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Issues Affecting the Classroom

Name…..

Gordon Albright School of Education, City University of Seattle

ECU506_01: Practice of Diversity and Global Education

Sofia Saltwick-Zucca and Lois Baker

August 21, 2021

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Introduction

There are many issues prevalent in our society today that have an impact on education.

These issues encompass a broad range of subjects from global issues, such as inequalities from

the perspective of the individual and issues from the institutional aspect such as underfunding of

schools, to theoretical issues, such as the theory behind distance learning and standardized

testing, and to practical issues, such as class size and applying a prescribed curriculum to all

students regardless of differences. Each of these issues are problematic as they are directedly

connected to educational equity. As educators, we must be constantly aware of such issues that

can affect our students and be intentional in our practice in order to provide a safe and effective

learning environment that is culturally responsive and more equitable to all learners.

Equality, Equity, and Culturally Responsive Teaching

Before looking into the issues that can affect the classroom, it is important for educators

to build a solid understanding of equality, equity, and culturally responsive teaching in order to

truly grasp the impact of these issues on students and implement ways to address them in their

teaching practice. Equity and equality are similar in the aspect that both concepts are a means of

achieving fairness (RISE, n.d.). Both concepts “work hand-in-hand” (Mlaba, 2021) “to ensure

the best possible outcomes for students” (National Society of High School Scholars, 2021).

However, equality sees being equal as providing everyone with the same thing equally in

order to offer equal access to education. On the other hand, equity takes into account the diverse

personal experiences and social factors that each individual is placed in to provide each

individual with what they need to succeed (Atchison et al., 2017). Equity acknowledges that a

one-size fits all strategy is not enough to ensure that all students are given fair opportunities to

make achievement given their differing circumstances and needs.

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It is important for educators to utilize this understanding of equality and equity in order

to practice culturally responsive teaching in the classroom. Culturally responsive teaching puts

together the understanding of the diverse needs of each student to “leverage the affective and the

cognitive scaffolding that students bring with them” (Hammond as cited in Gonzalez, 2017),

with the goal of providing equitable access to education. Hammond explains CRT as “building

the learning capacity of the individual student” (as cited in Gonzalez, 2017). Teachers must

implement CRT in their practice to ensure that all students are provided an equitable education.

Global Issues

Some major global issues that affect classrooms are existing inequalities in the aspects of

gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Depending on whether an individual is male or female,

white or person of color, rich or living in poverty, the opportunities provided to them can differ

greatly. These disparities lead to an opportunity gap, in which less privileged students do not

have the same access to the resources that are available to their more privileged peers. This gap

continues to widen as students advance through their years in school and beyond (National

Society of High School Scholars, 2021).

In order to address such existing inequalities, equal access to education must be provided

but so must equitable support that is tailored to individual needs (Atchison et al., 2017).

Educators must acknowledge that all students come from different backgrounds and therefore

have differing needs. Teachers must consider the diverse personal experiences and social factors

that each student is placed in to provide them with what they need to succeed. With this

background information about each student, teachers can provide personalized support tailored to

help each student reach their fullest potential, and thus, provide more equitable learning

opportunities for all students.

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Inequality also exists on the institutional level. Among these types of issues is lack of

funding for schools. In the US, schools are primarily funded through local property taxes. This

has resulted in inequalities in educational funding for low-wealth areas. Disparities in school

funding creates a domino effect in which further inequalities stem as funding is directly

connected to securing high-quality teachers, resulting in teacher shortage, bigger class sizes, and

insufficient resources to support students (Darling-Hammond, 2019). Research shows that states

that have taken measures to provide more adequate funding to achieve educational equity among

districts have higher graduation rates which in turn results in higher quality human capital with

higher employment rates and higher economic returns for the society (Darling-Hammond, 2019).

Ensuring adequate funding for schools is essential from the institutional or state level in

order to provide a more equitable learning environment for all students. All students are entitled

to receiving a quality education where their diverse needs can be addressed so that they can truly

learn. Adequate funding leads to a more supportive learning environment and better-quality

education in which the achievement gap for our students can be reduced. While teachers have no

control over funding, they can still seek solutions to this issue by keeping up with the most

current researches and implementing best practices in their classrooms.

Theoretical Issues

Distance learning is an example of a theoretical issue that impacts our students. In

theory, research suggests that online learning has the potential to offer a solution to current

issues in education such as overpopulated classrooms, teacher shortages, and addressing

individualized instructional needs (Ward-Jackson & Yu, 2019). However, as many schools were

forced into distance learning with the emergence of a global pandemic in spring 2020, educators

experienced first-hand how different theory and reality could be due to various socioeconomic

factors that
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intersect with one another. The inequalities our students were faced with were brought to the

forefront, showing us how merely providing district issued computers to all students did not

ensure equitable access to distance learning. Many families did not have access to the internet.

Parents were not physically available to support their child’s distance learning at home due to

working conditions. Some families struggled for day-to-day survival while others rushed to

safety in vacation homes.

Distance learning may continue to affect a portion of our students in the coming school

year due to safety issues with new variants in COVID and younger students not yet eligible for

vaccination. In order to successfully support students through online environments, educators

must be mindful in building an intentional learning environment that sets students up for success

(Weir, 2020). This includes considering social emotional support to provide a sense of

connection for students who have been isolated from in-person social interactions.

Standardized testing is another example of a theoretical issue that affects our students. In

theory, the intent behind standardized testing is to provide fair evaluation standards for all

students (Cramer et al., 2018). However, in the process of implementing an equal standard for

assessment, especially high-stakes tests, the education system has failed to take into account the

differences and diverse funds of knowledge that all students present, thus, resulting in

inequitable evaluations that widens the opportunity gap for vulnerable and marginalized students.

In addition, standardized assessments are influenced by cultural biases because they are

generally designed by members of the mainstream society (Richard-Amato & Snow, 2006). This

further makes them questionable in the aspects of cultural responsiveness.

In order to compensate for the limitations of standardized testing, educators must take on

a more flexible approach to assessments to obtain a more accurate evaluation of the whole child.
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Some ways to achieve this goal are to use multiple methods to measure achievement such as

performance or portfolio-based assessments (Kamenetz, 2015). Teachers must be aware of the

different ways each student learns and provide differentiated methods of assessment for students

to demonstrate their learning.

Practical Issues

Class size and a fixed curriculum are practical issues that impact students directly in the

classroom. Class size is inter-connected to funding and institutional support – thus, class size is

determined based on funding and staffing conditions. However, class size is an important factor

to consider in schools as it directly impacts the quality of instruction from the perspective of the

teacher and overall learning from the perspective of the students. Although it may cost more to

keep class sizes smaller, the National Education Association discovered that the benefits of

smaller classes outdo the costs in the long run, as they enable teachers to provide more

individualized instruction, which in turn results in a reduction in achievement gaps and improved

behaviors and graduation rates (Walker, 2019).

Applying a prescribed curriculum to all students regardless of differences is another

practical issue that teachers come across in the classroom. Curriculum, likewise to standardized

testing, is influenced by cultural biases as it reflects the ideology of the members of the

mainstream power who design it (Richard-Amato & Snow, 2006). A fixed curriculum does not

take into account the differing backgrounds and vast life experiences of our diverse students. It

also poses cultural and linguistic barriers that can further marginalize students that come from a

home language environment other than English (Cramer et al., 2018).

To work towards resolving both class size and curriculum issues, educators must create a

more equitable learning environment within the classroom. Although class size is an issue that is
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not within the control of individual educators, teachers can still make a difference by building a

classroom community that celebrates and affirms the diverse backgrounds of our students

(Hammond, 2015). When teachers take the time to get to know their students, their backgrounds

and their interests, they can use this understanding to not only build relationships but also to

adjust instruction to better meet their students’ needs. With this understanding, teachers can also

adapt the curriculum with relevant learning material that has more meaning for their students.

Considerations for my Teaching Practice

By building an understanding of the many global, theoretical, and practical issues that

affect the classroom, I will be intentional to acknowledge the diverse background of each

student, be mindful of the disparities they may be confronted with, and strive to build a warm

learning environment that is culturally responsive and flexibly adaptable to meet their differing

needs. Although global issues such as existing inequalities and funding are problems that I

cannot control, I can help address these issues by staying current with related resources and

research-based approaches and implement these best practices in my classroom. I will be a

warm demander setting high expectations for all my students (Hammond, 2015). I will plan and

provide equitable supports in the form of scaffolds within each student’s zone of proximal

development to help them reach each milestone in their learning. I will also continuously reflect

upon my practice and my own biases to ensure that I approach each student with an open mind

and heart (Hammond, 2015). I believe that it is only with intentional purpose that makes the

learning environment safe and more equitable to ensure the growth of all students.
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References

Atchison, B., Diffey, L., Rafa, A. & Sarubbi, M. (2017, June). Equity in education: Key

questions to consider. Education Commission of the States. http://www.ecs.org/wp-

content/uploads/Equity_in_Education_Key_questions_to_consider.pdf

Cramer, E., Little, M. E., & McHatton, P. A. (2018). Equity, equality, and standardization:

Expanding the conversations. Education and Urban Society, 50(5), 483-501.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124517713249

Darling-Hammond, L. (2019, Aug 5). America’s school funding struggle: How we’re

robbing our future by under-investing in our children. Forbes. Retrieved August 4,

2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lindadarlinghammond/2019/08/05/americas-

school-

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children/?sh=7a857c4d5eaf

Gonzalez, J. (2017, September 10). Culturally responsive teaching: 4 misconceptions. Cult of

pedagogy. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/culturally-

responsive-misconceptions/

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic

engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.

Kamenetz, A. (2015, January 6). What schools could use instead of standardized tests. NPR.

Retrieved August 5, 2021, from

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/01/06/371659141/what-schools-could-use-instead-

of-standardized-tests
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Mlaba, K. (2021, March 19). Equity vs equality: What’s the difference? Global Citizen.

Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/equity-equality-

whats-the-difference-global-goals/?template=next

National Society of High School Scholars. (2021, May 11). Equity vs equality in education: Why

both are essential in today’s classrooms. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from

https://www.nshss.org/blog/equity-vs-equality-in-education-why-both-are-essential-in-

today-s-classrooms/

Richard-Amato, P. A., & Snow, M. A. (2006). Academic success for English Language

Learners: Strategies for K-12 mainstream teachers (1st ed.). Chapter 15 Assessment of

students. White Plains, NY: Longman.

RISE. (n.d.). RISE Module: Equality vs. equity. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from

https://risetowin.org/what-we-do/educate/resource-module/equality-vs-equity/index.html

Walker, T. (2019, February 8). Educators and parents reset the class size ‘debate’. National

Education Association. Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.nea.org/advocating-

for-change/new-from-nea/educators-and-parents-reset-class-size-debate

Ward-Jackson, J., & Yu, C. (2019). Impact of online learning in K-12: Effectiveness, challenges,

and limitations for online instruction. In Keengwe, J. (Ed.), Handbook of research on

blended learning pedagogies and professional development in higher education (pp. 357-

375). https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/impact-of-online-learning-in-k-12/208365

Weir, K. (2020). What did distance learning accomplish? American Psychological Association,

51(6), 54. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/09/distance-learning-accomplish