Culturally Compatible Environments That Foster Learning

Creating Culturally Compatible Learning Environments

Students learn more when their classrooms are compatible with their own cultural and linguistic experience (Au, 1980; Jordan, 1984, 1985, 1995; National Coalition of Advocates for Students, 1988; Saville-Troike, 1978; Trueba & Delgado-Gaitan, 1985).

• Often in other cultures students are responsible for the care of their younger siblings, along with a heavy load of task-oriented home responsibilities. This can be capitalized upon by placing students into learning centers, or small mixed-gender groups of four to five students. They can aid one another in tasks at the centers with little supervision fro the teacher, emulating a home situation This allows the teacher an opportunity to work with small groups of students (Jordan, 1995).

• Some cultures, such as the Navajo culture, boys an girls are not allowed to work in cross-gender groups, and thus they are more comfortable in same-gender groups in the classroom. Learning centers with same genders can also be set up, if even one or two among several placed groups, or jigsawed accordingly to offer mixed and same. Teachers can observe how students behave, academically and socially, in both settings.

• Smaller group settings will also offset the challenges faced by students that are still working out language proficiency at various levels. Often these children are afraid to respond in a whole class setting, and will practice and respond more and better in smaller groups. 

• Integrating home culture into academic language and learning enhances academic achievement by allowing them responsibilities that mirror home chores and responsibilities, such as maintaining orderliness in groups, inventory of materials and supplies, and cleanliness by straightening up the room or learning center (Jordan, 1992).  These aspects of home culture can integrate with classroom academic expectations that students will relate and respond to.