Jeremy R. Strong - Instructor, International College of Manitoba - gets to the heart of tackling cultural challenges in the classroom
Some teachers I talk to often wonder how best to navigate the different educational backgrounds of students, and the diversity of cultures represented in their classrooms. Some express fears they might unintentionally offend students or show a lack of cultural understanding. This is not a new concern in international education, or indeed in higher education generally, as universities in countries around the world are actively fostering increases in international enrolment.
For example, “Between 2014 and 2018, the number of international students in Canada increased by 68%”, and in the same period, Australia recorded a similar increase; of 55%. While the average international college has always had students of many nationalities, this is also increasingly becoming the case at universities. Teachers need to embrace the opportunities afforded by an increasingly diverse classroom rather than feel the need to censor their teaching of cultural reference or worse still, roboticize their interactions with students.
Culture of the
International Classroom
20