Abstract
Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) has emerged as a pivotal framework to enhance inclusive and equitable educational environments that respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences of learners. However, teachers in mainstream schools are grappling to include culturally responsive teaching strategies in their practices. Therefore, this study explores how teachers could employ CRT strategies within inclusive classrooms to promote meaningful engagement, deeper learning, and a sense of belonging among culturally diverse learner populations. The culturally responsive pedagogy underpins this study, and the philosophical basis is a transformative paradigm. This theory and paradigm enabled us to understand how teachers can use culturally responsive teaching strategies to accommodate all learners during instruction. We used a Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) design, to explore the CRT strategies which can be used in an inclusive classroom. Action learning set discussions, WhatsApp group messages, and critical reflections were used to generate data which was analysed using thematic data analysis. The data indicated teachers’ concerted efforts to use CRT in inclusive classrooms. Yet, the inclusion of all cultural identities remains a challenge in diverse classrooms as not all teachers are conversant with the learners’ culture. We concluded that using CRT not only improves teaching and learning outcomes but also enhances education for sustainable development in mainstream schools of Gauteng.
Presenters
Appolonia MasunungureSenior Lecturer, Education, North-West University, North-West, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Culturally, Development, Inclusive, Education, Mainstream, Responsive, Sustainable, Teaching
