In the article, the authors have examined the increasing ethnic and cultural diversity in the middle school classrooms of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). By doing so, the authors elucidate the growing need for the innovation and practice of newer methods in the edification of culturally diverse classes comprising of students who are not proficient in the English language and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The article enlightens the potential teachers of such students regarding the possible problems which could be faced in a linguistically diverse class of students. The authors call attention to the teachers of linguistically and culturally students of the FCS, to explore and adopt different attitudes and approaches in teaching such a class of students.
The authors come to the above conclusions by conducting research on sixteen middle school teachers of the state of Florida using the survey questionnaire method and reported that the culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms required several modifications in the teaching practices and approaches which include the use and practice of several aids such as audio-visual aids and co-operative learning methods such as group learning and learning in pairs.
The authors have taken the cultural and social backgrounds of the diverse students in drafting innovative teaching techniques. During the research, it was found that the pedagogical methods of teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms were not beneficial and that the needs of such students must be catered to by not only modifying the teaching strategies but also the evaluation approaches conventionally used in such classrooms and firmly believing that each student can excel irrespective of the setting.
The authors also emphasize the role of parents in the success of the students stating that parental involvement is an important criterion for the students to be motivated and perform well in their academics and that the teachers must invite them to join them in motivating and educating the children.
The study is highly educative and positively highlights the various problems of teaching a class of culturally and linguistically diverse students. It also additionally points how the implementation of innovative and new strategies and approaches in teaching such a class can produce good results. The study is especially beneficial as it points to a very important criterion for the academic success of minority students, family involvement. This shall bring about a radical change in the teaching practices of most potential teachers to invite the assistance and support of family and parents in the instruction of students to achieve better results.
The various teaching practices and methods mentioned in the study will enable potential teachers like me to follow the new techniques in the edification of students who are not proficient in the English language. The special instructional techniques provided in the study are sure to open the minds and alter the prejudices of all teachers, thereby producing radical changes in the tutoring methods. Most importantly, the study points that a potential change can be brought about in their confidence and personalities by changing the approaches of instruction and evaluation, thereby enabling them to achieve better results.
The authors have stated that there may be innumerable challenges in teaching culturally and linguistically diverse classroom students but also motivate the potential teachers to strive by using novel methods which are bound to yield excellent results.