Diverse Learner Instructional Strategy

Identifying Diverse Learners' Needs

Classrooms in the United States have increasingly grown in diversity. Students migrate from several countries annually, and the need for educators to meet their learning needs continues to grow. These students are from varied cultural backgrounds, and educators must strategize how to tie their culture into their learning, especially for students with learning barriers such as speaking limited English. Between autumn 2009 and fall 2018, the racial/ethnic mix of public-school enrollment in the United States of America changed; overall enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools grew from 49.4 million kids to 50.7 million pupils (National Center for Education (NCES), 2021). Immigrant students confront academic challenges, and instructors must tailor curriculum and instruction to the cultural variety of their pupils to build 21st-century abilities. When dealing with students, Chen and Lindo (2018) argue that the teacher must be able to effectively identify instructional strategies that permit success across a variety of cultural backgrounds. Figure 1 illustrates the academic outcome disparities and learners’ needs of Mexican, Chinese, and Haitian students learning in the United States.

Figure 1

The Academic Outcome Disparities and Learners’ Needs of Mexican, Chinese, and Haitian Students Learning in the United States.

Immigrant students from Mexico, China, and Haiti encounter difficulties in American schools, owing to their limited English speaking, understanding, and writing skills. The students also experience discrimination due to cultural differences, and some suffer psychological impairment from traumatic events, which impacts their psychological and social welfare (Flanbwayan Haitian, 2019; Rosenthal & Feldman, 1991; Ruiz & Barajas, 2012). Structured schools, on the other hand, will benefit students' transition and education by addressing their needs, whether academically, socially, or mentally. As a result, educators must meet students where they are and provide culturally sensitive counseling as needed (Flanbwayan Haitian, 2019; Shorr, 2006).

Strategies Most Beneficial to Diverse Learner Groups

To address the requirements of students, educators employ a variety of instructional methods. Cooperative grouping, peer teaching, differentiation, and demonstration are among the most effective tactics for several learner groups. The techniques may be advantageous to the learner groups; nevertheless, learning will be challenging if pupils lack phonetic abilities and have difficulty reading and writing. Working together, peer teaching, demonstration, and differentiating instructions appeals to diverse learners and adds to critical thinking, as well as helping students put their thoughts into writing.

According to Sulaiman and Thakur (2022), corporative learning increases students' cognitive engagement and, by extension, their critical thinking skills. Hence, using collaboration during teaching and learning, students learn academic content from their peers while developing social skills and being better problem-solvers. Also, they get to share their varied cultural backgrounds. Although there are occasions when some group members seldomly participate in the task, it provides an opportunity for some members to exercise and build their leadership skills.

Peer teaching entails pupils educating their peers on given topics. This method aids students in comprehending content linked to their socialization; peers communicate in a language that each knows and may sometimes deliver information more understandably. Peer-to-peer instruction enhances learning and is an excellent teaching strategy for students who want to improve their academic performance (Kimbrough et al., 2022; Wang & Gao, 2021). One group is generally more versed in the subject when employing peer teaching. The group with more knowledge instructs the group with limited understanding. When the groups present their findings on energy resources, they will fill in the gaps in the class's knowledge while practicing peer-teaching.

There is no one size fits all approach to learning; as a result, teachers practice differentiating instructions to facilitate all learners. Hence, giving students options and allowing them to seek or present knowledge in a manner suitable to them. This approach is evident in the lesson when students get to choose to complete the evidence of learning using a public service announcement (PSA) or a brochure. Also, some students produce their best work by following examples or observing demonstrations; hence, the brochure and PSA examples in the lesson.

Multimodal Instructional Practice

The video, What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?, addresses the notion that curriculums gear at the fictitious and typical student, with everyone expected to participate and learn on the same terms (AHEAD, 2017). However, with diverse learners in mind, UDL is an educational paradigm that guides the design of learning goals, resources, techniques, and evaluations (AHEAD, 2017). UDL encourages educators to include three basic ideas into their teaching practice: providing students with diverse modes of interaction, representation, and action and expression (AHEAD, 2017).

Providing Further Accommodation and Modification in Differentiated Instruction (DI) Using Concept Mapping.

Students' thinking skills differ, and using concept maps will allow them to develop such skills. Concept maps allow students to graphically display information structure using words, phrases, lines, and arrows to organize thoughts and demonstrate comprehension of an idea, vocabulary term, or essential issue (Akcay, 2017; Facing History and Ourselves, 2022). Using concept maps during teaching and learning will distinguish the learning process by assisting students with organizing learning materials and knowledge in ways most beneficial to them. While understanding and applying knowledge, the approach will assist students in identifying relationships between concepts. Because students create the idea map in a method that best suits their comprehension, the teacher will get an insight into how students comprehend the material.

References

Akcay, H. (2017). Constructing concept maps to encourage meaningful learning in science classroom. Education, 138(1), 9-16.

AHEAD. (2017, November 2). What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGQ_7K35ysA

Casanova, S., O’Connor, B. H., & Anthony-stevens, V. (2016). Ecologies of adaptation for Mexican indigenous im/migrant children and families in the United States: Implications for Latino studies. Latino Studies, 14(2), 192 213. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/lst.2016.4

Chan, K. (2021). Views on learning difficulties in basic sciences by mainland Chinese students. Journal of International Students, 11(3), 749-756.

Chen, C. R., & Lindo, E. J. (2018). Culturally responsive practices in special education evaluations: A review of literature. Dialog: Journal of the Texas Educational Diagnosticians Association, 47(2), 9-13.

Facing History and Ourselves. (2022). Concept maps: Generate, sort, connect, elaborate. Facing History and Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/concept-maps-generate-sort-connect-elaborate

Flanbwayan Haitian, L. P. (2019). Left out: The struggle of newly arrived Haitian immigrant youth enrolling in New York city high schools through family welcome centers

Kimbrough, E. O., McGee, A. D., & Shigeoka, H. (2022). How do peers impact learning? an experimental investigation of peer-to-peer teaching and ability tracking. Journal of Human Resources, 57(1), 1-37.

National Center for Education (NCES). (2021, May). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools. Coe - racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge

Rosenthal, D. A., & Feldman, S. S. (1991). The influence of perceived family and personal factors on self-reported school performance of Chinese and western high school students. Journal of Research on Adolescence (Lawrence Erlbaum), 1(2), 135-154.

Ruiz, N., & Barajas, M. (2012). Multiple perspectives on the schooling of Mexican indigenous students in the U.S.: Issues for future research. Bilingual Research Journal, 35(2), 125-144.

Shillingford, M. A., Oh, S., & DiLorenzo, A. (2018). Using the multiphase model of psychotherapy, school counseling, human rights, and social justice to support Haitian immigrant students. Professional Counselor, 8(3), 240-248.

Sulaiman, M. A. A., & Thakur, V. S. (2022). Effects of cooperative learning on cognitive engagement and task achievement: A study of Omani bachelor of education program EFL students. Arab World English Journal, 13(1), 38-55.

Wang, C., & Gao, J. (2021). Peer teaching as an effective method: A case study at ST university in china. Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice, 21(6), 189-199.

Zhang, J., & Halpern, C. (2021). The experiences of a Chinese immigrant family during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Waves - Educational Research & Development, 24, 52-72.