THE PRACTICE: Cultural Sensitivity - To maximize learning opportunities, teachers gain knowledge of the cultures represented in their classrooms and translate this knowledge into instructional practice.
Content Presented By:
The Education Alliance at Brown University

What is it?

Children whose language and culture correspond more closely to that of the school have an advantage in the learning process. Children whose experiences are devalued or unrecognized become alienated and disengaged from the learning process.

How people are expected to go about learning may differ across cultures. To maximize learning opportunities, teachers gain knowledge of the cultures represented in their classrooms and translate this knowledge into instructional practice. Thus, instruction that is culturally sensitive recognizes that students are not blank slates. Instead, students are seen as having knowledge and experiences that, if tapped, will accelerate their learning.

Cultural sensitivity is not equated with a focus on easily stereotyped artifacts of the culture, such as food and art. Instead, it is based on ways of communicating and learning that are familiar to the student, along with themes that are of interest to them.

Cultural sensitivity requires that teachers interpret their students' behaviors within the cultural context of the student. They understand the cultures represented in their classrooms, and reflect on the instructional implications brought about by this cultural knowledge. Then, they develop learning tasks that are meaningful to the student.

This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu