Cultural
Education
Awareness and scope of Cultural Education:-
1.Diversity and Multiculturalism in the Classroom
There are several ways teachers and administrators, such as principals and coaches, can ensure that both the classroom environment and curriculum are responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of our society. These strategies will encourage all students’ cultural awareness, enhancing each student’s sense of identity, and foster inclusion in the classroom community.
2.Get to Know Your Students
Ensuring that cultural awareness is promoted in the
classroom starts with the teacher understanding each individual student. Take
the time to learn about each student’s cultural background, hobbies, learning
styles, and what makes them unique. Demonstrating a genuine interest in
learning about each student and their culture will help establish trust and
allow you to form a bond with them so they feel valued. If students feel
appreciated by and comfortable with the teacher, there’s a better chance they’ll
feel comfortable talking with and respect their peers in the class – and
communication is the core to a culturally aware and inclusive classroom.
3.Maintain Consistent Communication
Aside from getting to know your students, teachers should
also continue to maintain ongoing communication throughout the semester or
school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with students to “check in” every so
often will allow you to consistently improve how accessible the classroom is to
everyone. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom
culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall
experience. It’s also an opportunity to discuss their progress in the class and
offer guidance on how they can improve, based on their individual needs as a
student.
4.Acknowledge and Respect Every Student
It’s also important for students to celebrate and respect
their own diverse backgrounds, as well as each other’s. When appropriate,
teachers should encourage students to research and learn about their own ethnic
and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to better understand their own
culture as well as the differences and nuances with their peers. As a bonus,
this can be a great ice breaker assignment, allowing students to give
presentations about their family traditions and culture to help expose the class
to concepts outside of their own familiar comfort zone. Acknowledging these
differences and creating a safe space for discussion helps promote
understanding in the classroom and beyond. Also, as you encourage students to
learn about their diverse backgrounds, remember to take the time to highlight
what’s offensive and the distinction between cultural celebration and
appropriation. Learning how to talk about other cultures in a respectful,
mature way is essential for success in life outside the classroom.
5.Practice Cultural Sensitivity
While it’s important to keep an open dialogue amongst
students, it’s equally as important to make sure you’re being sensitive to
everyone’s culture, beliefs, and language concerns. Take the time to understand
each student’s cultural nuances – from learning styles to the language they use
– and use these insights to design your lesson plans. For example, provide
English language learners with appropriate and relevant resources that help
them improve their English comprehension skills. Rather than teach with a
traditional lecture style, create learning experiences that are more
interactive and require collaboration. These considerations will help ensure
that every student feels included, is given the space to learn in their own way
and is given a chance to succeed.
6.Incorporate Diversity in the Lesson Plan
The classroom environment is important for fostering
cultural awareness, but you also should ensure diversity is represented in your
actual lesson plan. For example, broaden history lessons so that they encompass
the world beyond United States history and culture. Or, use references and
analogies to other cultures in your lessons and assignments to help students
with diverse backgrounds personally connect. Another great strategy is bringing
in diverse speakers to add varying points of view and real-life context to
different subjects. There are several ways you can ingrain cultural awareness
and diversity into your lesson plan, and it will vary depending on the cultures
represented in your classroom and the course you’re teaching. Regardless of the
subject, always try to present and connect lessons to real-world issues. It’s
easier to promote cultural awareness within your lessons when there’s a real
example for students to relate to.
7.Give Students Freedom and Flexibility
Teachers often feel like they need to take on a strict,
authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom. The most
valuable lessons are often learned through a student’s own experiences, so
giving them some freedom in the course encourages more connection to the
curriculum. Allow students to read and present their own materials that relate
to the fundamental lesson so they can approach the topic from their own
perspective. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and encourage conversation
and healthy debate between diverse opinions. Group assignments are also a great
way to expose students to diverse perspectives, allowing them to work together
to explore and solve a problem. This will also help prepare them for a diverse
workforce where they’ll have to partner with a range of people to accomplish
their professional goals.
Importance of Culture-Based Education
Culture is basically the customs, beliefs and the way of
living shared by a particular society/community/country. It refers to the
values and norms shared by a specific group of people.
Culture influences how we see the world, how we see the
community that we live in, and how we communicate with each other. Being a part
of a culture influences our learning, remembering, talking and behaving.
Therefore culture determines to a great extent the learning and teaching styles
also.
How is culture important for the chil
1. Culture teaches values, beliefs and traditions.
2. It influences the social interaction with parents, siblings, peers and teachers.
3. It influences their language and communication.
Culture-based education is an approach in which
teaching and learning happen based on the values, norms, beliefs and practices
that are the foundation of any culture. Harvard Professor Jerome Bruner notes
“Culture shapes mind, it provides us with the tool kit by which we construct
not only our world but our very construction of ourselves and our powers”.
This is why culture-based education gains importance.
In education, students with diverse backgrounds and cultures
are often marginalised because they are exposed to a curriculum with one
predominant cultural bias. It does not cater to the culture that they are
familiar with and are a part of. This is why it is important to create a
curriculum that incorporates diverse perspectives. The teaching and learning
process must respond to physical, social and cultural preferences of the
children.
Teachers are the most important aspects of culture-based
learning as they should work towards motivating students to achieve not
only academically, but also socially, culturally, psychologically and
spiritually. The influences of cultural environment are necessary for the
educators because of its role in learning. They need to find mechanisms to
incorporate cultures and languages in their teaching practises.
Culturally-responsive educators should recognise the full
potential of each student irrespective of their cultural background and provide
the challenges necessary for them to achieve their full potential. They must be
aware of their students’ primary languages, background, and culture to
construct a curriculum that will be relevant to their students’ lives. They
need to modify their curriculum to include their students’ different cultural
backgrounds to create a more positive and productive school experience for
them. Building upon students’ culture and heritage not only benefits students’
academic progress but also empowers them as individuals. Teachers need to
engage their students in team-building activities in the class rooms where
students can learn about each other’s different cultures and learn to respect
them too. Children are able to reflect upon not only their culture but culture
in general.
A culturally responsive class room is one where the
students feel respected and safe to learn and participate. It is a place where
they develop a sense of pride and self-esteem. When they view their cultures
being promoted at school they feel included in their school community
empowering them and creating a sense of pride for their cultural heritage.
Students here perform better academically and also grow up to be more
independent and active citizens when they learn in an environment where their language
and culture are valued.
Now that nearly all universities across the world have
international students, educators are now becoming increasingly aware of how
different cultural backgrounds of the students affect their learning and hence
the urgent need for culture-based learning is now felt more than ever.
Benefits of cultural education
1- People will have a better idea of the world
Our world is made up of a lot of interesting and unique
people and cultures. More cultures our students observe, the more open they are
to people and cultures that are different from them. Getting familiar with more
and more cultures will automatically add in their knowledge and understanding
about them.
2-Value and respect for other cultures, as well as our
own
Not only is it important to know about other cultures, but
also to value and respect them. First, look at your own culture. This is one
way to get a better sense of how other people live. Many of us don’t even think
about the fact that our traditions and perceptions might be weird to someone
else. If you assume of your own way of life as the norm and everyone else’s as
a weird alteration, it’s hard to treat them with respect.
3.Reducing stereotypes:
The more the students will learn about cultures and races,
the less probably they are to make classes of individuals in schools based on
stereotypes. Because they will get to know that the truth for one person may
not be the truth for another.
4.Encourages effective communication:
Language isn’t the only thing that makes communication work.
Culture can have an effect on a lot of different things. Culture can show how
people speak, including how quickly they speak, how they use figurative
language, and more. It can also have an effect on body language and how people
move their hands and arms. The students will acquire different languages from
different cultures and will be capable of communicating with each other
effectively.
5.Increases chances of meeting new and interesting people:
The students will have more chances to meet new and exciting
people if they participate in different ceremonies, visit people from different
cultures, and try new things. This will make room for even more new friends
from different cultures to join their group of friends. In this way, the
chances of progress in the future will be increased.
6.New experiences
Stories, traditions, and new foods can all be new
experiences. New art techniques or musical instruments they’ve never seen
before are great things for people to see. The more you teach kids about
different cultures, the more they will be able to see and learn about the
world.
Cultural Value and its Vital Role
Students in a culturally relevant classroom feel supported
and safe to learn and actively engage. It is a place where they can grow in
confidence and self-esteem. When they see their traditions being encouraged at
school, they feel included in their school environment, which empowers them and
makes them proud of their cultural roots. When students learn in an environment
that values their cultural identity, they do better in school and grow up to be
more independent and lively individuals.
With nearly all universities around the world now having
international students, teachers are becoming more conscious of how different
cultural backgrounds of students influence their studies, and thus the urgent
need for culture-based learning is felt more than ever.
Culture plays a vital role in every individual’s
life. It brings together numerous elements to create a unique way of living for
different people. Some of the major elements that exist in every culture and
many change with time as the society progresses are symbols, language, values,
and religion. The first element is variety of symbols. A symbolis used to stand
for something. People who share a same culture attach a specific denotation to
an object, gesture, sound, or image. For instance, Christians use a cross as a
significant symbol to the religion. It is not just two pieces of wood attached
to each other, nor is it just an old object of torture and execution. To
Christians, it represents the basis of their whole religion, and they have
great respect for the symbol.
The second factor in every culture is a language. Language is
a structure of words and symbols used to communicate with other community.
Beside English, Spanish, French there are other unique languages which belong
to certain groups of people. Those are slang, common phrases and body language.
For example, English is most common and fluent spoken language in America and
Britain, however, we see and hear slangs and phrases that mean different
things; American cookies are British biscuits; American French fries are
British chips, and so on.
A system of value
is a culture which is defined for standard what is good or pleasant. There
is a share system of values which is used by member of the cultures to evaluate
what is right and what is wrong. In West, people are individualistic, they
strongly believe in competition and emphasize on individual achievement.
According to the culture whoever gets promotion is appreciated for his/her hard
work and talent. However, in East the collectivist values of culture are in
oppose to the West. In East there is a strong believe on welcoming the
collaboration and an individual’s achievement is only as good as his/her
contribution to the group.
Multicultural Education Important to Students
It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and
cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have
on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students to
various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better
citizens in their communities. These culturally responsive teaching strategies
will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.
With these culturally responsive teaching strategies in
mind, it’s important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness
is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and
in the long-term.
1.Students Become More Empathetic
Promoting awareness and creating a personal connection with
diverse cultures in the classroom can prevent students from developing
prejudices later in life. It allows them to empathize with people different
from themselves since they’re more aware of the experiences someone of a
different race or cultural group may face.
2.Students Gain a Better Understanding of Lessons and
People
When working and learning with people from a variety of
backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more
comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how
to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse
working environment.
3.Students Become More Open-Minded
Naturally, by exposing students to a diverse range of
opinions, thoughts, and cultural backgrounds, you’re encouraging them to be
more open-minded later in life. This will make them open to new ideas and be
able to attain a greater comprehension on a topic by taking in different points
of view.
4.Students Feel More Confident and Safe
Students who learn about different cultures during their
education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life.
This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more
confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.
5.Students Are Better Prepared for a Diverse Workplace
With the rise of globalization, it’s more important to be
able to work with people from different cultures and social groups. If students
are exposed to diversity and learn cultural awareness in the classroom, it sets
them up to flourish in the workforce.
Influence of Culture on Education
In a society characterized by globalized culture, education
has undergone some changes. They include the increased cultural diversity in
the educational system. The globalization of education as a system has raised
the number of international students in higher education institutions. At
schools, diverse classrooms pose new challenges associated with language use,
different learning styles, attitudes toward education, and student-teacher
relationships. This results in the increased responsibility of educators and
policymakers at different levels to ensure that students can participate in the
ever-changing community. As a consequence, it is needed to expand the knowledge
of the role of culture in the classroom.
Due to the interplay between culture and education, the
latter inevitably influences society. The expansion of knowledge utilizing
diverse perspectives brought from different cultures can increase the
efficiency of society, allowing it to tackle problems from a logical
perspective. When there are large portions of the population that are highly
educated and skilled, society can see an influx of new job opportunities, with
people putting their shares in uplifting the economy. With a stable economy
comes more investment in healthcare, cultural life, social issues, education,
research and development, and other areas of social life.
Culture is vital in education because it influences how
people see the world, the communities that surround them, and how they
communicate with each other. Being a part of a culture impacts people’s
processes of learning, retaining relevant information, behaving, and
communicating. Therefore, culture will inevitably determine to a significant
degree the learning and teaching styles within educational systems. Besides, in
the context of increased diversity in education, culture influences the
teaching of values, beliefs, and traditions inherent to different groups and
shapes multifaceted means of communication. Culturally-responsible educators
are challenged with recognizing the diverse perspectives of students to ensure
that all of them are involved in the educational process, and no one is left
out.
In the Dominican Republic, the interplay between culture and
education is illustrated in the dedication of educational institutions to
create an environment that responds to students’ diverse educational needs. Due
to social and cultural reasons, different students may face barriers in their
learning processes, with the policymakers of the Dominican Republic recognizing
such challenges and enhancing the educational process to address them. Besides,
under the guide of UNESCO, the Inclusive Schools Development Process was
developed to focus on underserved schools and facilitate various improvements
in teacher training, community support, and resourcing. Therefore, the shifting
social and cultural climates in the country are associated with active steps of
the government and organizations with which it cooperates to enhance
educational capabilities and ensure that they meet the diverse needs of
students.
The Importance of Arts and Culture in Education
1) The Transformative Power of Art Education:
2) Cultural Education and Global Awareness:
Openness to different cultures through writing, history, and the arts furnishes students with a more extensive perspective. Understanding cultural subtleties sustains sympathy and plans people to explore an interconnected world with deference and receptiveness.
3) Encouraging an Inventive Biological system:
Education should not be a transport line of normalized data
but rather a rich ground for creativity to prosper. The arts assume a critical
part in encouraging an imaginative environment inside educational
establishments. Whether through visual arts, music, or theater, students foster
the capacity to think innovatively, carrying new viewpoints to scholastic and
true difficulties. Rising demand for arts/design courses (40% over 10 years)
suggests students and society are increasingly valuing creative fields. That
supports your point about encouraging environment for innovation.
4) Art as an Impetus for Emotional Insight:
Art is an emotional language that rises above words.
Integrating Art education into the educational program gives students a way to
investigate and grasp their feelings. Whether through painting, music, or
dance, students figure out how to communicate and direct their sentiments,
adding to the development of emotional knowledge — an important expertise for
exploring individual and expert connections.
5) Developing Critical Masterminds:
Art moves people to address, break down, and decipher. The
method involved with making and deciphering Art levels up critical thinking
abilities, empowering students to notice subtleties, make associations, and
structure autonomous decisions. These abilities stretch out past the Art
studio, impacting students' way to deal with critical thinking in different
scholarly disciplines and future professions.
6) Advancing Inclusivity and Value:
Art and cultural examinations act as a scaffold to
inclusivity, separating boundaries and giving voice to underestimated stories.
A comprehensive arts education recognizes and celebrates different points of
view, cultivating a climate where each student feels addressed and esteemed.
This inclusivity improves the educational experience as well as adds to making
a more fair society.
7) Art Across Disciplines:
Art isn't restricted to an independent subject; it
consistently incorporates different disciplines. The implantation of art into
STEM fields, making STEAM, recognizes the harmonious connection between the
arts and sciences. This interdisciplinary methodology energizes
8) Cultural Competence for a Global Society:
In a time where interconnectedness is fundamental, cultural
competence is an essential expertise. Arts and cultural education ingrain a
comprehension of different points of view, customs, and accounts. This cultural
competence gets students ready to explore a global society, cultivating
correspondence and collaboration across borders.
9) The Imperative of art Education Advocacy:
Notwithstanding its heap benefits, art education frequently
faces difficulties, including financial plan requirements and educational
program prioritization. Advocacy for art education is imperative to guarantee
that students keep on profiting from its transformative power. Perceiving and
supporting the sign`ificance of art in education is an aggregate liability that
teachers, guardians, and policymakers should maintain.
Conclusion :
In conclusion, the coordination of arts and culture into
education is certainly not a simple extravagance yet a need for holistic
development. Art education develops creativity, emotional insight, and critical
thinking — abilities that stretch out a long way past the material. By
embracing cultural examinations, cultivating inclusivity, and advancing
interdisciplinary methodologies, education turns into a powerful power for
molding balanced people ready to flourish in a different and interconnected
world. The significance of art education isn't a choice yet a fundamental
interest in nurturing the personalities and hearts of people in the future.
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