Cultural Bias

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Cultural Bias

Technology has played an important role in the teaching and learning process. It has lessened the workload of teachers and students at large. Through technology, education has become more interesting in class because there is the use of PowerPoint presentations, availability of internet in classrooms for research and creativity in terms of photography and use of state-of –the-art cameras to capture the best-required material. There are students who are technology-savvy but not as much in class work. These students can be helped through the integration of their expertise in technology and class work.

Thanks to technology, many students are learning from the comforts of their homes. This is made possible through e-learning that allows people to attend classes without having to be physically present. Teachers also opt to post their material online in their websites and blogs for easy access by their students. Computers are not the only form of technology that can be used to enhance the learning process. Technology provides immeasurable learning opportunities that can also be used to boost learning in academic subjects.

Technology is responsible for the diversity in education and learning centers today. Those in remote areas can access education from the world over. Almost all education providers have websites tat can be accessed by anybody. This has led to competition among them as they all try to be as attractive and appealing to their clients as possible. Technology has also led to the development of technology schools to help people learn more about technology and its changes.

Cultural bias is an issue that has been around for a long time especially when it comes to the teaching and learning process. It can be seen in the way many teachers handle their students in class. It is also evident in some instructional materials like books. There are different forms of bias in these instructional materials like invisibility, stereotyping, unreality, imbalance and selectivity, fragmentation and isolation and linguistic bias.

Students in any classroom come from different cultural backgrounds and these different cultures approach education differently. There are students who come from cultures where they are expected to be passive when dealing with adults, this makes them very passive in class and their teachers assume that they are not putting any effort in class work. These students also remain passive on seeing their classmates participate in class. This happens not because the student wants it to, but because his or her culture expects him to. This case mostly happens when teachers do not understand the different cultural backgrounds of their students.

It is also paramount that teachers do not stereotype differing cultures. There is a tendency for teachers to perceive certain students from certain cultures as being of certain behavior. Hispanic and African American students are perceived as violent because it is believed that their cultures are defined by violence. This wrong perception will therefore lead the teacher to treat those students a little different from Caucasian students. Indian American students are also thought to be naturally bright. This does not always apply to all Indian American students, as there are those who are slow.

Books tend to portray our history and life experience as being unrealistic and unbelievable. They avoid topics on discrimination and prejudice. This in turn denies children their right to know the truth about the problems present in our society so that they are able to handle these problems in the future. Shadowing them from it does not help the situation, only makes it worse. Examples of books that are unrealistic include some of the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.

Some materials are stereotypic in their content. There are specific groups or persons that are given certain roles in books for example Jews are always portrayed as being wealthy. This means that the group is limited in its potential and abilities. Children reading these books are denied knowledge about diversity of groups in society. Those who belong to these stereotyped groups may fail to develop their own potential. A good example is Matilda by Roald Dahl. In this book, teachers are portrayed as mean people who hate children and make their lives miserable in school. This is bought out in Miss Trunchbull. Only one teacher, Miss Honey, is seen as a good loveable teacher. Matilda’s parents also make other parents look bad for abandoning and hating her so much.

Invisibility is another form of bias that is evident in some of the learning materials. In some books, the characters are mainly people of a certain group and ethnicity. Many groups are still left out in the narratives and illustrations, for example, African Americans, Asians and Latinos etc. Most books have Caucasians as their characters. This exclusion of groups is discriminatory and children do not get to learn about the importance of the other groups. A good example is Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. All the characters in this book are of American descent, starting with Willie Wonka, Charlie, who is the main character, and the rest. This could make children believe that only Americans have the abilities to do some things. I

Different languages are used in the teaching and learning process today. This depends on the geographical position of the school on the globe and the national language of that country. Most countries teach in English, because it is considered a universal language. However, because students come from different cultures, it is up to the teacher to ensure that every student is comfortable with the language used in class. There are those who can write but cannot fluently speak a certain language. This is a common scenario when learning foreign languages.

In formal and informal contexts, the languages used are different. In formal contexts, like in the case of learning institutions, one common language is used. This language has to be known and understood by the teachers and students alike. It can be English, French, German or any other language. Informal settings do not necessarily have a defined language. Most times, several languages that used to teach. For example, in the case of home schooling, there are those who use their native languages to teach their children. Informal settings consider that which is most convenient for the student at the time.

Social and academic contexts use different languages. In a social setting, students tend to use ‘corrupt’ languages. These are mostly referred to as ‘slang’. Slang is invented language that is usually only understood by its inventors and those around them. Young people are mostly associated with this kind of language. They come up with their own kind of speech pattern and vocabulary that is understandable only to them. This language is seen in social sites, group discussions at home or in school. It has become evident even in their schoolwork. The contrary is witnessed in academic contexts, where the language is more defined and clear.

There are different approaches to enhance language learning in the classroom. These approaches are dependent on various factors. Motivation is one such approach. Motivation works for all student types in the class, the bright one, the average one and the slow learner. The bright and the average learners will increase their confidence by constantly communicating and interacting with the rest of the classroom. This motivates them in terms of wanting to learn more and help the slow learners. This will in turn compel the slow learners to participate in class. These different interactions are vital in providing added motivation to all the students in the class.

Another approach is the use of practical activities especially in the acquisition of foreign languages. This approach proves very effective as it allows students to not only learn the written language but also be able to apply it in different scenarios. Examples of practical activities can include role-plays where students speak and act out different roles in context with the learnt language. This way, they do not forget what they have learnt. Field trips are another example of practical activities. The students can be taken to the country of the language they are learning for them to learn about the culture and the people.

Teachers can also use the discussion method to enhance language learning. Discussion method is very interactive and involving. The students learn to build their confidence and work in groups. Through this method, they learn to share ideas and views. When it comes to language learning, the students are open to new and fresh ideas from each other, they also help each other in grasping the more complex aspects of what they are learning. This method also strengthens the relationship between the teacher and his students.

Suggestopedia is another more recent approach that is used in the teaching and learning of a new language. It talks of freedom and transparency in the classroom. The teacher starts the lesson by introducing the topic in a playful manner to catch the attention of the students. The students are then allowed to take their time to understand the topic and come to terms with what is expected of them. This method is convenient since it allows for the systematic learning of languages. It is sometimes used as a motivation tool.

Conditions that are necessary for language acquisition include a good learning environment for both the teacher and student. It is often said that cold areas are better environments for learning as they keep the body active. Warmer areas, on the other hand, make the students lazy and sleepy, hence interfering with the learning process. A good environment is that where the teacher and the students accommodate each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This way a good rapport will exist between them. Once a good basis has been established then learning can take place smoothly.

The availability of sufficient resources is also important in language acquisition. Resources can include textbooks, practical materials, etc. Any kind of learning cannot take place without textbooks. These books are used for referencing and for assignments. In language acquisition, there has to be books especially if it is a foreign language. Lack of resource materials is cause for disarray and failure for both the teacher and the student. Most institutions try to provide the needed materials for learning, but there are those that struggle with it.

Motivation is important in language acquisition. Students need to be constantly motivated for them to want to learn more. They can be motivated by being rewarded for participating in class. When they are active in class, the teacher can choose to encourage them by awarding points or marks. Positive reinforcement in terms of using encouraging words in class also motivates the students. The teacher can say ‘thank you’, ‘well done’, ‘impressive’, etc to encourage active participation in the classroom.

The teacher has to have very good command of the language that he or she is teaching. He also needs to have a very good command of the language that he is using in class. Teaching cannot take place if the teacher does not know what he or she is teaching. The teacher has to have gone for prior training on the subject matter before going in front of a classroom. Knowledge of the subject matter gives the teacher a lot of confidence and self-worth when teaching and the students are able to trust him or her.

The students have to be tested and evaluated so that the teacher knows how well they are progressing. This can be done through continuous assessment tests after every topic and examinations at the end of the semester. The students have no choice but to study if they want to pass these tests. There can be no learning without evaluation and tests. Learning is a continuous process that dictates evaluation. This helps one to know the progress they are making; whether they are improving or deteriorating.

The material that is being taught to the students has to be relevant. If they are learning irrelevant things then they are destined for failure in future. The government has to ensure that the education system has content that is relevant to the students. The administration of the school will play its part by employing competent teachers who will be able to teach effectively and efficiently. Relevance is determined by the level the teacher is teaching. There is different content for junior and senior classes. Keen attention needs to be paid in delivery.

In conclusion, the teaching and learning process has its difficulties but it keeps improving. Cultural bias used to be a major problem in schools but awareness has been created to try to deal with this problem and more people are embracing that cultural diversity is not an obstacle but an opportunity. There have been measures to ensure equal opportunities in learning for students regardless of culture.

Reference

Gilbert A. Jarvis and Masters Salomone (1988). Review of H. Douglas Brown ‘Principles of Language Learning and Teaching’ Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 10, pp 400-402 doi: 10.1017/S027226310000752X

Moore, A. (2000). Teaching and learning: Pedagogy, curriculum, and culture. London: Routledge/Falmer.

Mukalel, J. C. (1998). Creative approach to classroom teaching. New Delhi: Discovery Pub. House.

Selfe, C. L. (1999). Technology and literacy in the twenty-first century: The importance of paying attention. Carbondale, IL: Southern IllinoisUniversity Press.