Creative teaching for equality and equity across cultures

Palaniappan, A.K. and Tantixalerm, C. and Asmawi, A. and Li, L.P. and Mishra, P.K. (2015) Creative teaching for equality and equity across cultures. In: Annual Chicago International Conference on Education 2015, 26-27 May 2015, Chicago, USA. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Addressing issues relating to equality and equity in educational experiences requires creative approaches and strategies. Often teachers are unable to address this aspect of their teaching. However, creative teachers, given their creative predispositions, might be better able to address these issues as they tend to generate more creative teaching approaches. Very few studies have investigated how creative teachers address these issues in their various forms and across cultures. There is a need to address situations where some learners require more challenging tasks than others and also when learners are culturally diverse. Creative teachers may be best placed to address these issues since they would be better able to come up with creative teaching strategies. There may also be cultural differences in teaching strategies since teacher-learner interactions have been found to differ across cultures. In this study, creative lecturers in Malaysia and Thailand were first identified using student ratings. These lecturers were then observed in their classrooms and interviewed on how they addressed issues relating to providing equitable education and the creative strategies they employed. Focus group discussions with their learners were also held to triangulate the findings. Findings show that creative teachers address issues of equality and equity in six areas, namely, Resources, Teaching strategies, Assessment, Language, Activities and Open-mindedness. Creative teachers are able to creatively design or adapt resources and activities which the diverse students are free to choose according to their needs. They have a repertoire of teaching strategies to accommodate students’ learning styles and employ culturally responsive communication styles. Being open-minded, they allow a range of assessment approaches that cater to student diversity. Although Malaysian and Thai creative lecturers address equality and equity issues in similar areas, their approaches in executing these creative strategies differ. These findings suggest that it may be necessary for teacher educators in Malaysia and Thailand to look into these six areas which may help them to address equity and equality issues creatively among learners. This paper concludes with some recommendations for further research.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
Divisions: Faculty of Education
Depositing User: Mr. Mohd Samsul Ismail
Date Deposited: 17 Jun 2015 03:01
Last Modified: 17 Jun 2015 03:01
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/13631

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