CULTURAL LEARNING STYLES: PROMOTING LEARNING WITHIN A DIVERSE CLASSROOM

LEARNING STYLES

Learning styles can be defined as the cognitive, affective, and physiological characteristics that influence how a person learns. Not to be confused with ability, learning style is a measure of preference or habit. It measures not potential, but propensities. One’s learning style is the manifestation of a predisposition to approach things in a characteristic way. (Irvine & York, 1995)

DIVERSE STUDENTS

As one scans the landscape of our college campuses, it becomes apparent that there is a steady increase of racial and ethnic diversity within the student body. It has been projected that minorities (multicultural individuals) will comprise 47% of the population by 2050, thus, reflecting a projected enrollment surge of diverse populations at our institutions of higher learning.
It is apparent that students desiring to successfully matriculate must have the ability to obtain the skills and knowledge at undergraduate and graduate levels. The average classroom consists of professors with specific learning and teaching styles who educate their students based upon fixed curricula. On the other hand, students enter the learning environment with individual learning preferences cultivated by culture-specific values, experiences and learned backgrounds. (Mushi, 2001) Every culture brings modes of behavior and thought, resources, and contexts that promote learning and inquiry. Just as individuals and groups have particular learning styles, research has shown that their exists certain propensities towards learning among some members within certain cultural groups.

An expanding body of research supports that there is a correlation between student’s cultural background and their preferred learning style; that students’ individual learning preferences seems to be accompanied by culturally determined tools that influence the way they process information; and that cultivating the instructional climate to support, or at least acknowledge the individually and culturally influenced differences in learning styles, value systems and educational preferences does have an impact on the academic success and retention of multicultural students. Thus, it is imperative that educators explore and identify what teaching strategies and interactions make it possible to connect the experiences of diverse/multicultural students to their university curricular in ways that ensure the occurrence of meaningful and necessary learning.
Irvine and York (1995) identified a number of variables that may influence the extent to which an individual exhibits the learning style associated with his or her culture. These variables include socioeconomic class, geographical region, primary language, religion, family structure, number of generations in the U.S, degree of identification with one’s culture, amount of prejudice experienced, and degree of assimilation into the dominant culture.

CAUTIONS ABOUT GROUP CHARACTERISTICS

In creating an environment in which multicultural students can thrive, one must not only focus on the characteristics and learning styles of various groups, but also move towards an awareness of how culturally determined frameworks shape faculty attitudes towards teaching. However, knowing about group characteristics must never take the place of getting to know each student. Over -generalizing group tendencies can resort to stereotypic analysis about the relationship between learning styles and cultural group memberships. Just as there are differences in one’s family, there are differences within cultural groups.
Due to the simple fact that learning and behavior is not culture-free, the 21st century learning environment/classroom must anticipate and support the reality that students learn in different ways. Secondly, there must be recognition that there are a myriad of ways in which to execute effective learning without losing the core concept/skills being taught. Thirdly, what is presented in classrooms will be of little use if it cannot be applied in real life situations, and in that particular learner’s contextual/cultural circumstances. Finally, in working with diverse student populations, educators should have an awareness/knowledge of how culture shapes learning styles, teaching behaviors, and educational decisions.

References

Cummins, J (2000). Language, power, & pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Cummins, J (1996). Negotiating identities: Education for empowerment in a diverse society. Ontario, CA: California Association for Bilingual Education.

Irvine, J.J. (1990), & York, D.E. (1995). Learning styles and culturally diverse students: A literature review. In J.A. Banks & C.A.M. Banks (Eds), Handbook of research on cultural education (pp. 484-497). New York: Macmillan.

Mushi, S.L.P. (2001). Teaching and Learning Strategies that Promote Access, Equity, and Excellence in University Education. Reports – Research.

Source: Diversity Initiatives In Education/PaperClip Communications April 2004