Reimagining UNISA’s Open Distance Learning through the Lens of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Pitsoe, Victor J.

doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1356

Cited by 4 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…There has been a strong call for Africanisation of knowledge, and various authors believe that this offers an opportunity to regenerate the content and the pedagogical approaches used in higher education (Maringe & Ojo, 2017;Steyn & Reygan, 2017). This chapter aligns with the decolonisation debate and aims to contribute to the regeneration and critical rebalancing of higher education teaching (Pitsoe & Dichaba, 2014;Ramoupi, 2011). Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and differentiated instruction (DI) applied to the teaching of economics in South African universities are examined in this chapter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…It echoes the theoretical and conceptual presentation of CRT in Chapter 6 of this book. Focusing on a South African online university, Pitsoe and Dichaba (2014) advocate for the use of CRT to accommodate three generations of students (baby boomers, X-and Y-generations). Acknowledging the digital revolution, these authors recommended CRT as relevant in meeting the learning needs of diverse students across generational and cultural divides.…”

Section: Literature Review: Culturally Relevant Teaching (Crt) and Differentiated Instruction (Di)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acknowledging the digital revolution, these authors recommended CRT as relevant in meeting the learning needs of diverse students across generational and cultural divides. CRT is presented as an emancipatory and transformative pedagogy to the extent that students' values and cultures are not only praised, but also used to teach students effectively (Bamber, Lewin & White, 2018;Pitsoe & Dichaba, 2014;Rector-Aranda, 2018). Pitsoe andDichaba (2014:1358) argue for "a pedagogy responsive to the learning, emotional and social needs of ethnically and linguistically diverse students with and without disabilities".…”

Section: Literature Review: Culturally Relevant Teaching (Crt) and Differentiated Instruction (Di)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction

Jeannin¹,

Ojo²

2021

Transformative Curricula, Pedagogies and Epistemologies

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Literature Review: Culturally Relevant Teaching (Crt) and Differentiated Instruction (Di)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Review: Culturally Relevant Teaching (Crt) and Differentiated Instruction (Di)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction

Jeannin¹,

Ojo²

2021

Transformative Curricula, Pedagogies and Epistemologies

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“…Culturally responsive teaching has been proposed by researchers in recent years as a means of addressing cultural issues in education and improving learning equity among students (e.g., Coffey & Farinde-Wu, 2016;Gay, 2010;Pitsoe & Dichaba, 2013;Thomas & Warren, 2017;Zhang, 2013). Gay (2010) defined culturally responsive teaching as "using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them" (Gay, 2010. p. 31).…”

Section: Culturally Responsive Teaching In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gay (2010) defined culturally responsive teaching as "using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them" (Gay, 2010. p. 31). This approach to teaching, which is based on the notion that students learn well when consideration is given to their cultural backgrounds and values (Pitsoe & Dichaba, 2013) called for attention to curriculum design, learning context, student-teacher relationships, instructional teaching skills, classroom management, and assessment practices in ways that empower ethnically diverse students through academic success, cultural affiliation, and personal efficacy (Coffey & Farinde-Wu, 2016;Gay, 2010).…”

Section: Culturally Responsive Teaching In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural Diversity in Online Education: An Exploration of Instructors’ Perceptions and Challenges

Kumi–Yeboah

Dogbey

Yuan

et al. 2020

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Purpose/Objectives/Research/Focus of Study This qualitative study investigated online instructors’ perceptions of cultural diversity in the online classroom and the challenges that instructors of online courses encounter in their efforts to incorporate cultural diversity and multicultural learning contents in the online learning environment. An associated goal of the study was to explore the instructional strategies that online instructors use to create conducive online learning environments that value cultural differences as well as the educational experiences of students in online classrooms. Population/Participants/Subjects Fifty full-time instructors of online courses from three universities in the northeastern part of the United States participated in the study. The participants included Clinical Professors of Practice (n = 4), Assistant Professors (n = 18), Associate Professors (n = 16), and Full Professors (n = 12). There were 23 females and 27 males from different academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds. Research Questions Unlike many previous studies, this study sought to uncover online instructors’ perceptions of cultural diversity in the online classroom, the pedagogical strategies they employ to address issues related to cultural diversity in online learning, and the challenges they encounter in their efforts to promote cultural diversity and incorporate multicultural learning content into their online instruction. Specifically, this study explored the following research questions: (a) How do instructors of online courses perceive cultural diversity and the impact of cultural diversity in online learning? (b) What instructional strategies do instructors of online courses use to address issues related to cultural diversity in online learning environments? (c) What challenges do instructors of online courses encounter in their efforts to promote cultural diversity and multicultural learning content in online environments? Research Design This study employed qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews and content analysis to explore instructors’ perceptions of cultural diversity in online learning as well as the challenges encountered by instructors of online courses in their efforts to promote cultural diversity and incorporate multicultural learning content into their online instruction. The qualitative research design was chosen because it allowed the researchers to collect and analyze data about the instructors’ perceptions of cultural diversity based on their own voices, with the aim of producing conceptual explanations of the types of instructional strategies that instructors use to promote cultural diversity in online education and the challenges they encountered in the online classroom. Findings/Results The findings of the study pointed to four themes, namely that: (a) differential perceptions of cultural diversity exist among instructors of online courses; (b) perceptions of cultural diversity depend on the academic disciplines taught by instructors; (c) a variety of instructional strategies—collaborative online learning activities, incorporating multicultural learning activities and global learning content, using cultural awareness activities, addressing the impact of multicultural education— support cultural diversity in the online environment; and (d) there are significant challenges associated with promoting cultural diversity in online teaching and learning. Conclusions and Recommendations Findings revealed that the majority of the instructors view cultural diversity as the recognition of students’ cultural differences within the online learning environment, the ability of instructors to infuse multicultural content into their curriculum, and the capacity of instructors to use a variety of strategies to facilitate instructional delivery to meet the needs of students from diverse cultural backgrounds who study in the online environment. Findings also suggested that instructors’ perceptions of cultural diversity in the online setting vary depending on their teaching discipline and academic preparation. Specifically, instructors in education, social sciences, and engineering demonstrated a good understanding and awareness of cultural diversity. They also felt the need to provide support that enhanced the learning experiences of diverse student populations in the online environment. On the contrary, instructors in the physical sciences did not demonstrate such a good understanding of cultural diversity and showed little knowledge of ways to incorporate multicultural learning content to help diverse student populations achieve academic success in online education. In light of the findings from this study, the researchers recommend that online instructors and instructional designers work toward enhancing their knowledge of cultural diversity and toward incorporating multicultural resources in their curricula to support diverse student populations (including those with learning disabilities) in online education.

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Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Experiences of Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in the ESL Classrooms

Idrus¹,

Ramli²,

Habib³

2023

tpls

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Teaching that is culturally responsive (CRT) goes well beyond mentioning students' native cultures or using examples of traditions and customs. This strategy might make students feel included, but it falls short of adding the required rigour to our teaching methods. Although the number of ESL students has increased, teacher preparation programmes sometimes are deprived of preparing incoming teachers to work with a variety of students. The researchers used qualitative methods to investigate how preservice English teachers perceived and engaged with instructional pedagogies that were intended to support their learning and apply to their current practicum experiences and teaching careers in this case study, which was specifically created to improve a pedagogical course on English language development. Data were gathered by observations and interviewing techniques, and they were then inductively examined. According to the results, preservice teachers were most interested in the course material when they were directly related to their prior teaching experiences, and they were least interested when those links were not made clear.

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Reimagining UNISA’s Open Distance Learning through the Lens of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Abstract: Currently, Unisa's Open Distance Learning (ODL)

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction

Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction

Cultural Diversity in Online Education: An Exploration of Instructors’ Perceptions and Challenges

Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Experiences of Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in the ESL Classrooms

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