An International Discourse on Culture in the Classroom: Teachers from Four Countries Share their Perspectives

Abstract

Researchers explored perspectives of teachers from four countries about how they recognizeand address their students’ cultural backgrounds; how they incorporate students’ culture intotheir teaching; and what impact their efforts have on the learning environment. Participants (n= 41) were engaged in an online discussion board and posted thoughts and responses to otherparticipants. Researchers performed a content analysis to identify patterns in participants’observations and perspectives, which revealed that most participating teachers recognize andaddress students’ cultural backgrounds in academic, affective, and social contexts. Teacherswho attend to these needs enjoy effective academic connections with students, have aheightened sense of confidence in their ability to connect with students, are able to devoteample time to the content they are teaching, and deal with fewer behavioral issues.