Value-Based Education and Intercultural Relationships - Essay Example

Value Based Education and Intercultural Relationships. Research Paper October 12, 1635 Words. Teachers in the modern worldare charged with the responsibility of preparing their learners to effectively handle today’s challenges competently. Globalization and technological advancement have rendered the world as a global village hence a lot of interactions between people from different cultures. Students themselves also come from different parts of the world hence there is a lot cultural interaction both in school, at home and in the work place. It is therefore important for the curricula as well as teachers to appreciate these developments and prepare their students accordingly. Australia is one society with many cultures and as such teaching students on intercultural relations is a very important aspect of the syllabus. In the lesson plan prepared Antanitta, Alvin and Nazar we intended to teach students in the age range of 16 and 17 years about intercultural relations. We chose society and culture as the subject since the school has students coming from various different cultural backgrounds and as such we thought the less very appropriate. The class was composed of twenty four students as per the guidelines issued by the Department of Education and Community Services as well as the Teachers Federation. Developmentally these students were in the piaget stage and as such were in the formal thought stage where they are expected to think abstractly while applying reason behind their thinking. As per the Kohlberg’s theory the students are in the post conventional stage where the internalized ideas play a significant role in influencing their responses rather than their own thoughts of others. According to Erickson the learners fall in the industry versus inferiority stage and at this stage they are developing own identities. The students in this stage according to Erickson’s theory develop a very strong devotion to their own ideas. At the end of the lesson it was expected that students would expand on their knowledge of intercultural relations and appreciate the cultural diversities that our society has in a positive manner. Teaching intercultural relations was expected to equip students with the important knowledge that helps them develop desirable values of respect for different cultures, tolerance and acceptance of the fact that we all come from different cultures. Intercultural relations knowledge also helps impart positive attitudes among the students in terms of understanding and appreciating cultural diversity hence embracing each other regardless of one’s cultural background. As such therefore the knowledge is very important in eliminating cultural stereotypes that hinder meaningful coexistence between different cultures. The lesson on intercultural relations was also expected to impart good interpersonal skills among the students. These include enabling them to communicate and interact effectively, listen to others with minds that are open and work together as teams without any stereotypes. In the ultimate the class on intercultural relations was very helpful in deepening the learners’ knowledge of their own cultures those of their friends and therefore appreciation of cultural diversity in Australia. Our lesson was prepared over a period of two months and during this time we held a number of brainstorming sessions through group meetings, telephone engagements and discussions via email. Basing on the knowledge we have gained over time about theories of human development and facts advanced by the same we settled on year 11 students of age range 16-17 years since at this age the teenagers are beginning to develop a sense of personal identity. Moral values are a concern for students at this age and as such they question start to question what they already know, what they are learning and what they think on issues such as cultural diversity. The students also had prior knowledge on the lesson as they had previously learnt about cultures and societies in Australia and beyond. They had also looked at history of human diversity as well as how the same has changed over time and therefore we chose to build on their prior knowledge by having them identify and describe their personal relationships with other people from different cultures. Specifically the lesson was aimed at teaching positive attitudes about cultural diversity among the students so as to encourage positive relationships. By building on their knowledge about and culture and society we intended to deepen their understanding and appreciation of diversity considering their stage of development. They are in the stage of questioning their own knowledge as well as others’ perceptions about cultural diversity and therefore teaching the lesson at their age was thought to be most appropriate. Another outcome expected out of the lesson was students to develop relevant skills of interacting with others in the multicultural settings such as in the school. It is especially important considering the school is a microcosm of society and the cultural diversity in the school is a reflection of what is happening in the society. The ultimate expected outcome was for the students to develop desirable values that enhance positive cultural awareness and interaction as they continue with their lives at high school, college and later in the society. Our choice of value based lesson on intercultural relationships was therefore very appropriate given Australia’s multicultural society. The multicultural society that Australia is presents the need for teaching students the understanding, awareness and appreciation of different cultures in school. Such lessons go a long way in helping our students avoid the formation of negative stereotypes about culture and as such ensure positive interactions among students despite their cultural differences. The knowledge of intercultural relationships helps students understand and embrace other cultures for mutual benefits and not to view other cultures negatively. Teaching cultural education in class builds the students knowledge and appreciation of cultural diversity hence encouraging meaningful interactions, use of positive language as well as seeing strength in the cultural diversity. It helps create a learning environment free from threats, prejudices, and judgments hence supporting safe learning. It stimulates the thinking and reflection of learners about society hence promoting enthusiasm, excitement and meaningful self-learning. While preparing the lesson we anticipated a number of potential obstacles and planned in advance on how to effectively avoid them. One major expected obstacle was misinterpretation of information or confusion among the students as a result of their cultural differences and perceptions. We also anticipated differences in terms of individual opinions as well as beliefs held regarding different cultures among the students. A challenge was also anticipated in terms of language barrier since the class had new immigrant from non English speaking backgrounds. We also recognized planed for students with special needs that may require additional assistance such those with psychological impairments. In order to effectively achieve the expected learning outcomes we devised the lesson in a manner that significantly minimizes the effects of these obstacles and accommodates the differences in styles among the students. We therefore drew on the Howards Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. We prepared enough resources to cater for the different student needs; an audio system, overhead projector, white board and markers as well as worksheets. The lesson was divided into two sessions with different activities. Activity one allowed brainstorming about the lesson; the video Exploring Multiculturalism, 2001 was played, students asked to reflect on the message conveyed in the video and think of real life examples related to the theme of the video. the issues explored included different cultures living harmoniously with one another, working together, appreciation of diversity and tolerance. According to (Kohlber et al., 1975) “children do so by encountering views which challenge their thinking and stimulate them to formulate better arguments.” In the second activity (Think-Pair Share) the students were allowed to individually think and reflect on the issues raised then pair up with partners to discuss their views before sharing the responses to the entire class. This activity was developed by professor Frank Lyman in the year 1961and relates closely with the theories by Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget theory encourages consideration of different solutions to one problem before settling to an action. It increases efficiency since individuals are able to avoid unsuccessful attempts; they are able to consider experiences of the past, demands of the present time as well as future ramifications in the attempt of maximizing success. Vygotsky theory on the other hand emphasizes on social interactions, “knowledge is not individually constructed, but constructed between two people” (Dench, 2002). Ultimately at the end of the lesson we succeeded in achieving the intended learning outcomes. The students were able to learn how to positively appreciate cultural diversity and hence respect other cultures. This was seen in their acknowledgement knowledge as well as potential implications of cultural differences in the school and the society at large. Through the brainstorming and think-pair-share activities the students learnt the importance of working in collaboration with peers in order to share and build on their knowledge of issues. The lesson design also provided the students with equal opportunities to share and contribute in the lesson apart from differences in the styles of learning among them. by allowing them to be themselves, think, reflect and contribute personal opinions the lesson was effective in teaching the desired values of tolerance, reverence, tolerance and appreciation of cultural diversity. In conclusion therefore the teaching of value based education on intercultural relations was very appropriate especially given Australia’s highly multicultural society which has been brought about by the government’s commitment to the immigration program. It is consistent with the national educational system’s endeavor of providing a learning environment where safety and comfort of learners is priority. In school, students are in the most crucial stage of their lives where they are trying to develop a sense of independence, form own identity and expand critical understanding of issues. They are influenced by internalized ideas, learn from the environment are strongly devoted to their personal ideas. As such it is the stage when they undergo behavior changes and develop attitudes towards certain subjects of national importance. What they learn at school in terms of behavior and attitude is carried over into their future lives as citizens. The school therefore provides the stage for learners to embrace and internalize positive attitudes on culture, racial identity and diversity hence encourages positive social chances and this is in line with demands of the multicultural society that Australia is today. As teachers therefore by teaching intercultural relations, we not only give literacy and cultural awareness to the students but also influence the kind of citizens they grow up into. References. 1. Erikson€™s Stages of Development/Learning Theories. Retrieved 21 September 2014, from http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of-development.html 2. Kohlberg, L. (1958). The Development of Modes of Thinking and Choices in Years 10 to 16. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Chicago. 3. Mansouri, F., & Jenkins, L,. Schools as Sites of Race Relations and Intercultural Tension. Australian Journal of Teacher, Education, 2010; Volume 35(7). retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2010v35n7.8 4. Mentalhelp.net,. (2014). Jean Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development - Child Development Theory: Adolescence. Retrieved 20 September 2014, from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41157&cn=1310 5. Pearsonclassroomlink.com,. (2014). Classroom Link :: Think, Pair, Share. Retrieved 20 September 2014, from http://www.pearsonclassroomlink.com/articles/0710/0710_0501.htm 6. Sankey, D. and Kim, M. (2013). A dynamic systems approach to moral and spiritual development. In J. Arthur and T. Lovat (eds.) The Routledge international handbook of education, religion and values. R Read More