Время Науки. 2014. Выпуск 4 - The Times of Science

Время науки The Times of Science in cross-cultural instructional interactions and knowing how to alleviate them can be a vital way to improve the overall quality of teaching in pluralistic classrooms. An assumption held by many teachers is that students from certain ethnic groups and social classes are “universally disadvantaged or incompetent” because they do not do well on academic tasks. These teachers further assume that the normative ways of doing things at the academy, whether they deal with social adaptation or academic issues, are the only “correct” and •acceptable ones. Furthermore, all individuals are not equally capable in all intellectual areas. Some are artistic; others are more scientific, mechanical, literary, or musical. Gardner [3] supports this opinion in the scientific work on multiple intelligences, and explains the benefits of teaching according to different students’ modality strengths. But teachers frequently do not apply this principle to functioning in different cultural systems. They assume that deficiency in one area extends to all others. Thus cadets who are poor and from racial minority groups become “culturally deprived,” “at risk,” “learning disabled,” and “socially maladaptive,” and all of their educational experiences are very affected. Cadets with limited English proficiencies are too often assumed also to have limited intellectual potential in mathematics, science, computers, and critical thinking. These orientations need to be replaced with ones that emphasize situational competence and the understanding that all students are competent in some things within certain environments. The challenge for teachers is to determine what individual strengths and cultural competencies different students present in the classroom and to design learning experiences to inspire them. These positive perceptions of personal competence begin to erode for many culturally different cadets shortly after they start their studying. A persistent message is sent to them, in innumerable ways, of all the things they do not have and cannot do. The longer they stay at the academy, the more persuasive this message becomes. They become helpless, insecure, and incompetent. This concept of learned helplessness is crucial for understanding the place of these cadets at the academy and teachers’ attitudes and behaviors to avoid its prevailing. Basic principles of learning is more likely to master new learnings through the previous experience. These principles apply to the content of the material to be learned, as well as to the structures, conditions, and environments under which learning occurs. Setting, environment, and climate are important factors in fostering desired behavior.