Cultural Sensitivity
Training For Teachers
with Sudanese Students
University of Alberta
EDPY 413
By: Chem Chinoda and Kayla
Smart
Cultural Sensitivity Training For Teachers with Sudanese
Students
• “It is acknowledged, however, that in times
of major change or transition, such as
immigrating to another country, value
systems may be challenged during the
process of acculturation.”
– M. Ebbeck and C. Cerna (p 307)
What is Cultural Awareness ?
• Someone's cultural awareness is their
understanding of the differences between
themselves and people from other countries or
other backgrounds, especially differences in
attitudes and values – Collins English Dictionary
Cultural Awareness Is…
• Communicating with students from a range of
cultures is an integral part of teaching. The
development of the teacher’s cultural awareness
will add to the effectiveness and ongoing
learning process.
• The teacher’s ability to understand and explain
cultural differences can make an enormous
difference in facilitating and enhancing student’s
learning and communications
Cultural Awareness
Cultural awareness becomes central when we
have to interact with people from other cultures.
In the classroom the teacher sees , interprets
and evaluates things in different ways. What is
considered an appropriate behavior in one
culture is frequently inappropriate in another
one. Misunderstandings arise when a teacher
uses their own meanings to make sense of an
ELL’s reality.
How to develop cultural awareness
Taken from - aidsudan.org/.../cms.page/i/1442/t/Nashville.htm - July 19,2009
Misinterpretations occur when
we lack awareness of our own
behavioral rules and project
them on others. Because we
tend to lack better knowledge
of cultural dynamics we
assume, instead of finding out
what a behavior means to the
person involved, e.g. a straight
look into your face is regarded
as disrespectful in Sudan.
To facilitate learning, teachers
need to "accommodate
students' background
knowledge and skills.
How to develop cultural awareness
• Make an effort to learn about customs, beliefs
and/or remedies that can help bridge gaps in
communication to facilitate an understanding.
• Should cultural misunderstandings arise,
communicate this to all parties involved in the
classroom environment.
• Teachers should be encouraged to reflect on
their attitudes and experiences towards
language and culture and thus hopefully develop
a greater understanding of different learning
styles and different cultural expectations.
How to develop cultural awareness
Teacher’s should increase cultural
awareness means to see both the positive
and negative aspects of cultural
differences. Cultural diversity can be a
source of problems, in particular when
there are expectations for people to think
or act in a similar way. Diversity increases
the level of complexity and confusion and
makes agreement difficult to reach.
Taken from - www.dhsthepromise.com/ - July 19,2009
Make an effort to understand the language
associated with the cultures or values of
the (Sudanese) students you have in the
classroom.
Taken from - www.smh.com.au/.../2005/07/16/1121455936614.html - July 19,2009
Cultural Awareness in the Classroom
- The Sudanese
• For many Sudanese youth
refugees, adjusting to the
school environment can be
the biggest challenge.
Taken on http://crs.org/sudan/new-year-message/ on July 19 2009
Taken from <http://blog.lifestreamsinternational.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/2_02.jpg>
on July 19 2009
The Sudanese
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
- Population: 40 million
-Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous
beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and
Khartoum)
-Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie,
diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic Trabal
languages such as Dinka.
*English note: program of "Arabization" in process
-Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5%
(2003 est.)
Taken from <http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Sudan/fact-ppl-sudan.html>
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Conflict in Sudan
Sudan, the largest country in Africa, has
been badly affected by several decades of
civil conflict.
The situation in the western Darfur region
of Sudan has been labeled the worst
humanitarian crisis in the world today. A
conflict between rebel forces on the one
side, and the Sudanese Government and the
government-backed Janjaweed militia on
the other, has left between 10,000 and
30,000 people dead. An estimated 1.3
million civilians have been displaced from
their homes.
Conflict in Sudan
Refugees from the Sudanese region of Darfur rest in the heat
of the desert in the improvised Tine refugee camp.
Taken from-www.dismalworld.com/.../conflict_in_sudan.php
– July 20,2009
Sudanese Youth
• Many Sudanese students have no problems settling
in their new atmosphere, and thrive in their new
environment. But many Sudanese struggle in
dealing with their past traumatic experiences.
• Many children report symptoms of Post-Traumatic
Stress Syndrome (PTSD). The Sudanese students
mean score was twice as high as children who have
experienced only one traumatic event in their
lifetime (Bates et al. 2005).
Hopes of a Sudanese Refugee
“ When I arrived in the United States in 1984 as
a young refugee woman, I hoped to regain many
of the things I had lost: peace, happiness, and
community. Instead I found myself torn apart.
One part of me deeply mourned the loss of my
home and my culture. Another part of me
desperately struggled to find a place in this
strange New World.” – Julia Duany
Issues in the Classroom
• Parent Roles and Expectations
• Teacher Roles and Expectations
• Becoming capable readers and Writers of
English
• Strategies to use in the classroom
• Classroom challenges (Cultural differences)
Parents expectations of the Teacher
Taken from <http://www.cafod.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/sudan/images/sudanese-family> on July 19 2009
Parents expectations of the Teacher
• Sudanese parents accustomed to a more
communal (way) of raising a child. Any adult
within the community can discipline or reprimand
a child.
• The parents believe it is the school’s
responsibility to discipline the child at school.
“We believe teachers are their parents when
they are at school and we expect teachers to
use their best judgment when disciplining our
children.” -Walker-Dalhouse and Dalhouse p.331
Teachers Expectations of the Parents
• The teachers expectations of the parents tend to be
the same as the other parents. But many Sudanese
refugee parents have barriers that restrict their
participation in their child’s education.
• For example, parents with limited English have
difficulty helping the child with homework, or the
parents are working long hours and don’t have the
time. This is felt to be the role of the teacher to help
with homework. The parents see their role as the
supporters and providers, not as home teachers.
Teachers Expectations of the Parents
• Many teachers tend to interpret Sudanese parents’
absence from parent – teacher’s meetings as
indicative of a lack of interest in their children’s
education. However their absence is due to conflicts
with work schedule’s or because they have multiple
children and cannot physically attend all of the
conferences. The parents are interested their
children’s education and academic success but
have to work hard in order to insure their family’s
survival.
- Walker-Dalhouse and Dalhouse p.332
Becoming Capable Readers
and Writers of English
• Many Sudanese youth coming to Canada have
had very little or no previous experience in a
formal school setting. Because many youth
spend years in a refugee camp before moving
their experience or exposure to English can be
limited.
Becoming Capable Readers and
Writers of English
• “My older brothers went to school
in the refugee camp and learned
some English. But for me I did not
know any English and I also did
not know how to write in my own
language Dinka. At the camp we
were in, very few girls went to
school. We mainly helped with
women’s work..”
- Lisa* 17 yr old Sudanese girl living
in Edmonton
Taken from http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20070620172222235
On July 19
Instructional Practices
• Many Sudanese homes embrace a oral rich culture with
little print materials for reading. This gives many of the
students a lack of practice materials for learning to read.
Reading materials should be
examined before being assigned
to determine their prior knowledge
needed to comprehend the
material. Sending home books or
providing written text, can help
supplement the oral language
culture found at the students
home.
Taken from
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/volunteers-help-settler-sudanese-speak-the-word-of-hope/2008/05/16/1210765176475.html
On July 19 2009.
Instructional Practices
• Teachers can implement Cooperative Learning Activities
to encourage informal talk among students as a means
to practice English. This also gives the Sudanese child a
chance to connect to the curriculum and student culture
informally.
Taken From
http://web.ceomelb.catholic.edu.au/uploads/director/20
06/Sudanese2.jpg 07/19
Instructional Practices
Sudanese students felt that teachers:
- In a mainstream classroom, teachers needed to
continually check students for understanding and
slowing the pace of the classroom can greatly help
facilitate understanding.
- In an ELL classroom, students felt discussing issues
of importance to refugee students as a means of
socializing and sharing culture. In addition, an ELL
classroom should link content to mainstream
curriculum so that students do not feel like that are
missing out or being left behind the mainstream
students.
Issues of Culture in the Classroom
• Cultural and language barriers can create
situations where misunderstandings and hurt
feelings can occur, both for the students and the
teacher.
• A frequent misunderstanding has to do with eye
contact. Like many cultures, for a Sudanese to
make eye contact with an elder is a sign of
disrespect. While in Western culture, a lack of
eye contact is seen as a sign of disrespect.
Issues of Culture
“Many teachers do no understand that eye
contact with someone older than you, can
cause a lot of discomfort for me. Some
teachers do not like it when we look down,
but that is just what I was taught at home.”
– Lisa*
Because many teachers interpret this as a sign
of disrespect, students can get reprimanded for
this cultural misunderstanding.
Issues of Culture
“Even though I came here when I was six, I still
feel uncomfortable sometimes speaking in class.
Here we are suppose to give answers in class,
and at home we rarely speak when elders are
around unless they are our parents.” –Lisa*
Teachers can perceive this unwillingness to speak
in class, as a lack of interest or knowledge. But
many students feel uncomfortable volunteering
answers or answering questions in front of the
whole class.
Issues of Culture
Teachers should be aware of these common
misconceptions within their classroom, and
encourage students to participate in classroom
activities. Perhaps cooperative learning techniques
in small peer groups can encourage the students
participation.
Teachers should never force a child to speak out in
class, or participate in activities than can create
anxiety for the student. Because of the traumatic
stress many student have suffered, the potential for
emotional factors to affect their classroom
participation increases with anxiety.
Walker-Dalhouse and Dalhouse (2009)
Issues of Culture
Community support for refugees is essential for
academic success. Traditional classes and
counselling sessions were ineffective in
addressing the struggle of students to adjust to
Western culture.
Group education and social support programs offer
support and group settings, which give youth a
more communal support system similar to
Sudanese culture (Bates et al. 2005).
We leave you with this quote, “…minority students
achieved at high levels when they worked with
teachers who expected tem to succeed and provided a
safe and warm environment in which to learn”
(Larkins-Strathy & LaRocco. 2007 p3)
In conclusion acquiring cultural sensitivity and
knowledge about cultural differences requires focused
development of skills to communicate with students
from diverse cultures; this is a process developed
through professional training and experience.
References
Bates, L., Baird, D., Johnson, D., Lee, R., Luster, T., & Rehagen, C. (2005) Sudanese Refugee Youth in Foster Care: The “Lost Boys” in America.
Child Welfare League of America. 84(5) 631-648 . Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ERIC database.
Bulgak, A. (Personal Communication, July 16, 2007)
Darfur Australia Network . Background to the conflict. http://www.darfuraustralia.org/darfur/background
Retrieved July 19, 2009
DISMAL WORLD Snapshots from the not-so-happy globe http://www.dismalworld.com/disputes/conflict_in_sudan.php
Retrieved July 20, 2009
Duany, Julia (1998. Learning from the Survivors. The South Sudanese Lens, South Sudanese Friends International, Inc. (SSFI),
Bloomington, Indiana. USA. Vol. 6, Issue 2.
Ebbeck, M. & Cerna, C. (2007) A Study of Child Rearing Practices Amongst Selected, Sudanese Families in South Australia: Implications for Child Care Service Selection.
Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(5), 307-314. Retrieved July 11, 2008, from ERIC database.
Harty, H. & Hassan, H. (1983) Student Control Ideology and the Science Classroom Environment in Urban Secondary Schools of Sudan. Journal of Research Science
Teaching. 20(9), 851-859. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ERIC database.
Larkins, B & LaRocco, D. (2007) Teachers as Caring Classroom Leaders: A Case Study of Practices that Encourage the Hearts of Students. Presented at 39th annual New
England Educational Research Organization Conference. Retrieved on February 20 2009 from ERIC database.
Medical Interpreting Code of EthicsCCHCP Bridging.The Gap Online Curriculahttp://deborahsacharoff.com/culturalawareness.htmlRetrieved July 19, 2009
Quappe, S. and Cantatore.G (2007).What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it? http://www.culturosity.com/articles/whatisculturalawareness.htm
Retrieved July 20,2009
Walker-Dalhouse, D., & Dalhouse, A. (2009) When Two Elephants Fight the Grass Suffers: Parents and Teachers Working Together to Support the Lliteracy
Development of Sudanese Youth. Teaching and Teacher Education 25. 328-35. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ERIC database.