been working in an ethnically

diverse school in Western Sydney. Over the past four weeks, she has been enacting

a curriculum plan designed to encourage the children to learn about other cultures

and people. She had a food day where children brought and made food from other

cultures, and on another day, children brought in the traditional costumes and clothes

of their home countries. One morning, a new male student (Abedi) arrived from

Somalia. Marika settles Abedi into the classroom, supported by a special Education

Assistant assigned to Abedi to support him as he starts school. It has been arranged

by the Department of Education for Abedi to spend half of his week in the primary

school, and half the week in a specialist centre to help settle him. At lunchtime a few

days after Abedi’s arrival, Marika observes Jennifer, a Caucasian girl in the class

making fun of Abedi. She overhears her saying to a small group, “My parents say

boat people are bad people who ruin our country. People who come here should be

just like us.” The small group nod in agreement. Marika, shocked to hear such a

young child saying this, reflects on what she has heard. She questions the success

of her learning program. She thinks about what else she could do to improve respect

for cultural diversity and the experiences of different ethnic and cultural groups,

particularly because the centre has children from many cultures.

Possible topics: Ethnicity, Cultural Diversity, Social and Economic Disadvantage,

Learning Environments, Immigration, Refugees, Racism

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Introduction

Australian classrooms are full of diversity and difference. Every student in a

classroom has different past experiences, with all students having a unique context;

this includes their cultural and social background. While multiculturalism is part of

Australia’s identity, there is still the presence of a dominant culture within Australia’s

society (Forrest, Lean & Dunn, 2015, p. 620).While diversity should be celebrated, it

can also lead to culturally diverse students feeling alienated from their peers. A

student’s context can place them at an educational disadvantage. It is important that

teachers provide all students with equal learning experiences; educational equity

allows all students to succeed, regardless of their cultural background and relation to

the dominant culture. This resource aims to expand teachers’ understanding of

culturally diverse students. It will discuss the growing nature of diversity within

Australian classrooms, and will explore the impact of refugee and immigrant

students’ backgrounds on their education. It will touch on strategies teachers can use

to educate their students about cultural, social and linguistic diversity, with education

being the greatest barrier against cultural ignorance, racism and discrimination.

Through inclusive practice and a value for diversity, all students will feel included in

the classroom, regardless of theirculture, race or social status.

Cultural Diversity

Culturally Diverse Classrooms

Australian classrooms are constantly growing in

cultural diversity. 44 per cent of Australians

were born in other countries, or have parents

from other countries, making Australia a

multicultural society, and causing diversity to

become part of Australia’s identity (Lawrence,

Brooker & Goodnow, 2012, pp. 75-76). All

cultures are dynamic and constantly changing (Lawrence et al., 2012, p. 77). A

child’s environment shapes their view of diversity. Their interactions with parents,

and the media, may expose them to sexist, racist and bias beliefs (Siraj-Blatchford &

Clark, 2004, p. 24). When a child is surrounded by stereotypes and negative views of

diversity, it can cause ignorance within the child. Children form ideas about

“Beauty in Diversity” (Imgarcade, n.d.)

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themselves, and others, from a very young age (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark, 2004, p.

31). This highlights the importance of exposing children to positive ideologies about

diversity, even at the early stages of life. When students have a positive image of

diversity, it endorses feelings of trust, both in themselves and with others. This allows

students to feel secure and learn effectively.

Classrooms are constantly growing in cultural, racial and linguistic diversity. This

poses the problem that many students do not speak the dominant language in their

homes, placing them at a disadvantage (Miller, Kostogriz & Gearon, 2009, p. 3).

Curriculum implementation and the formal curricula need to be adapted to

accommodate for difference, and hence decrease the gap between advantaged and

disadvantaged students (Miller et al., 2009, p. 3). Culturally and linguistically diverse

students are forced to learn in the mainstream classroom, making them vulnerable to

failure. Attitudes toward people from different cultures are diminishing overtime

(Ewing, 2013, p. 75). This poses a great issue: While Australia is viewed as an

accepting, multicultural country, this is not the case, and this is having a negative

impact on the curriculum experience received by culturally diverse students in

Australian schools.

Refugee and Immigrant Students

It is important to understand the difference between refugee and immigrant students.

Refugee students: Have been forced to leave their home country out of fear

or danger (Brown, 2008, p. 109). They may have left with no warning or have

experienced trauma.

Immigrant students: They, or their parents, have made the decision to leave

their home country to live elsewhere. This may be due to economic or family

reasons (Settlement Services International, n.d.).

The quality of education received by refugee and immigrant students is exceedingly

different to students from the dominant culture (Bartlett & Ghaffar-Kucher, 2013, p.

1). Understanding the difference between refugee and immigrant students is

important as they both have different needs. However, they are addressed

collectively, as the educational inequity they are experiencing is of similar

circumstances, particularly when compared against students from the dominant

culture.

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Refugee and immigrant students are important within a diverse classroom. Lawrence

et al. (2012) describes three changes refugee and immigrant students experience

when moving to a new country;these include a change in a sense of place,

identityand culture (p. 78). A change in a sense of place can be felt as they move

from one place to another, as they may feel as sense of cultural homelessness; they

feel they do not belong to their original culture or their new culture (Lawrence et al.,

2012, p. 78). Cultural homelessness can be increased if their movement is inhibited

or delayed. A change in a sense of identity can be experienced, as ones identity is

connected to ones culture (Lawrence et al., 2012, p. 78). Identity confusion can be

experienced when students move to a new country. A positive sense of identity and

emotional wellbeing is needed for learning to take place;therefore, identity confusion

can negatively impact the students’ learning experience (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark,

2004, p. 25). A change in culture can prove to be complex, as some aspects of a

culture are easier to adopt than others (Lawrence et al., 2012, p. 78). Refugee and

immigrant students may find it difficult todecide which elements of the new culture

they will embrace, and which elements they will omit. This highlights the importance

for teachers to support refugee and immigrant students.

It is important that refugee and

immigrant students acquire a

bicultural identity, meaning that

they feel they belong to more than

one culture. When moving to a

new country, many multicultural

students experience identity crises,

whereby they are divided between

two cultures (Crandall, Jaramillo,

Olsen, Peyton & Young,2008, p.

225). Therefore, teachers must be

supportive of refugee and

immigrant students as they

undergo the enduring task of

acculturation. When a student

enters a classroom, they bring

their virtual schoolbag, consisting of their knowledge and experiences prior to the

commencement of their formal schooling (Thomson, 2002, p. 1). A refugee or

immigrantstudent’s virtual schoolbag will be vastly different to a student from an

Figure 1. Taheem’s drawing. “Voices from the

margin: school experiences of refugee, migrant

and indigenous children”, byBrown, J., 2008, p.

115. Copyright 2008 by Sense Publishing.

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advantaged background. Brown (2008) discusses a refugee student’s past schooling

experience (pp. 115-116). The child speaks of war and suffering, stating that he went

to school with ragged clothing, surrounded by people with injuries, as shown in figure

1 (Brown, 2008, pp. 115-116). The child states that his past experience hindered his

ability to concentrate in school, foregrounding how a refugee student’s virtual

schoolbag places them at an educational disadvantage. Refugee and immigrant

students are unfamiliar to the cultural capital of schooling and education, and

therefore are placed at a disadvantage (Thomson, 2002, pp. 1-5). Teachers must

subvert the common belief that refugee and immigrant students will be

unsuccessful,as they are not familiar with the cultural capital (Thomson, 2002, pp. 1-

4). Refugee and immigrant students are capable of educational success if they are

immersed in their schools social and academic culture, as well as having ongoing

support from their teachers to further promote their sense of belonging (Crandall et

al., 2008, p. 220). Through the understanding of refugee and immigrant students’

background, teachers can ensure they feel a sense of belonging and obtain a

bicultural identity.

Disadvantaged Students and Educational Inequity

Disadvantaged students have a largely different curriculum experience than that of

advantaged students. Australia is often viewed as an egalitarian society. However,

there is a minority group who experience inequality due to their social disadvantage

(Ewing, 2013, p. 74). Disadvantaged students include those from diverse social and

cultural backgrounds, as they are not part of the dominant, Anglo-saxon Western

society, in which the formal intended curriculum is directed. Socially and culturally

diverse students may feel their beliefs, values and experiences are not reflected in

the formal curriculum they receive, which leads to feelings of alienation (Ewing, 2013,

p. 86). This sense of alienation can progress to further exclusion, as they become

disengaged within the classroom environment.In order to encourage inclusivity, the

classroom environment should contain resources, which represent many cultures,

and avoid stereotypes and prejudice. These resources should promote difference,

and promote diversity in regard to race, gender and social class (Robson, 2004, p.

212). All students should find relevance within the curriculum, with meaningful

learning being closely linked to students’ academic success (Ewing, 2013, p. 91).All

students are different; all students should be taught differently. The intended

curriculum should be tailored to the individual needs of each student, rather than

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teaching all students in the same way (Ewing, 2013, p. 91). This will attempt to

decrease the disadvantage of socially and culturally diverse students, by making the

intended curriculum meaningful and relevant to their past experience. It is difficult for

teachers to combat the issue of educational inequity, as the intended and enacted

curriculum continues to be directed at advantaged students. While social and

economic inequalities are beyond teachers’ control, teachers should create an

inclusive classroom to promote educational equity (Gorski, 2013, p. 52). Creating an

equal learning experience for all students, regardless of their context and

background, can seem like an impossible task. However, through inclusive practice

and understanding diverse students’ individual needs, teachers can attempt to

decrease educational inequity and help all students reach their full potential.

Embracing Difference and Diversity

Difference and diversity should be celebrated. A truly multicultural society should

embrace all cultures; all cultures should be viewed equally, in regard to both power

and respect (Lawrence et al., 2012, p. 84). Sexism, racism and bias within a society

lead to power inequalities between social and cultural groups (Siraj-Blatchford &

Clark, 2004, p. 24). In order for all students to have a positive and inclusive learning

experience, racism, sexism and bias must be eliminated from the classroom

environment. Strong-Wilson and Ellis (2007) support this idea by stating that social

interaction and relationships directly influence a child’s development and wellbeing

(p. 43). This reinforces the importance of inclusive education. Siraj-Blatchford and

Clark (2004) identify six stages, which aim to implement inclusive practice in an

educational environment (p. 29). Stage one is represented as being discriminatory,

whereby diversity is seen as a disadvantage or issue. The stages continue to

become increasingly inclusive, with stage six being actively challenging inequality

and promoting equity (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark, 2004, pp. 29-31). Teachers should

aim to create a classroom environment that promotes diversity and difference, and

by doing so, all students will feel accepted and included in the classroom, regardless

of their culture, race, gender or social class.

In order to embrace difference and diversity, teachers should attempt to implement

educational equity for all students; an aspect of this is having high expectations of all

students, regardless of their social and cultural background. Teachers often have

lower expectations of disadvantaged students than they do advantaged students; this

assumes that socially and culturally diverse students have less academic ability than

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those of the dominant culture (Ewing, 2013, pp. 86). Low expectations can interfere

with curriculum implementation, resulting in unequal learning experiences. When a

teacher lowers their expectations, due to a student’s context and background, the

teacher may cause the student to feel a sense of alienation, and further isolate them

from the mainstream classroom. By having high expectations of all students, student

engagement is increased, and teachers will implement inclusive practice (Goski,

2013, p. 50). Teachers should provide all students with the opportunity to show their

strengths and abilities. In order for teachers to promote educational equity, teachers

must have high expectations of all students, regardless of their social and cultural

context.

Defensible Strategies

Education is the greatest strategy for combatting racism and discrimination within a

classroom context. Educators can be a pivotal point of change (Forrest et al., 2015,

p. 619). It is through educating students that Australian classrooms will become

culturally accepting and inclusive of diversity.

A study amongst Sydney teachers concluded

that teachers were supportive of equity, and

anti-racism and discrimination. However, over

51 per cent of teachers answered that racism

remains a problem in Australian schools

(Forrest, et al., 2015, pp. 625-626). This

suggests that the issue of racism, within an

educational context, is largely due to students

being uneducated. By educating students

about cultural diversity, teachers can create

inclusive classrooms, free from racism and

discrimination.

Quizzes and Interactive Activities

One way teachers can educate their students about cultural diversity is through

quizzes and interactive activities. Racism No Way (www.racismnoway.com.au) is a

website that provides information, and teacher resources, that aim to eliminate

racism in Australian schools. The images below show screenshots from one of the

interactive quizzes Racism No Way provides; the quiz aims to educate students

“Education is Power” (A Day in our Shoes, 2016)

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about Australia’s population and culture (Racismnoway, 2015). Through the use of

quizzes, students can engage in interactive activities that expand their knowledge on

Australia’s diversity.

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Building Relationships

Teachers can educate their students about cultural diversity by encouraging strong

relationships with their peers, teachers and parents; this can be done through

interaction. Strong student-teacher, and peer, relationships are vital to inclusive

education (Malaguzzi, 1993, pp. 1-3). Promoting interaction consequently promotes

strong student-teacher relationships, as well as strong relationships between peers.

This allows students to learn about their peers’ context and cultural background; this

will educate them about other students’ past experiences to create an inclusive

classroom environment.Involving parents from diverse backgrounds can also

promote cultural diversity (Forrest et al., 2015, p. 624). An example of this is having a

culturally diverse parent come in, as a guest speaker, and discuss their background

and experiences. Through relationships and interaction, students can

understand,and be educated about, each other’s context, and create an inclusive

classroom environment, accepting of diversity.

Source: www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-resources/anti-racism-activities/puzzles/quizzes2/australia-population-junior/multiscreen.html

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Curriculum Links

Teachers must implement a curriculum that resonates with the objectives of official

curriculum documents. This resource is linked with official curriculum documents,

including the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the Melbourne Declaration,

and the Australian Curriculum. These links are discussed in further detail below.

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

The first outcome from the EYLF is “Children have a strong sense of identity”

(DEEWR, 2009, p. 20). This learning outcome includes children developing

knowledgeable and confident self-identities. Examples of this include children

sharing their culture with teachers and peers (DEEWR, 2009, p. 23). This learning

outcome resonates with this resource, as one strategy provided for encouraging an

inclusive classroom, involves learning about one another’s cultural background.

The second outcome from the EYLF is “Children are connected with and contribute

to their world” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 25). Part of this learning outcome involves children

responding to diversity with respect (DEEWR, 2009, p. 27). This learning outcome is

present within this resource, as the topic being addressed is cultural diversity. The

strategies provided, to combat the issue of cultural ignorance, revolve around

building relationships and greatening students’ understanding of diverse cultures.

This encourages students to respect diversity and difference.

The Melbourne Declaration

The Melbourne Declaration lists two educational goals for young Australians

(Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs

[MCEETYA], 2008, p. 7). The first goal is closely linked to the contents of this

resource, being that “Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence”

(MCEETYA, 2008, p. 7). This philosophy of educational equity is discussed

throughout this resource, having the purpose of creating educational equity and

equal learning experiences for all students, regardless of their social and cultural

background. The strategies previously discussed, aim to educate students about

cultural diversity, and therefore provide students with an education free from

discrimination and inequity.

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The Australian Curriculum

The issues and strategies discussed throughout this resource are linked with

objectives of the Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum Assessment and

Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016). Respect, inclusivity and diversity are addressed

in the Personal and Community Health strand of the Health and Physical Education

curriculum. Students in year 3 and 4 should be able to “Describe how respect,

empathy and valuing diversity can positively influence relationships” (ACARA, 2016,

ACPPS037). This content description is addressed throughout this resource, as a

strategy provided states how interaction and relationships can educate students

about the value of diversity and respect. Students in year 7 and 8 should “Investigate

the benefits to individuals and communities of valuing diversity and promoting

inclusivity” (ACARA, 2016, ACPPS079). This content description is reflected

throughout this resource, as it describes how inclusive classrooms, which encourage

diversity, promote student learning.

Ideas into Practice

Outcomes

By the end of this activity you will:

Gain a further understanding of cultural difference in an educational

environment

Be able to identify discriminatory behaviour within a classroom context

Understand how discrimination can negatively impact culturally diverse

students

Understand how to respond to observed discriminatory, racist or bias

behaviour in your classroom setting

Have the ability to develop pedagogies to prevent future discriminatory

behaviour

Part 1 – Video

Watch the video in the link provided below. It is only necessary to watch from 00:00

to 02:30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Gn4K6RDGM

Part 2 – Scenario

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You are working as a Primary school teacher in a low socio-economic suburb.

Samia, the young girl from the video, enters your classroom half way through

Semester 3. It is her first day of school. She is wide-eyed and eager to learn. She

enters the classroom wearing an Afghan headscarf, a Hijab. At first, Samia doesn’t

notice, but you can see the other students staring at her. As the day continues,

Samia’s love for education is evident. She struggles with English, as it is her second

language, but she is consistently asking questions and it is evident she wants to

understand the content. After school, you see Samia talking to a group of her peers.

You are too distant to hear what the students are saying, but you observe the group

of students walking away laughing, leaving Samia fighting tears on her own, before

wandering home. The following day, Samia returns. She is no longer wearing her

Hijab, and her enthusiasm to learn has vanished, with Samia sitting silently in the

corner of the room. You assume this is due to the conflict that occurred the day

before.

Part 3 – Questions and Discussion

Take 10 minutes to answer the following questions. Discuss your responses in small

groups.

1. How do you think Samia feels within this situation? Explain why.

2. What could you do to make Samia feel included and engaged in the class?

3. How could you use your observations to create a lesson on cultural diversity?

4. Reflect on whether you have seen any students within your class feel

excluded due to their culture, race, gender or social class. Explain the

situation.

5. What is the importance of inclusivity in a classroom context?

6. What is a pedagogy you can use to promote inclusivity and encourage

diversity within your classroom?

Conclusion

This resource has hoped to develop educators’ knowledge, and understanding of,

culturally diverse students. It has been discussed how diversity within education is

flourishing. This resource has explored on how refugee and immigrant students, like

all culturally diverse students, have individual learning needs and past

experiences,which potentially place them at an educational disadvantage. The

classroom environment should be free from discriminatory practice, ignorance and

racism; all students should achieve a sense of belonging within their classroom

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environment. It is the teacher’s role to educate their students about cultural diversity,

and promote inclusivity. A classroom that values diversity and celebrates difference

creates a safe and inclusive environment, in which students can maximise their

learning and have a positive and inclusive curriculum experience.

Additional Resources for Educators

For further information, pedagogies and strategies for promoting cultural diversity

within your classroom refer to the resources and links below.

Racism No Way

Racism No Way provides information and teaching resources to assist with

promoting diversity, and eliminating racism and discrimination in the classroom.

www.racismnoway.com.au

Todd Parr Books

Books written by Todd Parr, including ‘It’s Okay to be Different’ and ‘Be Who You

Are!’ are great resources for promoting inclusivity and encouraging difference and

diversity. More information can be found at www.toddparr.com.

A video reading of ‘It’s Okay to be Different’is provided in the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYf3prwXJU

Scootle

Scootle provides a range of resources teachers can use in their classrooms. By

searching key words such as ‘Diversity’, ‘Refugees’ and ‘Immigrants’, resources are

provided to assist with encouraging inclusive classrooms, and that can be used to

educate students about these topics.

www.scootle.edu.au

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