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Strategizing inclusivity in teaching diverse learners in higher education
Awang-Hashim, R1, Kaur, A2, Valdez, N.P3.
Purpose – As the classrooms in higher education are growing
increasingly diverse, it is imperative that higher education
practitioners build a responsive learning environment for diverse
learners to optimize their potential. Continuing professional
development programmes (CPD) are central to such strategic
approaches that equip educators with essential knowledge and
skills to handle diversity related issues, achieve equity and increase
student participation. Therefore, the present study aims to examine
strategies used by higher education practitioners to address diversity
and inclusion in teaching and learning.
Methodology – Participants comprised nine academicians (six men
and three women) who emerged from natural retention along the
iterative cycles on community of practice (CoP) participation. This
study adopted CoP as the theoretical lens and methodological tool to
understand the strategies higher education practitioners have devised
for their inclusive teaching and learning practices in response to
diversity related challenges. The data was collected through a series
of observations and reflective journals. Initially, thematic analysis techniques were used to reduce data into two categories—strategies
and challenges. Later, according to prevalence and frequency
counts, the strategies were analysed against the challenges reported
and finally the strategies were reduced to major themes.
Findings – Three major themes emerged which reported on the
inclusive strategies conceived by the participants. The themes were
inclusive/differentiated assessment which suggested that creating
differentiated assessment that were inclusive in nature could provide
equal opportunities for each and every student to participate.
The second theme, motivation and goal strategies revealed that
students were diverse in their goals for learning. Hence, a variety of
motivational strategies such as including students’ voice, providing
them with a clear rationale for studying and fostering relatedness
were deemed suitable to address these differences. The final
theme, inclusive pedagogy suggested a variety of accommodation
to be made in pedagogy such as integrating technology, adopting
culturally responsive material and initiating collaborative learning
to address students’ differences.
Significance – The findings have implications for faculty
professional development, classroom teaching practices employing
inclusive pedagogy in higher education institutions and the use of
CoP as a framework for such developments.
Affiliation:
- Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
- Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
- President University, Indonesia
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Indexation |
Indexed by |
MyJurnal (2021) |
H-Index
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3 |
Immediacy Index
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0.000 |
Rank |
0 |
Indexed by |
Scopus 2020 |
Impact Factor
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CiteScore (2) |
Rank |
Q1 (Cultural Studies) Q2 (Education) Q3¬¬¬ (Psychology (all)) |
Additional Information |
SJR (0.385) |
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