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Cultural Foundations of Education
Cultural Foundations of Education is designed to provide a foundation for thinking about curricula and pedagogy. The authors believe that educators must be equipped with the knowledge and understanding necessary for effective analysis of educational issues. The foundation of the new edition is that this book will contribute to more thoughtful dialogue about education in its cultural context. A number of significant changes have been incorporated into the fourth edition, including chapter-opening vignettes, concepts of "private" and "operating" cultures and syncretism, and a discussion of the role of history in understanding cultural foundations of education.
- GenresEducation
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 1996
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May 31, 2019
Cultural Foundations of Education lays out clearly the subtleties of various aspects of education, in the context of culture. Going into details why the US, as a country with an incredible level of racial and cultural diversity, is faced with many challenges regarding designing and implementing their educational system, the book also explores how people of different cultural backgrounds might fit into that system as a whole. Overall, I think the book offers a very comprehensive view on the necessary first steps to create an educational system that would be welcoming to all, both encouraging students to take in all the “mainstream” knowledge available to them and helping them preserving their cultural background.
The biggest point, in my opinion, that the authors of the book succeeded in making is the complexity of the interaction between a teacher and a student who is from a different background. For example, in the most general sense, Asian students are more likely to avoid making eye contact while talking to an adult, which might be interpreted as a sign of uncomfortability or guilt. Mexican students, on the other hand, can be reserved and quiet in school and might not express their interest in school activities in an open way; teachers, then, may view that behavior pattern as disinterest and indifference. This is to point out that as a teacher, one needs to be willing to learn about, or at least become aware of the presence of, cultural differences one’s students might possess in order to effectively work with and educate them.
The biggest point, in my opinion, that the authors of the book succeeded in making is the complexity of the interaction between a teacher and a student who is from a different background. For example, in the most general sense, Asian students are more likely to avoid making eye contact while talking to an adult, which might be interpreted as a sign of uncomfortability or guilt. Mexican students, on the other hand, can be reserved and quiet in school and might not express their interest in school activities in an open way; teachers, then, may view that behavior pattern as disinterest and indifference. This is to point out that as a teacher, one needs to be willing to learn about, or at least become aware of the presence of, cultural differences one’s students might possess in order to effectively work with and educate them.
Displaying 1 of 1 review