Pedagogical Diagnosis and Self-learning in the Training of Foreign Language Teachers

Universities in charge of training foreign language teachers have the responsibilities to guarantee and improve their preparation. In doing so, it is still evident that within Hispanic speaking environments, foreign language contexts require much attention. Hence, the pedagogical diagnosis allows describing, analyzing, interpreting, and comprehending the educative reality of future foreign language teachers, to design strategies for educative intervention. These strategies may facilitate personalized attention for enhancing self-learning and developing linguo-professional potentialities from classroom diversity. This paper has the aim of revealing the importance of pedagogical diagnosis for personal implication of the future foreign language teacher, his conscious responsibility in self-learning, as an active transformer of the reality. For the accomplishment of this task, several scientific methods such as analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction and hermeneutic were used. Las universidades encargadas de la formación de profesores de lenguas extranjeras tienen la responsabilidad de garantizar y mejorar su preparación. Para ello, sigue siendo evidente que, en los entornos hispanohablantes, los contextos de las lenguas extranjeras requieren mucha atención. Por ello, el diagnóstico pedagógico permite describir, analizar, interpretar y comprender la realidad educativa de los futuros profesores de lenguas extranjeras, para diseñar estrategias de intervención educativa. Estas estrategias pueden facilitar la atención personalizada para potenciar el autoaprendizaje y desarrollar las potencialidades lingüísticas-profesionales desde la diversidad del aula. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo revelar la importancia del diagnóstico pedagógico para la implicación personal del futuro profesor de lenguas extranjeras, su responsabilidad consciente en el autoaprendizaje, como transformador activo de la realidad. Para la realización de esta tarea se utilizaron varios métodos científicos como el análisis-síntesis, la inducción-deducción y la hermenéutica.

Exploring linguistically responsive teaching for English learners in rural, elementary classrooms: From theory to practice

The rapid growth in the number of English learners (ELs) in urban and rural school classrooms and the continual homogenization of a White, female, teaching force in the United States create cultural and linguistic disconnections in the classroom. As research suggests, although classroom diversity and ELs’ academic needs could be addressed by teachers’ enactment of linguistically responsive teaching (LRT) practices, most mainstream classroom teachers are not adequately prepared to implement these practices. This study examined the teaching practices of teachers with English learners in rural, elementary classroom settings in the US to find evidence of linguistically responsive teaching. It also explored how rurality shaped teachers’ instruction of ELs. The findings illustrate limited and considerable evidence of LRT implementation in the teachers’ classrooms. Evidence shows that two focal teachers mostly implemented LRT through their teaching strategies and scaffolded instruction. Findings further demonstrate that rural factors like place-based awareness and the teachers’ rural upbringing influenced their instruction of ELs. Implications on the need for researchers to undertake further and critical examination of LRT both as a theoretical framework that guides teacher preparation and as a theory that guides educational research are discussed while recommendations for language teaching, pedagogy and teacher preparation are put forward.

Ethnic Diversity and Students’ Social Adjustment in Dutch Classrooms

Research in the US indicates that classroom diversity is related to better social adjustment of students, but research on this association in European classrooms is limited in scope and yields inconsistent findings. This study examined how classroom ethnic diversity is related to social adjustment of societally dominant versus minoritized ethnic groups, and how an open classroom climate for discussion contributes to this. This was examined in low to moderately diverse Dutch classrooms (2703 secondary school students, from 119 classrooms and schools, Mage = 14, 50% female, 18% foreign-born parents). Results revealed that students from minoritized groups reported lower social adjustment. For all students, classroom ethnic diversity was related to worse social adjustment which was partly explained by classroom socioeconomic status (SES). An open classroom climate for discussion did not moderate the relation between diversity and social adjustment. The findings indicate that students’ social adjustment is worse in ethnically diverse and low-SES classrooms, and an open classroom climate for discussion does not solve this.

Learning style and achievement in English of secondary school students: the relationship with demographic variables

proficiency is crucial. In South African schools, many students who study through medium of English have underdeveloped linguistic skills. Their English proficiency may improve if they are taught in consideration of their learning styles. Therefore, the main research problem of this study was: How can the teaching of English at school be enhanced in consideration of student learning style and classroom diversity? To address this question, the study investigated academic achievement in English and learning style, and their relationship with demographic variables; the differences in the learning styles of the top and the low achievers in English; and how the top-achieving students learned English in different contexts. The sample comprised 240 students enrolled at an independent school in the North-West Province of South Africa. The study implemented a mixed method research design by means of a structured questionnaire, followed by interviews with ten of the top-achieving students selected to ensure maximum diversity. The results indicated significant differences in the achievements in English and the learning styles of different student groups. The qualitative phase of the research shed light on the learning styles of the top performers in English in different contexts and sub-fields of English. Recommendations were made on how the teachers can take students’ learning styles and classroom diversity into consideration in their classroom teaching in the quest to improve academic achievement in English.

Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education

Amid internationalization in higher education, modern classrooms have become diversified, which provides both opportunities and challenges for educators and institutions. In response to changing trends and transformative developments in Asian higher education, the editors of Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education: Lessons from Across Asia argue that classroom diversity can deepen students’ learning potential when adequately harnessed and matched with inclusive pedagogy. This edited volume of contributions provides rich insights and practical strategies for cultivating diversity and inclusion in diverse settings in Asia and beyond.

Diversity Management in Classroom: Exploration of Teacher's Role

Nepal is a country of diversity in terms of ideological, cultural, religious, caste, geographical and sexual orientation, ethnicity, class and language. Diversity is not merely a problem, it is an opportunity for exploring creativity of individuals who have cultural, racial, and ethnic differences. In this context, this study aims to explore the role of teacher in diversity management in the classroom. I chose purposive sampling to identify the participant for my study. Headteacher, teacher and the students are the participant in my study. Multicultural education, Fair treatment and respect of differences are key for living diversity. Differences of the individuals need to addressed inside and outside the classroom. Diversity is the property of the school from which teacher and students learn different idea information and knowledge form the diversified students in his school. Diversity need to celebrate in the school in the different functions.

Current Changes in Primary Education: The issue of “different” in a primary school mathematics classroom

In the setting of the transformation of our societies to become multicultural ones, we intend in this paper to examine situations in a mathematics classroom where respect for, and exclusion of, the ‘different’ co-exist. Conducting an instrumental case study, we follow two Grade 4 groups while they are solving a mathematics generalization task. We examine how the interaction that took place between the members of the teams mirrors the two faces of the same coin (i.e. the culture of the classroom) and at the same time reflects the change in the primary classroom that necessitates openness and genuine respect for the ‘different’. On the one hand, we will demonstrate the dynamic of the harmony that was apparent between the members of one of the groups since the ‘different’ was not a barrier but a source of mathematical ideas that contributed to the solution. On the other hand, the lack of openness in the other group resulted in good opportunities for ‘doing mathematics’ being missed and put the self-confidence of one of its members at risk. Keywords: classroom diversity and conflict, multicultural mathematics classroom, collaborative problem-solving