Diversity in education: class, age, and cultural dimensions

Diversity Education

Fostering and Serving Diversity in Education: A Review of Literature and a Personal Reflection

Throughout my experience in educational institutions, both as a student and more recently as an instructor, I have grown increasingly aware of the many differences that existed in the learning communities I have inhabited. This awareness did not begin early on -- as a young child, I was more aware of the similarities that existed between my fellow learners and I; though difference in some respects was the focus of much teasing and observation, as is typical of children that age, my consciousness of the "important" differences that would be classified later on was non-existent in my first few years of schooling. As differences in race, culture, ethnicity, gender, class, and other traditional demographic features grew in importance over what kind of shoes someone was wearing or what their face looked like, I became more aware of how closely identity was linked to these variables.

These are also the variables that, perhaps with good reason, form the typical categories of "diversity" in most research into the subject, especially in the field of education. In this perspective, the definition of diversity is the collection of differences in demographic features and other biological and psychological factors that influence the learning style and/or capabilities of any individual (Grant & Sleeter 2006; Hinton & Barry 2004; Farstrup 2002). This paper will explore the concept of diversity and how it has shaped my personal perspective on teaching.

Throughout this personal reflection, I will be focusing on three areas of diversity insofar as they have impacted my own experience and as they are discussed in the literature. These are the areas of class, age, and culture/ethnicity. The educational system has grown increasingly diverse as the population has also increased in its diversity, and cultural/ethnic differences were some of the first major interpersonal differences that I became aware of. The differences in expectations and customs of various cultures have a major impact on learning styles and levels of engagement, and class differences also significantly affect the practical ability to engage in learning (though not the aptitude, all else being equal). Class differences also cause major changes in the social aspects of educational communities, which can also have an impact on learning, and age also creates a great deal of difference especially in higher education. I have noticed a great deal of difference in self-perception and learning engagement based on these features, which is why they have been selected for specific focus here.

Influence of Course Readings

One of the most important epiphanies I came to as a result of the readings for this course was a realization of the ongoing nature of diversity training. Though it is not impossible to maintain a constant awareness of the diverse needs and individual positions within any educational community, a frequent repositioning of the educator's perspective in regards to this diversity is key in maintaining adequate attention to diversity issues (Baldwin et al. 2007). Though I understood this intellectually before, it truly became a part of my awareness through a reading of Baldwin et al. (2007).

Farstrup's (2002) discussion of growing diversity in college campuses, though already somewhat dated, was also a pivotal reading that I came upon in this course. Again, the reading illustrated a concept with which I was intellectually familiar, but that had not really reached the level of true visceral importance until a moment of epiphany occurred through the act of reading the text. This was the concept that diversity is often viewed as a challenge that must be somehow "dealt with" by educators and administrators, rather than an asset that is to be used to provide greater overall educational opportunities (Farstrup 2002). There is real value in diversity, Farstrup (2002) asserts, and makes the call for recognizing this diversity quite clear not only in the title of this article but also in the eloquent and highly cogent argument that is laid out quite concretely in the text of the article itself.

Without a doubt, however, the most important realization I cam to during this course, and one that will undoubtedly have a massive effect on my performance as an educator, is the realization of the true justice aspects of incorporating diversity awareness in the educational community. Boyer (1990) shows that it is not simply a problem of ensuring that individual learners are given a fair and encouraging opportunity to progress in their education, but that whole categories of individuals are being under-served by institutions of higher education (and by extension, by most educational institutions) in a way that is directly related to larger inequalities in society. Instituting change in educational facilities is thus a major step in addressing equality in society, and is thus of immense importance.

Reading Skills Instruction

Literature circles are one way in which to utilize classroom diversity to create a richer learning experience for each individual in the learning community. By allowing students to choose from a broad selection of readings based on their own values and interests, students are more likely to become engaged in their reading choices, according to my own personal experiences both as a student and a teacher. This is also in keeping with the idea of seeing diversity as a value and an asset rather than an additional challenge in the classroom; it changes the focus from "how can an approach be modified to meet diverse needs" to "how can this diversity be utilized in teaching (Farstrup 2002). By encouraging each group to share their reading selections with the entire class, this also provides for a more expanded learning experience than would be achieved through the entire class reading only a single text.

Keeping a learning log is also an effective way to ensure continued personal engagement on the part of every individual learn, and can also help the instructor learn the frustrations and hindrances to learning that each individual experiences. If the instructor regularly collects and examines the learning logs, adjustments to the curriculum can be made that more completely and adequately serves the needs of the diverse learners in the classroom. External issues with the material, such as a lack of diversity of authorship in the texts chosen can be made evident through such learning logs and can bring two light imbalances and injustices that the instructor had not specifically noticed beforehand (Hinton & Barry 2004).

Perhaps the clearest and most direct way to make the reading and general learning experience more personally relevant, however, is to include an analysis of text-to-self-connections in reading lesson plans and tasks. Not only does this lead explicitly to every individual developing their own context for reading a given text, making them consciously aware of the different perspectives that exist in literature and in the wider world, but a lack of ability to connect to specific texts can bring to light subtle yet profound injustices that might exist in he material chosen in many standard curricula (Boyer 1990). In this way, adjustments can be made in the curriculum and one-on-one discussions (or even classroom discussions) can help individual learners connect with texts even through the disparity in culture, class, or age that they might perceive between themselves and the text. That is, the aspect of this separation can itself be used as a way to connect with and analyze a given text.

Conclusion

There are numerous ways in which diversity can be utilized to enrich the learning experience, and just so there are many ways in which instructors can ensure they maintain a proper perspective towards diversity. Approaching diversity as an asset to be utilized rather than a challenge that must be surmounted is an excellent step towards creating a more effective learning environment. This is something I will definitely continue to utilize in my own teaching practice, and that I will attempt to foster in all of my students as they pass through my classroom.