Sociology

Pedagogy

Literacy

Mathematics education

Cultural diversity

Psychology

Cultural competence

Anthropology

Teaching method

The Ohio Reading Teacher

AbstractThis article presents culturally responsive pedagogy as a means to practicing cultural scaffolding in the language arts and English classrooms. Students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds characterize 21st century classrooms. These diverse heritages need to not only be recognized, but also utilized in literacy instruction. Having students write an ethnoautobiography is one way to encourage students to celebrate their cultural selves, while also teaching literacy and critical thinking skills. The theoretical underpinnings of culturally responsive teaching pedagogy are discussed and an example activity is outlined.IntroductionTeachers are presented with unique challenges in classrooms with culturally and linguistically diverse students (Ladson-Billings, 1994). As educators in a pluralistic society, it is necessary that teachers be adaptive, culturally aware, and sensitive to the challenges of teaching students who may not share the same ethnic and cultural heritages. When educators understand the beliefs, biases, and behaviors of their students, they can make culturally informed decisions about how to make teaching and learning most effective.Culturally Responsive Teaching and PedagogyCulturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a pedagogical framework and practice in which educators pay specific attention to the cultural and diverse contexts in which learning takes place (Ladson-Billings, 2011). It involves paying attention to the differences and similarities between teachers, students, and the learning environment (Gay, 2002). The cultures of the school, of teachers, and of the community are often asynchronous to those of culturally diverse students (Gay, 2000). These discontinuities can interfere with the students' academic achievement, their motivation to learn, and their ability to acquire new knowledge (Gay, 2000). In order for teachers to deliver content knowledge to students in meaningful ways, they must also be aware and consider the cultural frame of reference through which each student will mediate that knowledge.Culturally responsive pedagogy assumes that the cultural diversity of students is a strength and favorable resource for improving learning for all students (Gay, 2000, 2013). The terms culturally responsive and culturally relevant pedagogy are interchangeable terms, but certain researchers prefer one over the other. CRT is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994, 1992b). Gay (2002) insists that educators must engage in constructivist cultural scaffolding in their teaching practice. Cultural scaffolding means utilizing students' cultures and cultural experiences to facilitate and improve academic and intellectual achievement (Gay, 2002). Furthermore, CRT must also be guided by effective cross-cultural communication and language (Gay, 2002). Cultural scaffolding and effective communication are especially important for those students who are learning to read and write in a second language (Lightbown & Spada, 2006). When considering the case of English language learners, culture is of particular interest because of the various cultural backgrounds and experiences students bring to the classroom.The challenges of teaching in a culturally sensitive way include self-reflection and self-contextualization. In other words, how do I, as an individual, make myself aware of my own cultural biases? Educators need to examine the ways in which cultural assumptions affects assessment, interventional goals, child development, learning theory, and the preparation of personnel (Ladson-Billings, 1994, 1995b). An effective and responsive literacy program makes considerations for both the student's second language acquisition skills (motivation,.personality, learning style) and those aspects of the child's specific needs (attitude, cognitive functioning, behaviors) (Garcia & Tyler, 2010). …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Cultural Scaffolding in Literacy Education