Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Abstract
It has become evident in today’s classroom that diversity has increased over time. Diversity is characterized by factors such as ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status (SES; Young & Sternod, 2011). Given these particular factors, classrooms today should not provide any barriers to learning, but rather create a bond that bridges student learning despite any cultural circumstance. Breaking these barriers can be achieved by embracing a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP; Ladson-Billings, 1992). CRP is recognizing the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994). Ladson-Billings (1992) describes culturally relevant teaching designed “not merely to fit the school culture to the students' culture but also to use student culture as the basis for helping students understand themselves and others, structure social interactions, and conceptualize knowledge” (p. 314). The importance of CRP in schools is essential for the overall success of student learning because it has the capability of creating a safe environment for everyone, without excluding anyone from achieving their goals. Implementing a more culturally relevant classroom requires teachers to incorporate lessons and unit plans that cater to the entire classroom as a whole. Fostering cultural awareness allows for students to not only feel comfortable in the classroom, but feel included amongst each other. Likewise, a culturally relevant physical education (CRPE) curriculum is critical for success of all students in all physical education (PE) classes. However, oftentimes, we do not see this success happening because PE teachers plan according to their ideologies of what should be taught in PE, as well as what resources they have, versus planning a curriculum based on students they see in class daily (Theodoulides, 2003). Flory and McCaughtry (2011) developed a three-step process to describe CRPE and provide culturally relevant instruction in the gymnasium: (1) knowing the public served, (2) recognizing areas of cultural distance, and (3) creating strategies to bridge cultural distance. The first step of the cultural relevance cycle (Flory & McCaughtry, 2011) involves teachers knowing the public they serve and connecting with those students, as well as understanding the community in which students live. Second, it is important to identify cultural distance between teachers’ beliefs and students’ realities of life. It is one thing for teachers to learn, understand, and acknowledge cultural distance between them and their students, but it is another when teachers make assumptions regarding the information they have. Finally, teachers need to use cultural knowledge and create strategies to help bridge cultural distance among teachers, students, and home, in order to provide culturally relevant instruction (Flory & McCaughtry, 2011). As future physical educators, we understand the importance of a CRPE as it pertains to everyone in the field of education. We will further explain in depth how to implement CRPE that meet the needs of every student and describe examples of lessons to receive a better understanding of what a culturally relevant gymnasium looks like from the perspective of a PE teacher.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
It has become evident in today’s classroom that diversity has increased over time. Diversity is characterized by factors such as ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status (SES; Young & Sternod, 2011). Given these particular factors, classrooms today should not provide any barriers to learning, but rather create a bond that bridges student learning despite any cultural circumstance. Breaking these barriers can be achieved by embracing a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP; Ladson-Billings, 1992). CRP is recognizing the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994). Ladson-Billings (1992) describes culturally relevant teaching designed “not merely to fit the school culture to the students' culture but also to use student culture as the basis for helping students understand themselves and others, structure social interactions, and conceptualize knowledge” (p. 314). The importance of CRP in schools is essential for the overall success of student learning because it has the capability of creating a safe environment for everyone, without excluding anyone from achieving their goals. Implementing a more culturally relevant classroom requires teachers to incorporate lessons and unit plans that cater to the entire classroom as a whole. Fostering cultural awareness allows for students to not only feel comfortable in the classroom, but feel included amongst each other. Likewise, a culturally relevant physical education (CRPE) curriculum is critical for success of all students in all physical education (PE) classes. However, oftentimes, we do not see this success happening because PE teachers plan according to their ideologies of what should be taught in PE, as well as what resources they have, versus planning a curriculum based on students they see in class daily (Theodoulides, 2003). Flory and McCaughtry (2011) developed a three-step process to describe CRPE and provide culturally relevant instruction in the gymnasium: (1) knowing the public served, (2) recognizing areas of cultural distance, and (3) creating strategies to bridge cultural distance. The first step of the cultural relevance cycle (Flory & McCaughtry, 2011) involves teachers knowing the public they serve and connecting with those students, as well as understanding the community in which students live. Second, it is important to identify cultural distance between teachers’ beliefs and students’ realities of life. It is one thing for teachers to learn, understand, and acknowledge cultural distance between them and their students, but it is another when teachers make assumptions regarding the information they have. Finally, teachers need to use cultural knowledge and create strategies to help bridge cultural distance among teachers, students, and home, in order to provide culturally relevant instruction (Flory & McCaughtry, 2011). As future physical educators, we understand the importance of a CRPE as it pertains to everyone in the field of education. We will further explain in depth how to implement CRPE that meet the needs of every student and describe examples of lessons to receive a better understanding of what a culturally relevant gymnasium looks like from the perspective of a PE teacher.