Culture

For educational experiences to be relevant to culturally diverse students, they must reflect and connect with the students' particular life experiences and perspectives. This need reflects the fact that learning is more effective when new ideas are related to prior knowledge and initially are taught in ways familiar to students (e.g., the principles of continuity and similarity) (Boggs, Watson-Gregeo, & McMillen, 1985; Cazden, John, & Hymes, 1985; Neisser, 1986). It evokes two other beliefs common to U.S. education philosophy: "start teaching where students are" and "expand the social, cultural, and intellectual horizons of students." These beliefs and principles require that cultural diversity be a driving force in all educational decision-making, from determining students' readiness for learning to designing curricula, selecting instructional materials, appraising performance, and developing appropriate programs and teaching techniques students of different cultural backgrounds. The reason, simply stated, is that students learn in different ways and under different conditions, many of which are governed by their cultural socialization.

References