Culturally responsive teaching in special education for ethnically diverse students: Setting the stage

TLDR

The paper develops two premises about culturally responsive teaching in special education. Students of color are disproportionately placed in special education due to educators’ limited cultural knowledge, yet culturally responsive instruction can markedly improve their educational outcomes. The approach relies on teachers’ cultural consciousness, pluralistic classroom climates, diverse learner communities, and multicultural curriculum and instruction. The author concludes that culturally responsive teaching is essential for achieving optimal education for students of color.

Abstract

Two major premises are developed in this discussion. One is that many students of color are disproportionately assigned to special education because educators lack knowledge about or appreciation for their cultural values and socialization, and how these affect learning behaviors. The other premise is that the educational quality of students of color in both special and regular education can be improved significantly by using instructional programs and practices that reflect their cultural heritages, experiences, and perspectives. Several components of this ''culturally responsive teaching'' are explained, along with some research findings about its effects on student achievement. These include critical cultural consciousness of teachers; culturally pluralistic classroom climates; diverse communities of learners; and multicultural curriculum and instruction. The author concludes that without culturally responsive teaching education can never be the best it should be for students who are not part of the majority and mainstream of schools and society.