Introduction
The importance of prioritizing diversity in the classroom has grown in recent years. Previously, this aspect of education was not looked at from a scholarly point of view, and its influence on children’s development was not examined as much as it has been in the last few decades. Cultural diversity in the classroom has become more present in research, which is also true for the research of grades 1-6 education. In particular, grades 1-6 and elementary school lay the foundation for the child’s emotional development, cultural competence, and academic achievements.
Therefore, it is imperative to foster cultural diversity in this classroom at this stage of the educational process. This research paper aims to assess the effects of classroom diversity in these formative years by synthesizing the findings from five scholarly journal articles. In particular, it will explore the benefits of diverse classrooms, the challenges that may arise in the diverse classroom environment, and possible strategies that can be applied to build an inclusive learning environment.
Benefits of Diverse Classrooms
Fostering diversity in the classroom in grades 1-6 education provides many benefits that positively impact not just the students but also educators and the learning environment as a whole. Academic performance is not the only indicator of the influence of a culturally diverse learning environment. Instead, the effect can be comprehensive and extend beyond academic achievements, including improved social skills, enriched learning experiences, and preparation for a globalized world.
Social Skills
During the period of grades 1-6, a child develops the most fundamental social skills. Building a solid social interaction basis is one of the most important goals of the learning environment at this stage. Social skills are enhanced through interaction with peers; however, cultural diversity can serve as a catalyst for the development of social skills.
Schwarzenthal et al. (2019) point out that when social interaction is encouraged among students of different ethnicities and cultures, children are exposed to different communication styles. This enhances their communication style and makes them more sensitive in terms of the way they communicate with other people. On the other hand, Schwarzenthal et al. (2019) also emphasize enhanced empathy and conflict resolution skills, as intercultural communication forces children to look at classroom situations from different perspectives. Overall, a culturally diverse classroom contributes to the fast development of cross-cultural communication skills.
Enriched Learning Experiences
A culturally diverse classroom enriches learning experiences for students from all cultural backgrounds, which happens in several ways. To begin with, in a culturally diverse classroom, the children bring a wide range of cultural perspectives and experiences (Schwarzenthal et al., 2019). This makes them see the world in a way that is different from how they are used to seeing it.
Moreover, having cultural diversity in the classroom makes lessons more engaging, especially when working on children’s cultural competency. By having a real example of cultural diversity with which they are surrounded, the presented material will be seen as more relevant to their real lives (Schwarzenthal et al., 2019). Educators can also incorporate cultural exchange activities, which will create more positive learning experiences for all students. To summarize, cultural diversity in a classroom creates a dynamic in which personal, social, and academic development are enhanced.
Preparation for a Globalized World
The 21st century has been marked by the development of a multicultural and interconnected global society. This makes it necessary for children to develop a wide range of skills and competencies from an early age so that they are prepared for functioning in a globalized world. Numerous competencies can be fostered by educators through fostering a culturally diverse learning environment and taking advantage of this diversity. The first competence that can be enhanced by cultural diversity directly and indirectly is multilingual competence. Multilingualism can be promoted directly through communication if children with different linguistic backgrounds need to find a way to communicate with each other (Portes et al., 2018).
On the other hand, it can also be promoted indirectly through motivation when monolingual children see multilingual children, perceive it as a norm, and become motivated to learn foreign languages as well. It is also essential for students to become aware of global issues and the interconnectedness of the world from the early school years. A path to becoming a responsible global citizen begins in the classroom, which is why cultural diversity is a particularly important factor influencing children’s development.
Challenges of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom
Despite the apparent positive impact of culturally diverse classrooms, there are specific challenges that can turn the advantages into disadvantages. On the one hand, there are challenges that the educators face when adjusting the learning environment for learners from distinct cultural backgrounds. On the other hand, the learners themselves can also meet difficulties when navigating a classroom with cultural diversity.
Teacher Preparedness
Many teachers might need more time to be ready to address cultural diversity and adapt the learning environment to the needs of students who have different backgrounds. At the present moment, proper educational training for teachers working in multicultural classrooms is often lacking. There might also be a need for more cultural awareness and cultural competence in educators. Researchers point out that teacher self-efficacy and appropriate training background are crucial when it comes to addressing diversity in elementary school (Clark, 2020). In particular, teacher self-efficacy is essential in terms of developing students’ literacy skills (Clark, 2020). The difficulties may be caused by language barriers for children who do not speak the language yet or by learning styles differing depending on the cultural background.
Cultural Isolation
Because educators are not ready to face the challenges of cultural diversity, the educational system itself might also need more appropriate preparation. On the one hand, the support system for children from different backgrounds may need to be improved (Juvonen et al., 2019). This can result in cultural isolation, especially for children representing a cultural or ethnic minority.
Curriculum Relevance
In addition to the lack of a proper support system, the challenges can be related to curriculum relevance. More often than not, curriculum adjustments need to be made appropriately, which results in the curriculum not reflecting the needs of the diverse classroom (Portes et al., 2018). Irrelevant curriculum leads to students’ disengagement and lack of interest. Engaging curriculum is essential for students’ development, which is why adapting it according to the requirements of a culturally diverse classroom is a must.
Strategies for an Inclusive Learning Environment
The benefits become apparent when the challenges of addressing culturally diverse classrooms are addressed. This is why it is necessary to implement proper strategies to foster an environment that will be socially inclusive and bring out all the positive aspects of cultural diversity. These strategies include promoting culturally responsive teaching, enhancing educator skills, and adapting the curriculum to make it more inclusive.
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Culturally responsive teaching is an approach explicitly created to accommodate the needs of the students in a culturally diverse classroom. It addresses the experiences of students from different cultural backgrounds, prioritizes strong teacher-student relationships, and encourages student agency (Portes et al., 2018). In this approach, the diversity is put at the center, and the educational process is built around it. This approach is essential for schools that want to bring out all the positive sides of cultural diversity.
Enhancing Educator Skills
Schools need to provide teachers with opportunities to improve their cultural competency and skills necessary for a culturally diverse learning environment. Rasheed et al. (2019) state that the lack of cultural competency can contribute to a cultural divide between the teacher and the students. Improved cross-cultural skills, on the other hand, enhance academic performance. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce cultural competence-enhancing training programs.
Adapting the Curriculum
Schools and educators must adapt the curriculum so that it stays relevant for the culturally diverse learning environment. In particular, it should include more culturally relevant content that reflects the experiences of cultural groups. Moreover, the resources can be multilingual, and the instructional materials can be made more flexible. After introducing these changes into the curriculum, it will be easier to meet the needs of the students representing both the cultural minority and the majority.
Conclusion
Culturally diverse classrooms have become the norm, and the role of diversity in the learning environment will keep growing. Cultural diversity in the school can benefit the students and the educators significantly through enhancing students’ skills and enriching experiences. There are, however, challenges that can be related to the lack of teacher preparedness and lack of support system. All these challenges can be addressed through promoting culturally responsive teaching and educator skills as well as adjusting the curriculum. With these changes, the diverse learning environment will contribute to the best development of students.
References
Clark, S. K. (2020). Examining the development of teacher self-efficacy beliefs to teach reading and to attend to issues of diversity in elementary schools. Teacher Development, 24(2), 127-142. Web.
Juvonen, J., Lessard, L. M., Rastogi, R., Schacter, H. L., & Smith, D. S. (2019). Promoting social inclusion in educational settings: Challenges and opportunities. Educational Psychologist, 54(4), 250–270. Web.
Portes, P. R., González Canché, M., Boada, D., & Whatley, M. E. (2018). Early evaluation findings from the instructional conversation study: Culturally responsive teaching outcomes for diverse learners in elementary school. American Educational Research Journal, 55(3), 488–531. Web.
Rasheed, D. S., Brown, J. L., Doyle, S. L., & Jennings, P. A. (2019). The effect of teacher-child race/ethnicity matching and classroom diversity on children’s socioemotional and academic skills. Child Development, 91(3), e597-e618. Web.
Schwarzenthal, M., Schachner, M. K., Juang, L., & Vijver, F. J. R. (2019). Reaping the benefits of cultural Diversity: Classroom cultural diversity climate and students’ intercultural competence. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(2), 323-346. Web.
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