Revision Qs EDU3063

1. Discuss the role of the teacher in overcoming problems related to sociocultural diversity in the classroom.
- Possible socio-cultural diversity problems
o Language issues
o Ethnocentrism among students
o Biasness shown by teachers (due to ability, favouritism, social class
income)
o Groupings among students
o Difference in value, beliefs, cultural ideas, religious elements
- Role of teacher to overcome these issues
o Role model : do not show, promote, suggest any ideas of
favouritism, biasness towards any of the pupils
o Motivator : encourage students to help each other, give and listen to
opinions
o Clarify : explain the differences, encouraging students to understand
the differences
2. Discuss ways on how schools in Malaysia can help to overcome the
problems related to culturally diversed learners.
-

Sekolah Wawasan
Promote activity which allows students of different ethnicity to work
together inter school English camps
Allow more activity and events in schools to promote cultural differences
culture night, celebrations of important dates for each ethnic

3. What important aspects that a teacher needs to consider when developing

a culturally friendly environment?
Pengurusan bilik darjah yg dinamik (active, working classroom) dpt
mencapai objektif ke arah pembinaan modal insan / human capital
(well developed, holistic, not only with knowledge, but also with
manners and values) yg menjurus kpd pembinaan jeris
-

What is culturally friendly environment?

o Have an important role in creating acceptance among the diverse
ethnic groups
o Appreciate, respect each others difference will eventually
strengthen relationship among ethnic groups :: able to prevent
future cultural conflicts

Aspects in culturally friendly learning environment

Aspects

Aim

Teachers role / example

Physical Components
- to accommodate and
facilitate learning and
socialisation process
among learners
- create conducive
learning climate

- security, shelter
- task completion
- social contact
- symbolic identification
- pleasure
- growth, intellectual
development

- safety to students
- not distracting
- seating arrangements
- decoration, class
identity, member identity
- class paint, cheerful
- resources, quotes about
subjects

*for culturally diverse classroom

- make sure teacher and students are visible to each other all the time
- decorated with multicultural images, multicultural reading resources, show off
identity of diversity
- activity encourage collaborative work among different members
- pathways clear and spacious enough, minimise distractions
*for special needs
- place special need student nearer to teacher
- guide visual impaired with arrangements around the classroom

Socio Emotional
- ability to understand
own feelings, other
feelings, control own
behaviour and get along
with others
- important to work
cooperatively

- learn diplomacy (give

and take, respect each
other)
- leadership
- trust
- interacting with each
other
- avoid negative
behaviours
- Good management in
this aspect will trigger
interest, attitude towards
improving their study

- be attentive to childs
need
- model appropriate
behaviour
- help child to regulate
emotion and behaviour
- provide opportunities to
socialise
- help child to understand
and be empathetic

*for culturally diverse

- develop trust and mutual respect among students
- apply hidden curriculum, through group activities
- opportunities for social interaction
- motivate, support, comfort students when needed
- explain about difference of values among ethnic groups

Teaching and Learning

Teaching :
impart
knowledge
Learning : gain,
acquire

Aim for
effective
teaching and
learning
ASSURE Model

Effective teacher
- good command of subject matter
- effective teaching skills, instructional
strategies : goal setting, instructional planning,
classroom management

knowledge

- Able to motivate, communicate and work

effectively with differentiated students
- know technology skills, time efficiency, 21st
century skills

Management of TnL
- Planning, Implementation, Evaluation & assessment, follow up
- ASSURE (Analyse, State objective, Select materials, Utilise materials, Require
learner, Evaluate)
- Tr must aim for Active, Interactive and Constructive (Cooperative,
Colloborative) Learning
- Brain Breaks
*For Cultural Diverse Class
- variety of materials, activities
- Group work
- consider students culture and
st
- integrate 21 skills
language skills
- find out students preference and
- communicate expectations (LO, class
learning styles
rules)
- promote critical thinking about
- provide feedback, promote on task
subject and culture
behaviour

Cultural and Indigenous (Org Asli) Relevant Pedagogy

Effective teaching is
culturally supported and
learner-centered
context :: TnL process is
strengthen by
manipulating cultural
references

3 important focus
a) Institutional
administration, policies,
values

b) Personal confront
biasness, negative
connotations

c) Instructional utilises
ss culture and language,
materials, strategies,
activities

*indigenous classroom
- include community in classroom activity

a) Institutional : seating
arrangements, class
decorations, involve
multicultural community
in class activities, class
rules
- teacher communication
skills
- know students well,
develop relationship and
trust
- language level : know
taboo words, confront
native language
interference
- motivate students
objective, expectation
- collaborative,
cooperative activities
mix ethnic
- discovery method
group works to find info
on other culture (in
context learning)
- materials : crosscultural reading materials
- ICT

- motivate to come to school (rewards, fun activities)

- develop relationship with students and parents
- make full use of nature and school environment for activities and class project
or research
- alter language level
- introduce modern life through reading materials

Pedagogy Combined Class (SKM)

Different grades
combined in one
classroom not enough
students, not enough
teachers
- big gap in ability, skills,
knowledge

3 important aspects
i) balance time and
i) teacher subject
enough guidance to all
matter skills, cooperative students in the class
learning strategies,
ii) engage students into
assessment strategies,
the topic
multitasking
iii) keep them on task
ii) classroom resources, most of the time
arrangements, groupings iv) meaningful learning
iii) Students same age / v) peer coaching
same grade / same
preferences / peer
coaching / etc
*advantage of combined class
- develop self study skills, independence, self confidence
- cooperate cross age, ethnic and ability, eventually nurture good relationship
among ethnic
- peer coach, peer teaching develop responsibility

Sociolinguistic
- importance of realising
the variety of
communicative behaviour
in students is due to their
varied language
background usage

- awareness of
sociolinguistic
competence among ss
diff ethnic speak diff
language with diff
intention
- use one official
language increase
familiarity of targeted
language
- various activities
incorporating target
language to increase
sociolinguistic
competence in fun ways

- use targeted language

frequently let ss
become familiar
- level down the language
to ss ability reduce
anxiety
- motivate ss
- fun language games

Culture based Assessment

Assessment done should
consider ss background
and ability to ensure
result is valid and reliable

- provide relevant,
reliable feedback on
strengths and
weaknesses of TnL, and
ss ability
- prepare follow up
activity

- address cultural issues

i) should be on ss
learning
ii) should be based on
activities, inquiry-based,
cooperative learning,
group work

*Examples
- daily observations
- portfolio assessment
- writing journal and reflection writing
- project
- ss self-assessment & tr self-assessment
4. Suggest relevant teaching pedagogy that teachers can employ in a
culturally diversed class?
Group work cooperative
learning
Cross cultural material
manipulate themes and
topics in syllabus
In context research, projects
Identity

Socio-skills

Students need to work together among members

in the group and with other groups to complete
task, peer coaching
Introduce info on different cultures and ethnics
through daily lesson, materials, tasks
Motivate students to discuss, talk about own
culture / cross culture as monthly class project
Incorporate diverse ethnicity in class through class
decoration instil pride and love of own culture in
students
Develop relationship and trust (socio emotional),
beware of language used (sociolinguistic),
motivate students to work together (socio
emotional), develop class rules (self-regulate)

5. Discuss how a teacher can use oral communication skills to develop

culturally friendly classroom
Pronunciation
Culture-sensitive
Intonation
Confidence
Involve audience

Clear pronunciation, enunciation easily understood by

students, avoid ambiguity, accent mocking
Do not talk, discuss, use any sensitive words / issues /
phrases / jokes that can hurt certain students / ethnic
Use proper intonation help convey the right mood / feeling
help students understand message better
Students have higher tendency to listen and trust your info if
you are confident when delivering it
Use tag Qs, infer students reaction

6. Discuss how nonverbal communication skills can help a teacher to carry

out his/her teaching and learning effectively.
Body gestures

Help explain instructional message

Help classroom management
- Use appropriate hand gestures avoid
misinterpretations

Intonation
Eye contact
Touching

Help convey mood serious / joke / angry

Attract ss attention / focus
Motivate ss (a pat at the back, etc)
- can be misinterpreted use carefully some culture
see some gestures as offensive
Drawings, symbols used in explaining instructional
messages
- may bring ambiguity

Symbols

7.
-

What are the contributing factors why man need to live in a group?
Harmony need to feel secured by someone else
Status
Self-esteem need to be appreciated
Strength

8. Describe the four types of social class in traditional malay society

Ruler
a) King
b) Officers
Commoners
a) Normal commoners
b) Slaves

King, royalties
Bendahara, laksamana, panglima,

Workers for normal commoners, or

royalties

9. What are the efforts made by the ministry of education to bridge the
inequality of education faced by special needs students?
Special school
Teacher training
New syllabus
Financial
support
More programs,
activities
Facilities and
equipment
support

Special schools focusing on handling special needs

Specially trained teachers focusing on handling special needs
Special for classroom needs
To parents, schools, organisations
With normal students for them to mingle around and enhance
social skills
More material support for schools, teachers and parents

10.Discuss the inequality of education contributed by social class

Less opportunities

Lower social class members might not have enough

awareness, financial, motivation to go to school to get
education
Upper social class prefer to go to overseas/ private than
gov-based for educational support, claiming local education
is not good enough

Biasness

Financial support

Resources

Lower social class often seen not getting enough support by

peers and teacher to excel in education : If they are slow,
little help or care is given
Upper social class often seen getting too special a
treatment let off for misbehaviours, compared to those
from LSC
LSC usually dont have enough financial to buy / pay school
needs hard to further studies because no money
USC used to have high tech stuff at home sometimes are
not allowed to bring them to school will rebel and
condemn teachers and their facilities
LSC might not have enough reference text / books to help
grasp the content of subject matter can only depend on
books from school
LSC might not have enough time to study by own bound
by need to help family
USC have higher chance of getting more reference books /
tuition class / tutors to help on subject matter

11.If you are posted to the indigenous minority in Sarawak, create a cultural
friendly environment for the school
Physical

Socio emotional

Combined class

Sociolinguistic

Assessment
TnL

- Introduce modern world through decorations, posters,

reading materials
- Member identity in classroom, belonging to classroom
- Develop relationship with students and parents, trust and
love
- Develop relationship among students, befriend each other
- Find out their need before start the class food, rest, etc.
- hidden curriculum
- motivation to learn, group work, rewards
- peer coaching
- group work
- individual engaging tasks
- identify language level
- practice using target language gradually
- rewards
- identify taboo words, gestures
- appropriate test forms, up to ss level
- assess what they have learnt
- incorporate nature / environment around shool
- introduce modern world through materials / images
- fun activities, group works, rewards
- involve ss ss research and present, learner centred.