NATIONAL FORUM OF MULTICULTURAL ISSUES JOURNAL

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2, 2007

National Recommendations for Improving Cultural

Diversity: Model of a Culturally Active Classroom
Setting

Kimberly McLeod, EdD Tyrone Tanner, EdD

College of Education The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Texas Southern University Prairie View A & M University

William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A & M University

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to describe how culturally active classrooms can
contribute to the academic success of both the educator, and the learner. The
authors discuss teacher perceptions of culture based on responses collected at an in-
service diversity training session. The authors introduce the concept of “culturally
active” classrooms and how practitioners take into account the cultural perceptions
of the educator, the cultural perceptions or misconceptions of students towards their
own racial identity and the racial identity of others. These concepts help in building
culturally active classrooms utilizing the components of a student's psychological,
intellectual, physical, environmental and social (PIPES) landscape.

Introduction

A group of teachers from across the country were asked during a diversity
training to anonymously identify common stereotypes they were taught or grew up
thinking. They revealed the following:

“Blacks are lazy”; “Mexican’s don’t work very hard”; “Black people
don’t speak properly”; “All Blacks steal or are thieves”; “Whites go to
college and blacks go to jail or learn a trade”; “Black are on public aid

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and are too lazy to work”; “Blacks are genetically better athletes,
dancers and they all love rap”; “Asian students are intelligent and
driven”; “White people are prejudiced”; “White people feel that they
are entitled”; “I was taught in school that Black people have their own
schools because they don’t want to go to school with whites”; “All
Hispanics are lazy and do not care about education”; “All Black
people will hurt you given the chance”; “Asians are smarter in math
and science and their parents expect them to get A’s”; “All Native-
Americans are alcoholics”; “Hispanics are dangerous, cut you with
knives, don’t believe in birth control and are lazy”.

Did they truly believe these stereotypes? Were these non-verbalized stereotypes
communicated to the diverse student population? Were these hidden stereotypical
thoughts, not so hidden in daily practice? At the end of the diversity training, as they
reflected on their experiences, a few statements made were:

“I used to think that I could not academically reach the black student,
but now I know I can”; “I used to think that the black student was
incapable of learning at the level of white students, but now I know
they are students like everyone else”; “I used to think that white people
were genetically smarter than I was, but now I know I am just as
capable as they are”; “I realize now, that I still have some work to do
in eliminating the beliefs that I have towards other races.”

Purpose of the Article

The purpose of this article is to describe how culturally active classrooms can
contribute to the academic success of both the educator, and the learner.

Silent Pain and Disbelief

As the stereotypes were read back to them, many laughed as they thought how
ridiculous these thoughts are, but the laughter soon turned to silence, when they realized
that these were their own thoughts and they were very pejorative. Is this how teachers
truly feel about other races, what about those other races they are teaching? The silence,
as they stated in their reflections was a silent pain and disbelief, a silent astonishment.
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Asian, African-American, Hispanic and Native-Americans

The participants in this workshop who were Asian, African-American, Hispanic

or Native-American bore on their face what could only be described as a proud pain.
They were proud of their racial identity, but incensed by the stereotypes shared by their
colleagues or themselves. One African-American teacher stated causally before the
workshop began, “I have about twenty-two students in my classroom, most are African-
American. There are about eleven that are worth teaching and want to learn, the other
eleven, I could just throw away.”

Challenges of Teaching in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

The challenge of teaching in culturally diverse classrooms is accepting the belief

that all children have potential for academic and life success and that all teachers have the
potential to reach all children when they eliminate the obstacles that interfere with their
ability to disseminate pedagogy and the learners’ ability to receive it. The obstacles that
interfere with teaching and learning often reinforce negative stereotypes, as well as
negative cultural and racial misconceptions. It is important for both the teacher and the
student to come to the realization that it is not the teacher who is inept or the student who
is incapable, rather it is the acceptance of negative cultural misconceptions that interferes
with the capacity of the educator and the student to embrace the potential and possibility
in the learning environment. Classrooms become toxic to both the learner and the teacher
when stereotypical statements and racial identity misconceptions become affirmations of
one’s belief system. Teachers can influence and shape the culture of their environment
when they begin to examine their own belief systems. Research has demonstrated that
knowledge and prior skill attainment are poor predictors of future performance because
the beliefs people hold about their performance have more power than acquired learning
(Pajares, 1996).

The Pygmalion Effect – The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The Pygmalion effect or idea of self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that the
expectation of an event or occurrence is instrumental in it coming to pass (Murphy et al,
1999). The Pygmalion effect divides the socio-emotional state and the academic
performance of a student in two very distinct ways. First, the thought pattern and belief
system the teacher embraces regarding student potential can be transferred to the student
through nonverbal actions as well as verbal communications. Second, if the student does
not match the perception the teacher has adopted, the teacher may mentally force that
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student into the perception through any idiosyncratic behavior. In either case, the thought
patterns overpower the teacher’s perception of student potential and academic success.
Even more, the student may begin to accept the teacher’s perception of their potential as
their reality. The acceptance of student possibility and potential for uncompromising
success can be the catalyst in contributing to student achievement; however, if the
thought process of the teacher is negative, or supported by stereotypical thinking or
cultural misconceptions, then it can be catastrophic in that student’s academic and life
pursuit.

Stereotypical Thinking

Stereotypical thinking, perceptions and biases will reveal themselves in various

conditions and environments and will have an influence on interpersonal relationships
and class climate. It may have a positive effect or a negative effect, but stereotypical
thinking will influence classroom climate and student performance. Because the role of
the teacher shapes the culture and climate in the classroom, professional development for
teachers aimed at understanding and influencing the psychological, intellectual, physical,
environmental and social (PIPES) characteristics of the teacher and the student will
contribute to creating a healthy cultural climate in the classroom. When teachers are
challenged to create culturally appropriate classrooms, they are in essence creating
classrooms where students share common beliefs and practices that are unbiased and free
from any perceived cultural restrictions, including race. Culturally active classrooms take
into account the individual differences of the entire unit so that differences are used to
work on behalf of the student and contribute to, rather than hinder academic performance.
The focus is on creating a classroom in which the collective talents of the group
determine the success, as opposed to a student’s racial background as the primary factor.
The teacher is actively creating an environment that is responsive to both the teacher’s
and the students’ psychological, intellectual, physical, environmental and social (PIPES)
needs.

Examining the Basic Psychological Mindset of Teachers

Addressing PIPES, as it relates to the professionally developing teachers to grow

beyond any stereotypical thoughts, ideations and philosophies, first involves teachers
examining their psychological perspectives. In examining the basic psychological
mindset of the teachers, minority and non-minority, they must be able to have an honest
self dialogue with themselves, and address any preconceived beliefs about racial identity
and student achievement. Teachers must be able to examine how they may have
inadvertently reinforced negative stereotypes. Many teachers resist the painful process
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of confronting their own prejudices, and this may be attributed to different levels of
readiness or differences in personal and intellectual development (Jordan, 1995).

Racial Beliefs Impacts the Culture of the Classroom

Intentional or not, racial beliefs held by the teacher impacts the culture of a
classroom (McLeod, 2006). Teachers become susceptible to believing that they are
unable to reach students because of a lack of control of their environment, in spite of
receiving learning experiences in multicultural education or professional development.
Gomez (1994), reports that multicultural education is viewed as being only about “the
others” and does not include “the self.” As a result, when teachers participate in diversity
trainings, they may believe that the content is more relevant to someone else rather than
applying the learning to themselves as individuals.

Diversity Training

After the diversity training highlighted earlier in the article, teachers gave written
feedback. They shared that this specific training allowed them address diversity without
feeling like the “bad white people.” They also shared that tough conversations occurred
and tough issues were addressed without signaling anyone out, or making anyone feel
guilty about how they perceived issues of diversity. Others stated they were allowed to
express their genuine feelings without embarrassment or ridicule. Many times, teachers
view multicultural training as, in the words of one teacher, “someone coming in to talk to
us about black people and how we are doing them harm.” As a result, many diversity
related professional development opportunities do not experience success because the
topic alone has put teachers on the defense.

Creating Culturally Active Classrooms

Restructuring and rebuilding a classroom begins with shifting the paradigm of

teachers to address their own biases and then shape the culture of the classroom to benefit
all learners. When teachers take a cultural activist approach to understanding diverse
students, by conducting a self examination and elimination of biases that negatively
influence student performance and potential, at that point, they can begin to create
culturally active classrooms that are not negatively influenced by race.
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To restructure, educators must first look deeply at the goal that we set for our
children and the beliefs that we have about them (Hilliard, 1991). Concomitantly, as
there are sensational gaps in achievement scores among African-American and Hispanic
children compared to their white counterparts, there are also cultural gaps that exist that
encumber educators from retaining a holistic understanding of the diverse needs in the
classroom that are a result of cultural ignorance and cultural dissonance (McLeod &
Tanner 2007).

Model of a Culturally Active Classroom

Classrooms that are “culturally active,” as opposed to “culturally responsive,”

have taken into account the cultural biases of the educator, the cultural misconceptions of
students towards their own racial identity and the racial identity of others. It also
addresses how components of one’s psychological, intellectual, physical, environmental
and social (PIPES) attributes can contribute to the academic success of the educator and
the learner. Also, teachers who practice a cultural active philosophy understand that the
classroom environment is fluid, as oppose to static and that teachers’ and students’ needs
may change, develop and require the teacher to actively re-engage the learner(s) and
classroom environment in order to experience academic success.
Culturally active classrooms are classrooms in which the teacher has organized
the learning environment so that both the teacher and the student experience success. In
order for this to happen the teacher must accept and view the student as an equal
stakeholder in the dissemination, receiving, processing, understanding and application of
instructional pedagogy. Acknowledging the importance of the role and responsibility of
the teacher and the student, the teacher facilitates the learning process and cultural
environment by involving the student in every process. Teacher’s can begin to understand
the needs of student’s and their personal needs by applying a PIPES paradigm. In
addition, it is the responsibility of the teacher to facilitate the establishing of classroom
agreements and not rules. Rules are one sided and involve one party in enforcement,
additionally, the student may not have been a part of the rule decision making process.
However, agreements are created by both the teacher and the students. They are basic
understandings on terms that are necessary for the teacher to experience success, and for
the learner to experience success. In essence, the needs of the teacher are shared and
processed, and the needs the student’s feel must be in place in order for learning to occur
and be applied. The teacher is not only attempting to be responsive to student learning
needs, but the teacher is also modeling this process by demonstrating how students can
be responsive to teacher needs. The teacher is humanizing the environment or
demonstrating that everyone has needs including the teacher and the teacher is exhibiting
an appreciation of student needs.
As students experience the culture of the classroom and the intricacies of life
outside of the classroom growth and development are destined to occur. As students
begin to develop whether it works for or against them, the culturally active educator,
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realizes the need to re-assess the needs of the students with a PIPES frame of reference.
A teacher who embraces the philosophy of a culturally active classroom understands that
there is no point of arrival; rather it is a continuous work in progress. Establishing
learning environments that are culturally active require the teacher to address their
thoughts and belief systems on an ongoing basis, and the thought and belief systems of
the students. When unhealthy thought patterns emerge, it is the culturally active teacher
who takes steps in eradicating those ideologies and replacing them with though patterns
that nourish the learner and support the cultural environment in the classroom, supporting
the agreements. The culturally active classroom is fluid in nature and not static.
Creating culturally active classrooms is above identifying people or circumstances
responsible for academic and student fallacies; rather it is an examination of factors that
should be eliminated that impede the teaching and learning process and an acceptance,
and accountability of the role of the teacher in developing personal and student
accomplishments. The terms race and culture many times are blurred and blended
together. Although they are both socially and historically constituted, they are different in
some very significant ways (Lynn, 2006). Creating culturally active classrooms is
inclusive of but not exclusive of racial appreciation. By definition from the American
Heritage Dictionary, culture is defined as the totality of socially transmitted behavior
patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought
(2000). Culture is independent of race, but many times is associated with race. When
teachers are challenged to culturally create active classrooms, they are in essence creating
classrooms where students share common beliefs and practices (McLeod, 2006).
Culturally active classrooms involve creating learner-centered environments that develop
practices, beliefs, patterns and customs that propel all students’ to academic success
equitably (McLeod, 2006). Culturally responsive classrooms take into account the
individual differences of the entire unit so that differences are used to work on behalf of
the student and contribute to, rather than hinder academic performance (McLeod, 2006).
The focus is on creating a classroom in which the collective talents of the group
determine the success, as opposed to a student’s racial background as the primary factor.
In essence, the teacher is creating an environment that is responsive to the student’s
socio-cognitive needs, with PIPES as a reference point.
Schools can be successful, teachers can be successful and students can be
successful when all stakeholders are able to identify individual obstacles that impede the
learning process and have the courage to eradicate them. This means that the teacher
constantly reflects on thought processes that many entrap student and teacher success,
while working with students to free them from destructive thoughts, beliefs and
misconceptions regarding themselves or beliefs they have of others. The process does not
have an arrival point. Teachers can contribute to healthy lifestyle and academic patterns
by examining PIPES in the classroom and approaching the classroom environment as a
cultural activist.
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Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, cultural activeness is more than a matter of principle; it is a matter

of practice with an aim towards classroom perfection. Regardless of environment,
background and experience, teachers are capable and students do have potential to
achieve academic and life success as long as they facilitate learning environments do not
accept excuses for academic fallacies, but instead produce results in the presence of
perilous cultural environments.

Table 1: Model of a Culturally Active Classroom

Educator
Address &
Eliminate
Stereotype
& Bias

Fluid vs. Address

Static Cultural Mis-
Classroom conceptions
Acceptance of learners
Culturally
Active
Classrooms

Establish Building
Agreements Academic
Success
through
PIPES
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References

Culture. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition. Retrieved October 06, 2007, from Dictionary.com website:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture
Gomez, M.L. (1994). Teacher education reform and prospective teachers' perspectives on
teaching "other people's" children. Teaching and Teacher Education, 10 (3), 129-
138. From Horton, J., & Scott, D. (2004). White students. Multicultural
Education. 11(4), 12-17.
Hilliard, A. (1991). Do we have the will to educate all children? Educational Leadership,
49, 31-36.
Jordan, M.L. (1995). Reflections on the challenges, possibilities and perplexities of
preparing preservice teachers for culturally diverse classrooms. Journal of
Teacher Education, 46 (5), 369-374.
Lynn, M. (2006). Race, culture, and the education of African-Americans. Educational
Theory, 56, 107-119.
McLeod, K (2006).Schoolhouse rows, shiny red apples & a basket full of apple cores: A
literary review of teacher perceptions and classroom realities in educating African
American youth in American public school. Journal of the Alliance of Black
School Educators. 5, 32-39.
Murphy, D, Campbell, C, & Garavan, T (1999). The Pygmalion effect reconsidered: its
implications for education, training and workplace learning. Journal of European
Industrial Training, 23, 238-251.
Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational
Research, 66, 543-578.

Formatted by Dr. Mary Alice Kritsonis, National Research and Manuscript Preparation
Editor, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, Houston, Texas
www.nationalforum.com