Classroom or Clashroom?Learners’ diversity and construction of learners

Ardian Setiawan

What do you think?

17, 508 islands

234 million people

300 distinct native ethnic groups

742 languages and dialects

Classroom – learners’ diversity

• 45% of Australian were born or have at least one parent born overseas.

• from more than 200 countries – speak almost 300 different languages (including 50 indigenous languages)

• Various customs (and religious practices)

(Commonwealth of Australia 2009)

It’s likely that you will teach diverse classes – individuals

Challenge ---> Inclusive teaching?

Classroom

Clash of civilization (Huntington, 1992)

the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural

Culture as a source of conflict or ‘clash’

Culture in classroom? What else?

Classroom or Clashroom?

1. Classroom as a complex venue/discourse – shaping learners’ identity

2. What is identity? Learners’ identity?3. Gender --- related issues and pedagogical considerations4. Ethnicity5. Religion6. Race --- subtle7. Socioeconomic background8. Cultural background

Outline

Classrooms – ‘complex social systems’ (Cazden, 2001, p. 54)

Gender Ethnicity Religion Race Socioeconomic background Cultural backgrounds …. Literacy? Intellectuality?

Classroom - complexity

Classroom is:

the site of various forms of dialogical interaction. Taken together, engagement in such dialogues results in experiences for students that can impact positively or negatively on their personal and social identities. (Stables, 2003, p. 1)

classroom shapes learners’ identity

Classroom - identity

Do we [teachers] have the ‘power’ to manage classroom?

A miniature of the society: teachers --- power

‘To describe the difference in the bluntest terms, teachers have the right to speak at any time and to any person; they can fill any silence or interrupt any speaker; they can speak to a student anywhere in the room and in any volume or tone of voice. And no one has any right to object’ (Cazden, 2001, p. 54).

Classroom - teachers

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IdentitySocial Science

Citation Index – SSCI Journal

HOWEVER

The concept of identity

not clearly defined(Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004;

Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Mockler, 2011)

from social psychology:

WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I?(Vignoles, Schwartz, & Luyckx, 2011)

Sense of self – which includes self-esteem

Nature --- Identity is both personal and social (relational and collective)

Identity

Learners’ identity? Students’ sense of themselves

Similarly, it is both personal and social.

Constructed by the learners themselves and the society (others in the society) ---- peer students and teachers

… and classroom [but teachers have power]

Leaners’ identity

Gender bias

There exists a widespread assumption that the transmission of knowledge is, by and large, free of gender bias and that therefore in coeducational institutions of learning girls and boys receive equal education. (Abraham & Sommerkorn, 1995)

We [teachers] sometimes/often make assumptions regarding behaviours, abilities, or preferences of students based on their gender.

Treating students differently? No…

Gender - Classroom

Gender Inequalities in the College Classroom (Colombia University)

A large body of research shows that instructors: Call on male students more frequently than female students.

Are more likely to use male students’ names when calling upon students and in attributing ideas advanced in discussion.

Ask male students more abstract questions and female students more factual questions.

Are less likely to elaborate upon points made by female students.

Gender - Classroom

What to do?

Pedagogical level

Content – selection of materialsProcess – activities

Be sensitive to the gender dynamics in the classroom.

Gender - Classroom

Ethnicity - Classroom

300 ethnic groups

Ethnicity - Classroom

300 ethnic groups

Case – example: teaching Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian Language) – a compulsory subject in the national curriculum.

Different ethnic groups --- different ethnic languagesWe use and speak Bahasa Indonesia differently

Teaching religion – teaching about religion

If religion is discussed in classroom, address minority and majority religions.

The Discussion should be sensitive to the beliefs of students Get accurate information about different religions Different religions, different religious practices – respect

Religion - Classroom

What’s race?

race - an intricate concept

‘an imagined/social construct imposed upon individuals’ (Liggett, 2009).

In everyday discourse, race is usually thought as physically observable human characteristics such as skin colour, hair colour, facial characteristics, etc. (Kubota & Lin, 2009).

Race - Classroom

Racism in the class --- Subtle… problematicWhat is the effect?

The Doll test

Ms. Jane Elliott's "brown eyes, blue eyes" experiment (1970)

Race - Classroom

Racial stereotypes

Florida is ‘lowering the bar’ for students of particular racial backgrounds.

Race - Classroom

Students are socioeconomically diverse.Can we hide/avoid it?

Case – the white-yellow uniform

Socioeconomic Bg. - Classroom

Socioeconomic Bg. - Classroom

Case – the white-yellow uniform

Culturally diverse

Cultural Bg. - Classroom

On a school level: Schools --- ‘agents for social cohesion within the

community’ (Burridge & Chodkiewicz, 2007, p. 6) Promoting greater understanding of cultural

diversity among students.

On a pedagogical/class level: this is our job! Teachers must meet the learning needs of

students from diverse backgrounds.

Addressing diversity

Classroom is a complex venue. The discourse shapes learners’ identity.

To deliver inclusive teaching practices, teachers must be sensitive to --- various aspects such as gender, ethnicity, religion, race, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. --- etc.

Conclusion

Thank you