16 Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

We have considered how education is a sociocultural activity and acknowledged that structural inequalities are reflected in education. We have also explored the power we have to acknowledge the ways our fields have been shaped by racism and also to give voice to perspectives that typically aren’t included. Now we will explore Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and the value of leveraging students’ cultural backgrounds and knowledge to support learning.

What is culturally responsive pedagogy?

Culturally responsive pedagogy acknowledges students’ unique cultural backgrounds and strengths to foster student achievement. It rejects the traditional notion of educators disseminating information to students which they must absorb, and instead is student-centered in honoring students’ prior knowledge and cultural references. Like anti-racist pedagogy, culturally responsive pedagogy encourages instructors to seek opportunities for students to see themselves in the content. Including content from various cultural backgrounds helps engage students, making the content more relatable. Culturally responsive pedagogy supports students seeing themselves as part of their learning.

Is culture really that important?

Culture is central to learning! It impacts our language, norms, behaviors, and the way we conceive of ourselves. Learning happens within cultural contexts for all of us as our individual experiences are shaped by culture. We must examine our own biases and cultural assumptions about our students while providing opportunities for students to connect and engage with the learning.

How can I be a culturally responsive practitioner?

To ignore students’ cultural backgrounds is to disregard their experiences and overlook the various strengths they bring to your course. Culturally responsive pedagogy celebrates rigorous instruction by promoting equity, encouraging critical thinking, and fostering students’ sense of identity within the context of the classroom and beyond. Northeastern University shares the following Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies for Educators:

• Activate students’ prior knowledge.
• Make learning contextual.
• Encourage students to leverage their cultural capital.
• Reconsider your classroom setup (even online).
• Build relationships.

Listen to a student perspective from Brooklyn Dixon about his college experience, from the WTCS Equity in the Classroom 2019 Conference.