THE IMPACT OF THE IMPACT OF CULTURE IN ACADEMIC CULTURE IN ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENTACHIEVEMENT

Dr. Rosie Garcia-BelinaDr. Rosie Garcia-Belina

National Migrant Education ConferenceNational Migrant Education Conference

April, 2008April, 2008

A hundred years from now…it will not A hundred years from now…it will not matter what my bank account was, the matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove---but the world may be car I drove---but the world may be different because I was important in different because I was important in the life of a CHILDthe life of a CHILD

Objectives of the SessionObjectives of the Session

Learn what research says about the Learn what research says about the impact of culture in academic impact of culture in academic achievementachievement

Identify main characteristics of Identify main characteristics of Hispanic learning stylesHispanic learning styles

Identify strategies that help to Identify strategies that help to establish a cultural respondent establish a cultural respondent environment and curriculumenvironment and curriculum

What is Culture?What is Culture?Combining different definitions, we can say Combining different definitions, we can say that it is the passing on of a given cultural that it is the passing on of a given cultural groupgroup

• knowledge, knowledge, • expectations, expectations, • values, values, • beliefs, beliefs, • language, and language, and • attitudes about appropriate modes of attitudes about appropriate modes of interaction and patterns of activities interaction and patterns of activities common to that group. common to that group.

In other words….In other words…. Culture is the messages that are Culture is the messages that are

sent/transmitted/transferred by our sent/transmitted/transferred by our parents, grandparents, families, and parents, grandparents, families, and cultural groups with which we are cultural groups with which we are associated.associated.

Culture is acquired during the first Culture is acquired during the first five years of our lives and it is five years of our lives and it is shaped with what we experience shaped with what we experience throughout our whole lifethroughout our whole life

Cultural ConditioningCultural Conditioning

These messages guide our behavior, These messages guide our behavior, consciously or sub-consciously, in consciously or sub-consciously, in terms of determining how we feel terms of determining how we feel about ourselves, and how we value about ourselves, and how we value other people. other people. We are provided with a mental map of We are provided with a mental map of life, through the agency of people who life, through the agency of people who share that culture. It is our paradigm, share that culture. It is our paradigm, model or frame of reference.model or frame of reference.

Development competenceDevelopment competence

By the time children are five years old, the By the time children are five years old, the vast majority have acquired the normative vast majority have acquired the normative learning benchmarks of their community. learning benchmarks of their community.

They have mastered their home They have mastered their home languages, established appropriate social languages, established appropriate social relationships with their families and relationships with their families and neighbors, learned a variety of category neighbors, learned a variety of category and symbol systems, and developed the and symbol systems, and developed the ability to organize and regulate their own ability to organize and regulate their own behavior in situations that are familiar to behavior in situations that are familiar to them.them.

CULTURECULTURE ValuesBeliefs

Language

Attitudes

ExperienExperiencesces

EnvironmEnvironmentent

RelationsRelationshipships

IMPACTSIMPAC

TS

IMPACTS

Culture in ChildrenCulture in Children

A child may be developmentally A child may be developmentally competent in his/her home competent in his/her home environment, yet unable to adapt environment, yet unable to adapt easily to the school systemeasily to the school system

Children respond to new situations Children respond to new situations by selecting from a pool of possible by selecting from a pool of possible behaviors, guided by their behaviors, guided by their understanding of what the situation understanding of what the situation requires requires

Challenges for Culturally Diverse Challenges for Culturally Diverse Children in SchoolChildren in School

Before a child has language, his/her Before a child has language, his/her actions drive thought; after acquiring actions drive thought; after acquiring language, thoughts drive language, thoughts drive action(Vygotsky,1978,1986)action(Vygotsky,1978,1986)

Cognitive development is closely linked to Cognitive development is closely linked to language learned within the context of the language learned within the context of the unique cultural paradigm of a child’s unique cultural paradigm of a child’s family (Garcia, 2005)family (Garcia, 2005)

Children need to accommodate existing Children need to accommodate existing schemas or creating new ones to schemas or creating new ones to understand and feel accepted by the understand and feel accepted by the school culture (Garcia,2005)school culture (Garcia,2005)

Teachers’ Challenges at SchoolsTeachers’ Challenges at Schools Understanding the importance of Understanding the importance of

respecting every child and researching respecting every child and researching parents’ beliefs and preferencesparents’ beliefs and preferences

Shaping the curriculum and teaching based Shaping the curriculum and teaching based on family values and view pointson family values and view points

Linking home and community culture to Linking home and community culture to school culture to reinforce children’s self-school culture to reinforce children’s self-worth, sense of belonging, identity and worth, sense of belonging, identity and achievement (Garcia, 2005, Nieto,2002, achievement (Garcia, 2005, Nieto,2002, Osterman,2000) Osterman,2000)

Facts to ConsiderFacts to Consider Because a child chooses a particular response in Because a child chooses a particular response in

a given situation does not mean that he or she is a given situation does not mean that he or she is incapable of another, only that the one chosen is incapable of another, only that the one chosen is consistent with the requirements of the situation consistent with the requirements of the situation as he/she understands itas he/she understands it

A child may know something else that is A child may know something else that is developmental equivalent, to what he/she failed developmental equivalent, to what he/she failed to perform in particular tasksto perform in particular tasks

Practitioners assume that there is a “mainstream Practitioners assume that there is a “mainstream behavior” that should be used as the sole behavior” that should be used as the sole criterion for healthy development. criterion for healthy development.

Children often are misdiagnosed and Children often are misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated because they have not inappropriately treated because they have not learned the things that schools valuelearned the things that schools value

Facts to ConsiderFacts to Consider Many times, children’s learning potential is Many times, children’s learning potential is

miscalculated based on results in standardized miscalculated based on results in standardized tests, which in most cases fail to separate culture tests, which in most cases fail to separate culture from development from development

Conflicts between home and school occur over Conflicts between home and school occur over how children have been taught to view the world, how children have been taught to view the world, the qualities of interpersonal relationships, the qualities of interpersonal relationships, standards of behavior, an the goals and standards of behavior, an the goals and objectives of educationobjectives of education

When children are not required to renounce their When children are not required to renounce their cultural heritage, school achievement improves cultural heritage, school achievement improves remarkably (Tharp, 1989)remarkably (Tharp, 1989)

Focused effortsFocused efforts

ValuesValuesBeliefsBeliefs

LanguageLanguage

AttitudesAttitudes

CULTURECULTURE

Rituals

ActionsCeremonies

Patterns

Behavior

90% Focus10%

Maybe

Typical School and Instructional Efforts

Long Term RESULTSRESULTS

Short Term RESULTSRESULTS

No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship

Children do not care how much you know until they know how much you

care

(Cump,2004)

Instruction shaped by children’s Instruction shaped by children’s home and community culture is home and community culture is vital to supporting children’s vital to supporting children’s health self-esteem, strong identity health self-esteem, strong identity development, and a sense of development, and a sense of belonging which are belonging which are characteristics critical to overall characteristics critical to overall academic achievement.academic achievement.

To do our best for children, we To do our best for children, we must treat each child as an must treat each child as an individual, recognize their self-individual, recognize their self-worth, acknowledge and worth, acknowledge and respect cultural differences in respect cultural differences in order to allow them to reach order to allow them to reach their full potentialtheir full potential

Research FindingsResearch Findings

Research indicates that a close association exists between students’ cultural background and their preferred learning styles(Nieto 2002)

Students’ individual learning preferences are typically accompanied by culturally determined tools that influence the way they process information, and depending on the fit between teaching and learning styles, facilitate or hinder their educational achievement (Christian & Bloome, 2004)

Hispanic culture values include family Hispanic culture values include family commitment, which involves loyalty, a commitment, which involves loyalty, a strong support system, a belief that a child’s strong support system, a belief that a child’s behavior reflects on the honor of the family, behavior reflects on the honor of the family, a hierarchical order among siblings, and a a hierarchical order among siblings, and a duty to care for family members. duty to care for family members.

This strong sense of different directedness This strong sense of different directedness conflicts with the American emphasis on conflicts with the American emphasis on individualism.individualism.

Hispanic Learning Styles Environmental: Important elements : Important elements

include: Sounds, temperature, design and include: Sounds, temperature, design and light. light.

Emotional: When instruction is structured hen instruction is structured and responsibilities are defined explicitly and responsibilities are defined explicitly students are more motivated and students are more motivated and persistent to strive for successpersistent to strive for success

Sociological: Students develop more in a peer-oriented learning environment. Cooperative groups offer a good strategy to improve self-esteem that is so much needed by minority

Hispanic Learning Styles (cont)

Physiological: Peak energy levels are late morning and afternoon. Students respond better to kinesthetic instructional resources. Variety as opposed to routines.

Psychological: Students are more field dependent. They are more group oriented and cooperative thus less competitive

Impacting culture of StudentsImpacting culture of Students

To improve outcomes for the nation’s minority students, it is very important to:

Understand how differences in culture and language affect children’s learning

1. Establish a healthy relationship with each student, that will provide for enhanced learning

2. Establish and demonstrate the school and the teacher has high expectations for each student.

3. Honor each student as a unique human being worthy of respect and and care

ALL Students can learn at high ALL Students can learn at high levelslevels

““ALL MEANS ALL”ALL MEANS ALL”

If you wish a copy of this presentation If you wish a copy of this presentation or more information about this topic, please contactor more information about this topic, please contact

Dr. Rosie García-BelinaDr. Rosie García-BelinaASC – MC3 Comprehensive CenterASC – MC3 Comprehensive Center

P. O. box 167052P. O. box 167052Irving, TX 75016Irving, TX 75016

Ph. (972)887-3714Ph. (972)887-3714Email: rbelina@mc3edsupport.orgEmail: rbelina@mc3edsupport.org