From Multicultural Students to Intercultural Pedagogy

Creating an effective learning environment in a multicultural classroom requires more than attention to content and bibliography. I had to make the pedagogical move from the primary importance of exegesis to the indispensable need for hermeneutics. And not just any hermeneutical theory; one built on the very diversity I found in the classroom. In a word, I needed to learn to teach latinamente. I had to transform from being a teacher to becoming a host, gathering co-learners around the table, and recognizing and valuing the diversity already present.

CULTURAL VALUES AND UNDERSTANDING OF POLITENESS IN BRITISH, RUSSIAN AND PERSIAN LINGUA-CULTURES

Статья посвящена категории вежливости, выступающей регулятором коммуникативного поведения и определяющей выбор стратегий и средств коммуникации в конкретных ситуациях общения. На примере британской, русской и персидской лингвокультур показано, что, будучи универсальной, категория вежливости обладает этнокультурной спецификой, обусловленной различиями в концептуализации и понимании вежливости. Показана зависимость понимания вежливости от типа культуры и культурных ценностей и ее роль в формировании различных стилей коммуникации. Различия в понимании вежливости иллюстрируются дискурсивными практиками взаимодействия студентов и преподавателей. Подчеркивается, что знание того, как понимают вежливость представители различных культур и какого поведения они ожидают от преподавателя, является важной составляющей социокультурной и коммуникативной компетенции, необходимой для создания комфортной обстановки в мультикультурном классе. The article examines the category of politeness, which regulates communicative behavior and determines the choice of strategies and means of communication in specific situations. Through examples from British, Russian and Persian lingua-cultures, the article attempts to show that, though universal, politeness has culture specific features due to differences in conceptualization and understanding of the notion of politeness. The article highlights that understanding of politeness is shaped by the type of culture and cultural values which play their role in the formation of various styles of communication. Differences in the understanding of politeness have been illustrated by the discursive practices of interaction between students and teachers. We emphasize that it is important to know how representatives of a particular culture understand politeness and what kind of behavior they expect from a teacher. This is an important component of socio-cultural and communicative competence, necessary to create a comfortable environment for communication in a multicultural classroom in particular, and in all situations of intercultural interaction in general.

Multicultural Classroom Management: Strategies for Managing the Diversity of Students in Elementary Schools and Madrasah Ibtidaiyah

A comfortable classroom environment cannot be separated from the role of the teacher in managing the learning environment. Heterogeneous classroom conditions are a challenge for teachers to create a conducive and meaningful learning atmosphere. This is because each student has different characters, needs, and potentials that need to be developed. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of students if not managed properly can be a source of various problems in the classroom. Starting from bullying, the learning atmosphere is uncontrollable, even the attitude of antipathy to diversity triggers other negative attitudes, such as discrimination and injustice. Therefore, to overcome this problem, it requires the ability of teachers to create a classroom environment that respects diversity (multicultural). Based on this view, multicultural class management is needed. This is because multicultural classroom management is believed to be able to foster student diversity while still adhering to universal human values that are just and in favor of equality. Multicultural classroom management is also able to provide educational services that are by human needs, and respect differences with the human approach. On this basis, this study discusses teacher strategies in managing the diversity of students using a multicultural classroom management approach. Multicultural classroom management needs to be developed to create a more humanist and democratic learning atmosphere which is needed to foster the diversity of students in the classroom. Among the multicultural class management strategies that can be carried out are managing gender diversity, social status, ethnicity, including intelligence

Lesson Study: A Proposed Intervention for Professional Development of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Instruction in a Multicultural Classroom

This paper responds to the proposed implementation of lesson study as a professional development intervention for multicultural instruction in the United States. It includes an investigation of the literature in relation to the use of higher-order thinking skills, Banks’s four approaches for integrating multicultural instruction, and lesson study as a proposed professional development intervention in multicultural instruction. The conclusion provides a discussion of insights into K–12 educators’ needs for professional development opportunities to ensure that they provide diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments for all of their students. Creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning opportunities for students would be meaningful social change.

Interpersonal Trust in the Multicultural Classroom

В статье раскрыты целесообразность и прогностическая ценность изучения проблемы доверия в межкультурном взаимодействии. На основе анализа теоретических концепций обосновывается, что уровень выраженности доверия к представителям иных культурных групп выступает предиктором социально-перцептивных процессов в общении и опосредует выбор субъектом соответствующей стратегии межличностного взаимодействия в процессах межкультурной коммуникации. Представлены результаты эмпирического исследования, в котором выявляется содержание критериев доверия и недоверия студентов китайской, африканской и латиноамериканской общностей к сверстникам — представителям иных культурных групп. Эмпирически подтверждается предположение о существовании связей между доверием, недоверием и стратегиями взаимодействия иностранных студентов со сверстниками — представителями других культур. Анализируются обнаруженные корреляционные взаимосвязи между содержательными критериями доверия (недоверия) и манипулятивной, альтероцентрической, конформной, диалогической, индифферентной, авторитарной стратегиями интеракций во взаимоотношениях студентов с ровесниками — представителями других культурных групп. Полученные результаты косвенно свидетельствуют о том, что механизмы аттракции, выражающиеся в приязни, симпатии, дружелюбии, а также механизмы идентификации и рефлексии выступают в качестве предикторов отношений иностранных студентов к представителям иных культур, помогают преодолевать межгрупповые предубеждения и служат профилактикой манипулирования друг другом. Результаты исследования углубляют научные представления о проблеме доверия — недоверия в межэтнических отношениях, представляют практическую ценность для социальных психологов, специалистов в области кросс-культурной психологии при разработке профилактических и коррекционных мероприятий, направленных на повышение эффективности и коммуникативной культуры взаимодействия представителей разных социальных общностей. The article focuses on the feasibility and prognostic value of the investigation of interpersonal interaction. The analysis of theoretical concepts enables the authors to prove that the level of trust between people from different cultural groups can function as a predictor of social perception and can influence people’s choice of strategies of interpersonal interaction in situations of intercultural communication. The article presents the results of empirical research aimed at the investigation of criteria of trust and mistrust between students of Chinese, African and Latin-American communities and their peers belonging to other cultural groups. The empirical study proves that there is a correlation between trust, mistrust and the strategies of interaction foreign students use when communicating with their peers from different cultures. The article analyses the correlation between the criteria of trust (mistrust) and manipulative, alterocentric, conformal, dialogical, indifferent, and authoritarian interaction strategies employed by students for intercultural communication with their peers. The results indirectly demonstrate that the mechanisms of attraction expressed through friendliness, empathy and affection, as well as the mechanisms of identification and reflection serve as predictors of foreign students’ attitude to representatives of other cultures, help to overcome prejudices in intercultural communication, help to prevent interpersonal manipulation. The results of the research extend scholarly understanding of the issue of trust and mistrust in interethnic interaction and have a high practical value for social psychologists, specialists in the sphere of cross-cultural psychology, for specialists developing preventive and corrective measures aimed at the enhancement of the efficiency of interpersonal interaction between representatives of different social groups.

The Medium of Instruction in a Multicultural Classroom: Teachers’ Perspectives in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

The South African Government has instituted a policy of multicultural education (ME) to ensure inclusivity and equal learning opportunities for all learners. This paper aimed to explore teachers’ perspectives on the medium of instruction in a multicultural classroom. The paper was extracted from a thesis that examined multiculturalism in selected schools in South Africa. A sample of 18 participants was purposively selected from two urban schools that have learners from different socio-cultural backgrounds in the Eastern Cape. The paper used the interpretive paradigm, which aligns with the qualitative approach. Data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that as a universal language, most participants preferred using English in the classroom. However, they sometimes code-switch to IsiXhosa and/or Afrikaans (two of the 11 official languages in South Africa) if the need arises. The participants also revealed attempts at balancing the use of English with learners’ first language, mostly during breaks, sporting, and cultural events, but they admitted this does not equal ME. Finally, the participants indicated that preference to teach in English was due to its universalism. Consequently, African languages have become receptors and not creators of knowledge. The paper concludes that despite the ME policy, teachers are not keen to practice it because of a lack of skills. It is recommended that the country be zoned into language areas and teachers be taught in at least two dominant languages of each region, excluding the English language, to ensure equal educational opportunities.