"The Effects of Culture on
The Learning Styles of Asian, Hispanic and African-American Students"
by Ken Bower, Ed.D
I. Theoretical approach to problems experienced by students
from minority cultures
A. "Bicultural tension"
B. A model of bicultural identity
C. Stages of assimilation and acculturation
D. A generational model of cultural pluralism
E. Universal competencies required for support staff in a helping role
II. Becoming a resource for the school staff
A. Survival skills of the human condition
B. Points to remember when teaching students from minority cultures
1. Asians
2. Hispanics
3. African-Americans
III. Guideline development for teaching in a multicultural
setting
A. Characteristics of successful teachers of minority students
B. Methodology for teaching students from culturally diverse
backgrounds
C. Tips for mainstream teachers who teach students from culturally
diverse backgrounds
D. Tips for mainstream and sheltered-class teachers
E. Unification activities for the culturally diverse class
F. Curriculum guidelines for multiethnic education
EFFECTS OF CULTURE ON OTHERS
• "Bicultural tension" is the operation of two value systems
when both value systems are being reinforced at the same
time.
• Acculturation is the process that occurs when one becomes
bicultural as opposed to being totally assimilated into the
dominant culture.
• A Multidimensional Transactional Model of Bicultural Identity
by Dr. Franando Galan
assimilated
acculturated
traditional
marginal
Some Points to Remember When Working With Students From Minority Cultures:
Cultural Traits of Asians: (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese)
- influenced by Confucian philosophy and ethics
- filial piety or respectful love of parents is important
- "loss of face" is a powerful motivating force
- qualities essential to harmonious living involves compassion,
respect for life, moderation in behavior, self-discipline,
patience, modesty and friendliness
Cultural Traits of Hispanics
• they have a deep awareness and pride in family membership
• the individual feels an inner dignity
• parents expect to be obeyed when they advise their children
• much of the Hispanic population believes in spiritualism
• belief in a sense of divine providence governing the world
Cultural Traits of African-Americans
Themes that underlie the diversity of Black families and give them coherence:
• strong kinship bonds
• strong work, education and achievement orientation
• high level of flexibility in family roles
• commitment to religious values and church participation
• humanistic orientation
• endurance of suffering
To teach students from minority cultures teachers must be:
• more caring
• risk takers
• more creative
• more attuned to the affective domain
• outgoing, friendly, warm and non-judgmental
• student-centered, use a lot of the student's work on the walls
Teaching from a multicultural perspective requires:
• awareness of one's own attitude towards diversity
• recognition of the teaching process as an intercultural
process
• awareness that teaching materials are culturally laden
• knowledge and understanding of students' cultures
• recognition of individual differences
• ability to assist students in recognizing and valuing
similarities and differences
• respect and appreciation of differences and fostering same
• recognition of constraints placed on students by racism,
sexism, classism and ability to assist students in developing
empowerment strategies to overcome these constraints
BIOCOGNITIVE STYLES
FIELD SENSITIVE FIELD INDEPENDENT
(Common in Traditional Hispanic Cultures) (Common in Traditional Anglo Cultures)
RELATIONSHIP TO PEERS
1. likes to work with others to 1. prefers to work independently
achieve a common goal
2. likes to assist others 2. likes to compete and achieve
individual recognition
3. is sensitive to feelings and 3. task oriented; is inattentive
opinions of others to social environment while working
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE TEACHER
1. openly expresses positive 1. rarely seeks physical contact
feelings for teacher with teacher
2. asks questions about teacher's 2. formal; interactions with
tastes and personal experiences; teacher are restricted to
seeks to become like teacher tasks at hand
INSTRUCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO TEACHER
1. seeks guidance and demonstration 1. likes to try new tasks without
from teacher teacher's help
2. seeks rewards which strengthen 2. impatient to begin tasks; likes
relationship with teacher to finish first
3. is highly motivated when working 3. seeks nonsocial rewards
individually with teacher
CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRICULUM WHICH FACILITATE LEARNING
1. performance objectives and 1. details of concepts are
global aspects of curriculum emphasized; parts have
are carefully explained meaning of their own
2. concepts are presented in 2. deals with math and science
humanized or story format concepts
3. concepts are related to personal 3. based on discovery approach
interests and experiences
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
1. emphasizes personal experiences 1. emphasizes specific
of students for illustrating characteristics of tasks
concepts
2. assigns tasks to groups or 2. assigns tasks to individuals;
pairs of students; emphasizes emphasizes "doing your own
team responsibility work"
3. emphasizes cooperative, mutual 3. emphasizes competitive
help activities activities
4. emphasizes feelings and attitudes; 4. emphasizes facts, accuracy
"human" characteristics and discrete characteristics;
emphasizes scientific
objectivity
5. models desired behaviors before 5. encourages students to
asking students to imitate manipulate objects and ideas
to draw own conclusions
Recognize that the student from a "traditional" Mexican-American home may need to move gradually from initial success with "field sensitive" activities to growing success in "field independent" activities. The reverse may be true for some Anglo students. (Adapted from Manuel Ramirez and the Dissemination Center for Bilingual Bicultural Education, Austin, Texas)
In the classroom we can teach culturally diverse students by:
• Using cultural learning styles (Field-dependent/field
independent)
• Using unification activities that may be incorporated into
existing units of study.
• Incorporating multicultural literature into already existing
units of study.
Tips For Mainstream Teachers Who Teach Minority Culture Students:
1. Provide a warm environment in which help is readily
available to the student.
-set up a "buddy" system in which native English-speaking students are
paired with ESL students
-use peer teaching situations where a native English
-speaking student teaches one or more ESL students
2. If possible use "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grade option
until the ESL student is able to compete successfully with
native speakers.
3. Record your lectures or talks on tape.
-Students can listen to them as many times as necessary for
understanding
4. Ask some of your native English-speaking students to
simplify the textbook by rewriting the chapters.
-ask each student to simplify just a few pages; this will serve as a
review for them
5. Choose native English-speaking students who take effective,
comprehensible notes to duplicate them for the ESL students.
(Source: Richard-Amato, Patricia A., Making It Happen:Interaction in the Second Language
Classroom, From Theory to Practice, Longman, New York, NY, 1988, pp.225-60
Tips For Mainstream and Sheltered-Class Teachers Who Teach Culturally Diverse Students:
1. Plan lessons that are related to the student's lives, utilize a lot of visuals, and provide for "hands on" kinds of involvement.
-ex. drawing, coloring and labeling maps in geography and pointing out where the
students came from is more valuable than just listening
2. Communicate individually with the ESL students as time
permits.
-avoid using complicated words or complex sentences
-speak slowly but keep the volume and intonation as normal as possible
-use few idioms
-incorporate a lot of body language
3. Avoid forcing the students to speak.
-allow them to speak when they are ready, ie. when they volunteer
-respect the student's right to a "silent period"
4. Reassure the students that their own languages are
acceptable and important.
-there is no such thing as a "better" language; all languages communicate human thought
-allow students of the same language group to help one another in their own language; refusing to allow a student to use his own language is prejudicial because in essence that is saying that his language is not good enough
-students may be reminded that their own language should not be used to exclude others from discussion
5. Make all corrections indirectly by repeating what the
students have said in correct form.
-as the students' English proficiency improves the indirect correction will probably be picked up and internalized after it is heard several times
6. Try to answer all questions that the students ask, but avoid overly detailed explanations.
-simple answers that are to the point will be understood best
7. If you are in a situation in which lectures are appropriate, try to make them as comprehensible as possible.
-emphasize key words and phrases through intonation and repetition; write them on the chalkboard or overhead transparency while you are talking
-give concrete examples
-use pictures and charts, gestures, acting-out, simplifications and expansion of ideas
8. Check to see what you are saying is understood.
-check for understanding by soliciting responses and demonstrations for assessment
9. Encourage the use of bilingual dictionaries.
-help the students to guess at meanings first by using context clues; assure them
that they do not have to understand every word to comprehend the main idea
10. Reinforce key concepts through repetition in a variety of situations using different activities.
-students need to hear about concepts more than once or twice for internalization to take place
11. Use bilingual tutors when possible.
-this is especially important for students who are operating at the beginning and intermediate stages
12. Be sure the library has appropriate content-area books in the students' native languages.
-these are useful to students in comprehending the concepts while the second language is being learned
-they also provide the student with a means for maintaining and developing skills in their native language
13. Become informed on the various cultures of your students and incorporate cultural information when possible.
-this is especially important to help prevent misunderstanding and confusion
14. Acknowledge and incorporate the student's cultures whenever possible.
-differing number systems can be introduced in math
-customs and traditions in social science
-various medicines in natural science
-native dances and games in physical education
-songs in music
-ethnic calendars in art
-haiku in literature
15. Prepare students for your lessons and reading assignments.
-ask them what they already know about the subject
-encourage them to look for the main ideas by giving them a framework or outline beforehand
16. Increase possibilities for success.
-alternating difficult activities with easier ones
-the tasks as a whole should gradually become more academically challenging as the students become more proficient
(Source: Richard-Amato, Patricia A., Making It Happen:Interaction in the Second Language
Classroom, From Theory to Practice, Longman, New York, NY, 1988, pp.226-8.)
Curriculum Guidelines for Multiethnic Education:
1. Ethnic pluralism should permeate the whole school.
Teaching about ethnic groups in a few specialized courses is not enough. Ethnic diversity should be reflected in assembly programs, classrooms, hallway and entrance decorations, cafeteria menus, counseling interactions and extracurricular programs.
2. School policies and procedures should foster positive
multiethnic interactions and understandings among students, teachers and the support staff.
The different ethnic groups may have different behaviors that should be honored so long as they are not inconsistent with major school goals. Rules should protect linguistically and culturally different students from procedures and practices that relegate them to low ability or special education classes.
3. The school staff should reflect the ethnic pluralism within American society.
Members of different ethnic groups must be a part of the school's instructional, administrative and supportive staffs.
4. Schools should have systematic, comprehensive, mandatory and continuing staff development programs.
Effective professional staff development should begin at the preservice level and continue as inservice when educators are employed by schools. It should be a joint effort by the schools, colleges and universities and the local community.
5. The curriculum should reflect the ethnic learning styles of the students within the school community.
Members of minority groups, especially those who are poor often have values, behavioral patterns, cognitive styles, expectations and other cultural components which differ from those of the majority in the school.
6. The multiethnic curriculum should provide students with continuous opportunities to develop a better sense of self, including development of:
-accurate self-identities
-improved self-concepts and positive identities
-the groups to which they belong, both voluntary or involuntary membership and the
effect of group membership
7. The curriculum should help students to understand the totality of the experiences of American ethnic groups.
-the students should become aware of the contributions that certain ethnic groups
have made to the American culture
-a multifaceted approach should help students:
a) become aware of the commonalities within and among ethnic groups
b) counteract stereotyping by making students aware of the rich diversity within
each American ethnic group
c) develop more comprehensive and more realistic understanding of the broad
range of ethnic group heritages and experiences
8. The multiethnic curriculum should help students understand that there is always a conflict between ideals and realities in human societies.
Students should be encouraged to examine various interpretations of the discrepancies between ideals and realities in American life and history. Emphasis should be neither on the ways in which the U.S. has "fulfilled its noble ideals" nor on the "sins committed by the Anglo-Americans" or any other group of Americans, but students should be encouraged to examine the democratic values that emerged in America.
9. The multiethnic curriculum should explore and clarify ethnic alternatives and options within American society.
Since some people are uncomfortable with their ethnic identities and wish to deny them the teacher must be careful about assuming that students want to discuss their ethnic group or some of its characteristics.
10. The multiethnic curriculum should promote values, attitudes and behaviors which support ethnic pluralism.
The major goals of ethnic pluralism include improving respect for human dignity, maximizing cultural options, understanding what makes people alike and different and accepting diversity as valuable to human life. Different does not necessarily mean to be inferior or superior
11. The multiethnic curriculum should help students develop their decision-making abilities, social participation skills and sense of political efficacy as necessary bases for effective citizenship in an ethnically pluralistic nation.
With strong commitments to such basic American values as justice, freedom and equality students can learn to exercise political and social influence on societal decisions relative to ethnicity in ways consistent with human dignity.
12. The multiethnic curriculum should help students develop the skills necessary for effective interpersonal and inter ethnic group interactions.
Students should include identifying ethnic stereotypes, clarifying ethnic attitudes and values, developing cross-ethnic communication skills, recognizing how attitudes and values are projected in verbal and nonverbal behaviors and viewing the dynamics of interpersonal interaction from other's perspectives.
13. The multiethnic curriculum should be comprehensive in scope and sequence, should present holistic views of ethnic groups and should be an integral part of the total school curriculum.
For optimum effectiveness, the study of ethnicity and ethnic group experiences must be interwoven in the total curriculum, not reserved for special occasions. The study should be integrated into all courses at all grade levels.
14. The multiethnic curriculum should include the continuous study of the cultures, historical experiences, social realities and existential conditions of ethnic groups, including a variety of racial compositions.
Sensitive and continuous development of the concepts racism, racial prejudice, racial discrimination and exploitation based on race should help students develop an understanding of the racial factor in the past and present of our nation.
15. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches should be used in designing and implementing the multiethnic curriculum.
Many different ethnic groups have all contributed to the fields of science and industry, politics, literature, economics and the arts. Multidisciplinary analyses will best help students to understand them.
16. The curriculum should use comparative approaches in the study of ethnic groups and ethnicity.
Students should be taught that persons from all ethnic groups have common characteristics and needs. This allows students to see the subtle ways in which the lives of different ethnic group members are similar and interrelated, to study the concept of universality as it relates to ethnic groups and to see how all ethnic groups are active participants in all aspects of society.
17. The curriculum should help students to view and interpret events, situations, and conflict from diverse ethnic perspectives and points of view.
Historians and social scientists are usually sympathetic to the dominant groups within our society. The teacher should try to help students to understand how each group may view a situation differently and why.
18. The curriculum should conceptualize and describe the development of the United States as a multidirectional society.
In the traditional approach the study of the U.S. is an east-to-west expansion. In this approach ethnic groups appear as obstacles to the advance of the westward-moving Anglos or as problems which had to be corrected or controlled. The flow of cultures into the U.S. must be viewed multi directionally, with the different ethnic groups included for their contributions to the present day society.
19. The school should provide opportunities for students to participate in the aesthetic experiences of various ethnic groups.
Local people in the areas of art, music, literature and science should be invited to discuss their experiences with the students, as well as give students the opportunity to develop their own abilities and make them available to the community.
20. Schools should foster the study of ethnic group languages as legitimate communication systems.
The program should develop respect for language and dialect diversity and diminish language ethnocentrism.
21. The curriculum should make maximum use of local community resources.
Teachers should invite local residents of various ethnic backgrounds to the classroom to share their experiences and views with the students. Community topics such as local population distribution, housing, political representation and ethnic community activities
22. The assessment procedures used with students should reflect their ethnic cultures.
Since many students socialized within various ethnic cultures, they may perform poorly on standardized intelligence tests and may be placed in low academic tracks or in special education. Special care should be taken that tests are "culturally fair."
23. Schools should conduct ongoing, systematic evaluations of the goals, methods and instructional materials used in teaching about ethnicity.
Evaluation should be construed as means by which a school, its staff and students can improve multiethnic relations, experiences and understandings within the school.
(Source: Curriculum Guidelines for Multiethnic Education: Position Statement, National Council
for the Social Studies, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, New York, 1983.)