MD3 Journal

Masters of Science in Education, Walden University

EDUC 6602: Design Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Date: July 17, 2022

As a teacher, one must ensure that students in their care receive quality education and have their learning needs met despite race, class, or socio-economic background. Constructivism posits that learners can create knowledge based on prerequisite experience rather than passively receiving information. It further postulates that as students experience the world around them, they create their own representations and combine new information into their existing knowledge (schemas).

In comparison, the idea of multiculturalism is the theory that students who are members of minority groups can maintain their distinctive collective identities and practices while learning (Stanford Enc., 2020, p.4). Constructivism can be identified as experiential, while multiculturalism points to cultural background.

Alignment of Constructivism and Multiculturalism

The statement, “One quality that aligns constructivism and multiculturalism is the common belief that all students can learn” (Henson, 2015, p. 4), denotes that all students can learn by using prior knowledge to construct their own understanding based on their cultural backgrounds.

As an educator, one must highlight the need for students to make real-life connections based on their own experiences and their world. Students from multicultural backgrounds can be led to realize the connection between math and cultural experience, understanding that math is all around them and that everything they do and experience is mathematically related. For example, the relation between money and decimals. Ramsay-Jordan (2020) postulates that teachers can require students to expand upon prerequisite mathematical knowledge garnered from cultural and experiential knowledge through making connections.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

As an educator, this informs my curriculum and instruction through the assertion to consistently and positively tailor instructions towards students of different cultural and experiential backgrounds. This approach creates conditions for students to work cooperatively, become agents of change, and think of learning in a meaningful way. In this sense, as a teacher, one will be culturally responsive, allowing students to develop needed autonomy, which in turn helps them shape and evolve their realities, develop strengths, and see opportunities to move beyond feeling limited in developing cultural excellence.

Ramsay-Jordan (2020) also cites that “teachers who engage in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) for mathematics within the classroom setting are distinct in that they inculcate critical mathematics teaching in their dispositions and practices, which in turn foster a critical approach to knowledge acquisition.”

Humanism Theory

One theory that piqued interest aside from Multiculturalism and Constructivism was Humanism. Developed by Abraham Maslow, this theory focuses on human freedom, dignity, and potential. It assumes that individuals act with intentionality and values, and it is integral to study the person as a whole, especially as an individual grows and develops over a lifetime. Areas of interest include motivation and goals (Huitt, 2001). This theory emphasizes student choice and autonomy over their education, allowing students to focus on areas of personal interest without time limitations.

Humanism contrasts with standards-based education, which focuses on all elements of the educational experience, including standardized testing, teaching, grading, and feedback based on core standards throughout a student’s school years. Humanistic theory represents a paradigm shift from standard-based education (Zucca-Scott, 2010). As teachers, we cannot ignore the talents of our students or their potential. Humanism advocates for students to be seen for who they are and could become, fostering human connection. In standard-based environments, students are often required to suppress their individuality, leading to boredom and disengagement.

Challenges and Recommendations

Ramsay-Jordan (2020) notes that “the impetus for teachers being culturally responsive is often challenged and restricted by their schools’ interaction with NCLB and current pushes toward high-stakes testing and standardization of education.” Findings suggest that as teachers strive to engage in culturally responsive practices, they face significant accountability pressures pushing them toward standard-based learning and test preparation practices.

This suggests that those invested in teacher preparation and student achievement must collaborate to provide more meaningful ways to hold schools and teachers accountable for student success.

References

• Curriculum Assessment and Teaching Transformation. (n.d.). University at Buffalo
• Know Thyself: The Importance of Humanism in Education. Laura Zucca-Scott, Blackburn College, laura.zucca@blackburn.edu
• Learning-Theories.com. (n.d.). Summaries of Learning Theories and Models
• Multiculturalism. (2020). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ramsay-Jordan, N. (2020). Preparation and the Real World of Education: How Prospective Teachers Grapple with Using Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in the Age of Standardized Testing. International Journal of Educational Reform, 29(1), 3–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056787919877142