Teachers responding to cultural diversity: case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences in secondary
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Teachers responding to cultural diversity: case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences in secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey Barbara Herzog-Punzenberger 1,2 & Herbert Altrichter 1 & Martin Brown 3 & Denise Burns 3 & Guri A. Nortvedt 4 & Guri Skedsmo 4,5 & Eline Wiese 4 & Funda Nayir 6 & Magdalena Fellner 7 & Gerry McNamara 3 & Joe O’Hara 3 Received: 16 February 2020 / Accepted: 13 July 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Global mobility and economic and political crises in some parts of the world have fuelled migration and brought new constellations of ‘cultural diversity’ to European classrooms (OECD 2019). This produces new challenges for teaching, but also for assessment in which cultural biases may have far-reaching consequences for the students’ further careers in education, occupation and life. After considering the concept of and current research on ‘culturally responsive assessment’, we use qualitative interview data from 115 teachers and school leaders in 20 lower secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey to explore the thinking about diversity and assessment practices of teachers in the light of increasing cultural diversity. Findings suggest that ‘proficiency in the language of instruction’ is the main dimension by which diversity in classrooms is perceived. While there is much less reference to ‘cultural differences’ in our case studies, we found many teachers in case schools trying to adapt their assessment procedures and grading in order to help students from diverse backgrounds to show their competencies and to experience success. However, these responses were, in many cases, individualistic rather than organised by the school or regional education authorities and were also strongly influenced and at times, limited by government-mandated assessment regimes that exist in each country. The paper closes with a series of recommendations to support the further development of a practicable and just practice of culturally responsive assessment in schools. Keywords Cultural diversity . Assessment . Cultural bias . Linguistic diversity
* Herbert Altrichter [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability
1 Introduction and background Consistent with changing patterns of migration and the belief that school systems have a significant role to play in responding to ‘increasing social heterogeneity’ (OECD 2009, p. 3), many education systems have developed policy solutions and initiatives for the creation of culturally responsive classrooms (Ford and Kea 2009). As stated by the United Nations (UN), education systems around the world should be united in the commitment to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ (UN 2016). Providing cause for optimism, the 2018 TALIS report indicates that strategies on how to deal with ethnic and cultural discrimination are taught in 80% of the participating sc
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