Cultural Difference Theory in Education Essay

Education has been running in the vein of humans from ancient times and is evolving day by day according to modern-day practices. At the time of great teachers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, knowledge transferred from oral methods, and everyone from different cultures was welcome to join them and learn the wisdom of life.

The openness of these great teachers enticed people from faraway spots to reach today’s Rome, which was formerly the hub of Greek civilisation. The inclusion of people from different backgrounds or cultures in the great philosopher’s classroom laid the foundations of an equitable learning system, from which occurred the cultural difference theory in education.

Let’s explore the possible pitfalls and solutions to promote more inclusive or equitable learning opportunities for students from different cultural backgrounds.

Decoding Cultural Difference Theory in Education

A great academic of the 19th century, Tylor, defines culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” The cultural background of the student plays a significant role in the learning or teaching of students in the same classroom.

This means that the cultural differences between students and the teacher may pose a hindrance to effective learning due to their different exposure towards morals, concepts, or customs. The most important postulate of cultural difference theory in education is the varying linguistic and understanding capabilities of same-batch students sitting side by side and how it affects their learning experience.

• Cultural Influence on Learning

People from different cultural backgrounds have different learning experiences while sitting in the same room.

For example, if a student comes from a collectivist culture, like from any South Asian society, then it will be challenging for him/her to participate individually in class discussions or activities due to the default inbuilt collective approach promoting a society where students prefer to communicate along with a group even in individual opinion demanding situations.

On the other hand, if a student comes from an individualist culture, like from any Western society, then it will be challenging for him/her to walk hand in hand with classmates to participate in class discussions or activities and prefer to share the vision individually.

• Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP)

Culturally responsive pedagogy is an educational approach that is focused on making teachers recognise, value, and integrate students’ diverse cultural backgrounds into their methods of teaching to ensure an effective learning process for students.

It emphasises utilising the diverse cultural backgrounds of students to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments to make students interact with the world without any hesitation.

It is the prime concept discussed in teaching studies by scholars, and it can be a perfect topic to discuss in your education assignment for promoting awareness about cultural differences and integration of students’ backgrounds in devising teaching practices.

• Improving Academic Performance of Students

Cultural difference theory in education has emerged in response to the cultural deficit theory in education, which asserts that the cultural shortcomings of students lead them to underperform. On the other hand, it asserts that:

• The learning styles of students are shaped by the cultural backgrounds in which they live.

• The struggle of students stems from the differences in the home culture and school expectations that are opposite to their upbringing morals and values.

• Teachers should flip the classroom and match students’ diverse cultural background differences rather than forcing them to be adept with their styles.

What Led to the Evolution of Cultural Difference Theory in Education?

Cultural difference theory in education has taken its roots in the 20th and 21st century social justice movements in the USA. It was formed to counter the arguments of cultural deficit theory in education, which points to the cultural shortcomings of students as the sole factor in their poor learning experience.

According to Baratz & Baratz, Cultural difference theory in education posits that diversity sparks more curiosity and motivation among students to learn from cultural differences in one place.

After that, some figures like Gloria Ladson-Billings took the concept further and introduced Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, reflecting how cultural differences can be dealt with through diverse teaching practices to make the message heard by every student clearly. Geneva Gay introduced culturally responsive teaching practices to insist educators incorporate students’ cultural backgrounds into their teaching practices.

Possible Impacts of Cultural Differences on Learning and Teaching

It is evident that the cultural diversity of students significantly impacts the learning process and the effectiveness of the teaching methodologies adopted by different teachers. If you are working on a dissertation, draw the differences between the cultural difference theory in education essay and cultural capital theory in education to advocate the necessity of considering this theory.

Then you need to understand the possible impacts to draw foundations for inclusive and equitable educational environments that meet the diverse cultural backgrounds and learning styles of students. We have listed the prominent impacts below for you to focus on the main areas without wasting time on less important factors.

• Gap Between Learning Styles & Students Cultural Backgrounds

Teachers who are aware of the cultural difference theory in education can bridge the gap between the different learning styles of students and their backgrounds to ensure an effective knowledge-sharing system. For example, some students come from a collaborative learning environment and some from individual ones, which means their learning preferences will be opposite from each other.

To cater to both types of students, a teacher can offer group projects to students who prefer to work collaboratively and single assignments to students who want to work independently.

• Diverse Teaching Methodologies & Teachers Cultural Backgrounds

Teachers are like normal human beings who can’t put off their social and cultural colours while teaching. They have gotten these colours with time and are reflective in their teaching methodologies. It is most likely that a teacher will adopt the teaching pedagogy that is influenced by his/her experiences and moral or social values.

For example, if a teacher is a by-product of the rot learning system, then it is most likely that he/she will use lecture-based instructions in the classroom to educate students.

On the other hand, if a teacher comes from a society that promotes critical thinking and asks questions about set values, then the promotion of inquiry-based learning is evident in the classroom. Hence, proving that cultural difference theory in education is still relevant and workable in this post modern world.

• Effective Pedagogical Approaches Meeting Diverse Student’s Backgrounds

Educationists like Geneva Gay have introduced culturally responsive teaching concepts to the world, which emphasise the integration of diverse perspectives of students from different cultures into the teaching methodologies and curriculum. It focuses on creating a learning environment where all students feel seen, heard, and respected instead of just acknowledging cultural differences.

Teachers can offer different choices in doing academic tasks to students, like doing group projects assignments, and writing research papers, as well to ensure a smooth learning process.

Different Types of Theories in Education

Cultural difference theory in education emerged in response to the cultural deficit theory in education. Along with this, a lot of other theories emerged on the landscape as well. We have discussed these types as well below to help you understand their message and importance as well.

• Cultural Deficit Theory in Education

This theory suggests that deficiency in the homely culture and environment of students increases their academic struggles and makes them lack the necessary skills or values required for success in school.

• Cultural Capital Theory in Education

Bourdieu has justified the word capital in the title by explaining that students from the middle class have better avenues of cultural knowledge, skills, and competencies from their society as compared to their working-class peers who are devoid of this capital and make them enjoy learning advantages in school over them.

• Cultural Bias Theory in Education

It refers to the biased behaviour of students and teachers, which leads them to favour certain cultural norms and values over others in the classroom, which poses disadvantages to students from diverse backgrounds and hinders their educational growth.

• Sociocultural Theory in Education

Sociocultural theory in education advocates that society plays an integral role by offering social interaction between people from different cultures and allowing them to work collaboratively with each other within a cultural framework and pass the learning levels.

Comparison of Traditional & Culturally Responsive Assessment Methods

Frequently Asked Question