Emerging Research Trends in Teacher Education

Using a variety of teaching methods and mediums helps to encompass all students. Power points and hands on demonstration ensure that all students feel evolved and contribute to the learning experiences.

If a student breaks the rules, the teacher could speak to the students to justify the reason for breaking the rules, or the student could be asked to apologize the group. This should give grounds for the student to reflect on their behaviour. The government aims is to achieve, over the next decade, a world class education system that provides learning opportunities of equal quality for all students. Pioneered by Roger and David Johnson US in 1970‟s It is a set of teaching strategies in which students with different skill and achievement level learn together and responsibility for both individual and group achievement. The cooperative learn fosters team work and teaches „working together. Team work is an important life skill. Keeping in mind the socio-economic condition I.E looks like a dream but the road of perfect learning goes through there lanes, sub lanes and neighbors. A culturally inclusive classroom is one where students and staff alike recognize, appreciate and capitalize on diversity so as to enrich the overall learning experience. Fostering a culturally inclusive learning environment encourages all individuals – regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or political beliefs – to develop personal contacts and effective intercultural skills. The following pages describe some useful strategies for establishing a classroom environment characterized by cultural inclusivity, mutual respect, and genuine appreciation of diversity.

Figure: Strategies, Tips and Good Practice Examples and the diversity of experience in the classroom (e.g., ice-breaker activities in the first week of semester). For example, consider a “name activity‟ that encourages students to talk about the origins of their name, how they came to be given it, or what it means. This can help to encourage interaction between students, as well as opening up discussion about diversity.

It is important to celebrate similarities, as well as discovering differences between students. Refer to the GIHE document “Managing Intercultural Conflict Productively” for suggestions about activities that promote discovery of common interests and shared experiences between students to help build cohesiveness in the group. Promote computer and information technologies as an easily accessible method of student-lecturer interaction, particularly electronic bulletin boards, course mailing lists, and other online mediums. At the start of each semester, provide students with some information about your teaching style and instructional methods, perhaps on lecture slides or on your own website. Include details of your cultural background and any cross-cultural teaching, learning or research experiences you have had. Communicate to your students that you are committed to understanding cultural differences and understanding your own assumptions, values and beliefs associated with diversity. This sends a message to students that culture is valued and respected in the classroom. Provide opportunities for your students to interact with you informally. Before and after lecturers or tutorials is an ideal time. GIHE Good Practice Resource Booklet – Designing Culturally Inclusive Learning and Teaching Environments - Classroom Strategies Make an effort to learn something unique about each student. While this is challenging in large tutorials, exercises such as the “name activity” mentioned earlier can help in this regard. Display positive nonverbal behaviours (e.g., inviting facial expressions, eye contact, posture, hand gestures, physical distance) to ensure you appear approachable to students. During one-on-one interactions, ask what name or form of address students prefer. Correct pronunciation of names is very important, as it demonstrates cultural awareness and respect. Remember – if you are in doubt, check with students. Use inclusive language that avoids ethnocentric tones (e.g., “family name” rather than “last name”, and “given” name rather than “Christian name”) Eliminate classroom incivilities • Establish explicit ground-rules for appropriate classroom conduct to protect against cultural exclusion and insensitivity. o Communicate, verbally and non-verbally, high expectations for displaying mutual respect toward all students o Encourage students to negotiate an accepted “code of conduct” and set of disciplinary measures for inappropriate classroom behaviour (refer also to the GIHE document “Managing Intercultural Conflict Productively”). • Respond promptly to any behaviour (verbal or non-verbal) that could be considered prejudiced, biased or discriminatory in nature. Do not tolerate racist, sexists or culturally insensitive comments made by students. Explain Australia‟s laws in relation to discrimination and the University‟s Student Charter. • Avoid ignoring or neglecting the needs of individual students. For example, ensure you do not have a tendency to favour one group over another when answering questions. • Avoid stereotypes and preconceived assumptions in your teaching practices and course content. • When presenting information on cultural and linguistic diverse individuals or minority groups, clearly cite published literature and research findings, rather than expressing your personal opinion. Similarly, encourage students to draw on diverse data sources/evidence to develop their arguments and critique opinions.

DISCUSSION

Prompt students to ask questions by using open-ended statements, such as “Would anyone like to share a different opinion or perspective?”

a student will feel pressured if it is assumed they can speak on behalf of all people from their country or culture of origin. Promote turn-taking when discussing controversial issues. For example, ensure students take turns expressing their own opinions while also listening to (and genuinely considering) the views of others. To create a culturally inclusive classroom environment, it is helpful if teaching staff reflect on their own attitudes, assumptions and instructional practices. To what extent do these attitudes, assumptions and practices promote an inclusive learning environment? The following questions can be used as a framework for monitoring your own assumptions, biases, and understandings of cultural diversity in a reflective and potentially productive way. Induction programs are often the focus of professional development efforts aimed specifically at meeting the needs of new teachers. These programs may include mentoring, orientation sessions, classroom observations, and the use of formative assessments. Supporters of induction and mentoring argue that high-quality programs address teacher quality by reducing the high rates of attrition among new teachers and by building the capacity of new teachers to provide quality instruction. Moir and colleagues describe high-quality mentoring programs as having highly skilled mentors, dedicated time for mentoring, a focus on classroom and student data, engaged stakeholders, alignment with instruction, and a supportive school culture. However, a recent randomized controlled trial by the U.S. Department of Education‟s Institute of Education Sciences found that teachers in the focal induction programs reported spending more time meeting with mentors, but that the programs produced no significant impact on teacher retention, student achievement, or teaching practice. Teacher certification as a signal of teacher quality has been investigated at various levels, including full standard certification, emergency certification, advanced or National Board Certification, and subject-area certification. While recent studies find that full certification is either unrelated or positively related to student achievement, other research shows that emergency certification is generally either unrelated or negatively related to student achievement.

In particular, one study suggests that teachers with emergency certification negatively influence middle Another study finds no significant differences between the mathematics and science achievement of high school students of teachers with either emergency or full certification. Thus, while there are a number of studies that suggest certification makes a difference, the studies that find certification has no significant or practical value suggest that we still have much to learn about what certification is “signaling” in terms of teachers‟ ability to teach specific content effectively.

1. Bromley, K. D. (2010). Language art: Exploring connections. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 2. Garcia, E. (2014). Understanding and meeting the challenge of student cultural diversity. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 3. Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2011) Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society. New York: Prentice Hall. 4. Westwood, M. J., Mak, A. S., Barker, M., & Ishiyama, I. (2010). Group procedures and applications for developing sociocultural competencies among immigrants. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 22(4), pp. 317-330. 5. Wlodkowski, R. J., & Ginsberg, M. B. (2014). A framework for culturally responsive teaching, Educational Leadership, 53(1), pp. 17-21. 6. Woods, P. R., Barker, M. C., & Daly, A. (2014). Teaching intercultural skills in the multicultural classroom. Paper presented at the 4th Annual International Conference on Business, Honolulu, June 21-24.

Assistant Professor, Department of Education, R. K. College (Under L. N. Mithila University), Darbhanga, Bihar