Culturally responsive teaching (CRT)
In recent years, there has been a tremendous response to culturally responsive pedagogy, multicultural awareness, and racial literacy. However, Christine Sleeter has identified a concerning trend which she terms “the marginalization of culturally responsive teaching.” She argues that multicultural approaches to teaching and learning have become “supplanted by standardized curricula” and are becoming increasingly marginalized due to: “a) simplistic conceptions of what culturally responsive pedagogy is, b) too little research connecting its use with student achievement, and c) elite and white fear of losing national and global hegemony” (2012). Geneva Gay similarly argues that education cannot abide by a “one size fits all” model, especially in an increasingly diverse student landscape that embraces the “cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference,” and other aspects of students’ backgrounds as assets within the multicultural classroom (2018). To create safe, meaningful, and relevant cross-cultural learning experiences, explore the resources below:
- Understanding Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) – The authors of this resource outline major scholarly trends in CRT and offer eight teaching competencies that are needed to do this work successfully.
- Recognizing and Addressing Cultural Variations in the Classroom – Carnegie Mellon’s handbook uses student perspectives to explore teaching strategies in increasingly multicultural educational contexts.
- Teaching International Students – This teaching guide offers concrete strategies for supporting international students in classrooms and other learning environments.