TPE DOMAIN C: LIT.

REVIEW

Teaching Performance Expectations

Domain C: Literature Review
Lorand Irinyi
National University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED690 - Capstone
Instructor: Professor Clifton Johnson
June 19, 2016

TPE DOMAIN C: LIT. REVIEW

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of the article by Rita van
Haren, titled Engaging Learner Diversity through Learning by Design published in E
Learning and Digital Media. The article elucidates the importance of teaching students
from ever-increasing cultural backgrounds in ways that take into those various
backgrounds by planning instruction to incorporate both the students and the teachers
backgrounds simultaneously to ensure full student engagement from the beginning. The
learning outcomes are not only benefiting individual students, but also ensure national
economic prosperity, individual wellbeing and social cohesion. This was achieved by
design from the outset incorporating various scaffolding technique and practices.

TPE DOMAIN C: LIT. REVIEW

The ever-increasing globalization of the world economy resulted in increasing population

diversity in certain parts of the world more than in others. This, in turn, resulted in
inequalities in educational outcomes for students in those areas with marked increased
diversity, presenting teachers various challenges to overcome those educational
inequalities. Although the article was written by an Australian educator, the challenges
faced by teachers are applicable to other similar countries/societies that have experienced,
and are experiencing, large learner diversity among their student population. The hurdles
the must overcome are very similar and the results they seek are also very similar.
Although students in Australia perform favorably compared to students in other similar
countries, the educational results also bring into focus the role diversity plays between
achievement and cultural and socio-economic background. These backgrounds in
Australia are not that dissimilar to that of those in the United States. The less than optimal
performance of some students from various backgrounds indicates that their educational
needs are not met by current educational practices and that those practices appear to work
more effectively for students from some groups but not for students from other diverse
groups. In spite of the declared intentions of various educational systems, national and
international, to educate and prepare their students for the twenty-first century, the
responses of those educational systems to the issues of diversity they face seems to be
adopting performance through back-to-basics approaches and universal standardized
testing (US Department of Education, 2001; Australian Government Department of
Education, Science and Training, 2006). Diversity of students was defined to take into
account gender, language, culture/ethnicity, ability/disability, religion, socio-

TPE DOMAIN C: LIT. REVIEW

economic background or geographic location, students with disabilities, indigenous

students, students whose first language is not English and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Although these factors of diversity were taken into account,
many of these responses have resulted in widening rather than narrowing the gap
between performing and underperforming students (Van Haren, 2010, p. 258). Apple
(2006) states that, such policies create differences and stratify even more powerfully by
class and race. This is so, as Van Haren (2010) states, because The perception is that
because education is available to everyone, it must be equitable. When students
underperform, the deficit is ascribed to them because they are seen to have missed or not
taken the opportunities offered (p. 258). This does not recognize the inherent complexity
of diversity. Students educational needs are not addressed by teachers because teachers
are not given the time and training to address those differences. Teachers must take into
consideration teaching and learning experiences that value students lifeworlds and subjectivities
their interests, experiences, abilities, insights, needs, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, physical
and cognitive abilities, learning styles and intelligences (Van Haren, 2007, p. 259). Van
Haren (2010) states that, Learning by Design framework supports a range of practices,
which address the diversity of students (p. 259). The research investigated student and
teacher perspectives on the ways that this framework enables teachers to address
diversity, and how this, in turn, impacts on the learning of students to enable them to
achieve equivalent learning outcomes (Van Haren, 2010, p. 259).

TPE DOMAIN C: LIT. REVIEW

References
Rita van Haren (2010). Engaging Learner Diversity through Learning by Design.
ELearning and Digital Media, 7(3). Retrieved from www.wwwords.co.uk/ELEA