Abstract:
This qualitative study investigated practicing teachers’
characterization of their classroom practices and relationships with culturally
different students after being engaged in three weeks of reflective activities
surrounding cultural identity development and how culture shapes our worldview,
dispositions, and behaviors. The study showed that through such engagement,
the participants began realizing that they and their students were human beings
whose experiences and perceptions are shaped by their cultural backgrounds.
The study revealed that while teacher-student relationships were portrayed mostly
as nurturing, they were hampered by tension resulting from a clash of cultures.
