EDUC701 Theories and Research in Education
Literature Analysis Form
Your Name: Richard Gallagher
Title of Manuscript: "Learning and Gender"
Authors: Michael Gurian
Source: Annual Editions, Educational Psychology, 23rd Edition
Date: November 15, 2008
Objectives of Study/Paper/Journal Article:
As the author, Michael Gurian concludes at the end of this fine piece, "It does indeed feel right to help boys and girls to learn to their full potential". The objective of this paper was to enable the reader to think outside the currently accepted secular doctrine that says that everyone is equal, and boys and girls must be treated and taught the same way. Gurian points to the example of a school board member from North Carolina who is relieved to recognize that it is now OK to admit there are hard-wired differences between boys and girls in their thinking. The article aims to show these "hard-wired" learning differences are not sexist, but rather scientific, and they can be proven through current brain research.
Description of the Experimental/Study Design/Problem:
To learn more about the author and his views, one needs to simply go to the Gurian Institute website and read their mission statement, which states, "The Gurian Institute is a training organization focused on helping educators, parents and community agencies serving youth, children and families with crucial understanding of how boys and girls learn and grow. The Institute provides training in all settings – schools, workplaces, parenting seminars, and communities – blending brain-based theory with practical application and cultural relevance" (GurianInstitute.com, 2008). It is important to note that this article is simply one example of the work and writing of Michael Gurian. His reasoning and methodology is based upon the unique learning differences between boys and girls. In his research he relies upon, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (fMRI) which employs the power of the MRI to explore the physical brain changes that are occurring in the limbic system and sensorial centers of the brain. As he points out in the article, the fMRI clearly will show different blood flow and neural connections occurring in the thought and learning process of boys and girls while doing the same learning exercise. From current brain research, Gurian is able to articulate the learning differences between boys and girls and advocate for diverse teaching approaches for boys and girls based upon the research.
Theoretical Framework:
In our societies move towards equality of the sexes, schools and teachers aimed to neutralize the learning differences between boys and girls, believing that except for physical differences, there was no difference in learning style or ability. In this move towards gender neutral teaching and education, statistics unfortunately point out that girls may test lower in some subjects and boys tend to end up in the principal's office more frequently than girls. So, in reviewing these statistics, Gurian simply asked, why is this occurring and what can teachers do to solve the problem? His answer was to simply look at brain research that was beginning to develop in the early 1990's. This research began to find practical uses for PET scans and fMRI's to determine if boys and girls brains were functioning differently in their learning processes. What Gurian, along with other researchers were finding was that there are biological differences in the way that boys and girls learn.
Summary of Results of Study/Journal Article:
Gurian points out that it is almost an epiphany when educators learn about brain research and the learning style differences between boys and girls. Once a teacher recognizes that boys and girls act, think and learn differently because of their brain chemistry, an "aha" moment occurs when they relate the brain research to their actual classroom experience. Knowing for example that boys fidget when they are bored, because less of the calming effects of serotonin are moving through a boys pre-frontal cortex, can be enlightening to a teacher in dealing with a boys fidgeting. So too, it is instructive to know that because there is more blood flow through a girls occipital lobe, girls use more sensorial detail in their writing than boys. With this knowledge, a teacher can plan appropriately in their writing assignments to adjust for the natural learning differences between boys and girls.
Discussion/Conclusions:
We noted at the beginning of this review that Gurian concludes that it is a good thing to help boys and girls learn to their fullest potential. This learning potential is enhanced by understanding the neurological differences between the male and the female brain. When teachers and schools recognize that is OK to conclude that boys and girls do learn differently, then they can fully use current brain research to maximize the learning potential of all learners.
Reviewer's application:
Ever since my previous advanced psychology class at Liberty, I have been fascinated by brain research and how it can be used to enhance a teachers teaching ability. It is refreshing for me as a Christian to know that David was correct, when he joyfully declared, some 3000 years ago, in Psalm 139: 14, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made". Now, with the advent of brain research, we are seeing how true this affirmation of David was, which for me once again testifies to the veracity of the Scripture.
While our society drifts towards existential feminism, which seeks to tear down the differences between the sexes, brain research, verifies that we are different, created in God's image as male and female, (Genesis 1:27). While spiritually in Christ there is neither male nor female, (Galatians 3:27), there are distinct differences and roles that males and females play which are God ordained, such as, a husband loving his wife and a wife respecting her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33) These roles were designed intentionally by a Creator who purposefully created men and women differently, with different brains and ways of thinking and unique learning styles. For me, it is a joy to see that research upholds these differences and encourages us to use these differences to teach, guide and instruct each one carefully and differently, just as God intended.
EDUC701 Theories and Research in Education
Literature Analysis Form
Your Name: Richard Gallagher
Title of Manuscript: "The Culturally Responsive Teacher"
Authors: Ana Maria Villegas and Tamara Lucas
Source: Annual Editions, Educational Psychology, 23rd Edition
Date: November 15, 2008
Objectives of Study/Paper/Journal Article:
In their article, "The Culturally Responsive Teacher", authors Ana Maria Villegas and Tamara Lucas, both of whom teach at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, advocate that a new way of thinking and teaching must happen when one teaches students who come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They especially promote that this must occur with students who have historically come from marginalized communities. They use six points in the article to defend their thinking and this view of multicultural education.
Description of the Experimental/Study Design/Problem:
The design problem that the authors see is primarily addressed in their theoretical framework. They by their own admission come from a constructivist view of education and they advocate strongly for progressive philosophy. Through a child centered focus, the authors would hold that a teacher can become more responsive to the specific needs and challenges of children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Theoretical Framework:
As Villegas and Lucas see it, the problem that is occurring in our current educational system is that teachers and schools are not being responsive to a child's education, because they lack understanding of the child's linguistic and cultural background and perspective. To address the issue of misunderstanding, responsiveness and relevancy, the authors point to six possible solutions educators can take. These solutions are:
- Understand How Learners Construct Knowledge
- Learn About Students' Lives
- Be Socioculturally Conscious
- Hold Affirming Views About Diversity
- Use Appropriate Instructional Strategies
- Advocate for All Students
Villegas and Lucas would argue that through the above referenced ideas/methods a teacher can become fully aware and properly responsive to the needs of the children in his or her care who come from diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage.
Summary of Results of Study/Journal Article:
Villegas and Lucas reason that the teacher as a facilitator of knowledge has a responsibility to become as culturally aware and intuitive as possible. Through this intuitive cultural understanding, the authors would maintain that this would then lead to the teacher becoming culturally responsive. Once and if a teacher becomes culturally responsive then the authors hold that the student would be fully taught.
Discussion/Conclusions:
The authors concluded with wanting the reader to, "just imagine". They desire us to imagine how much brighter the life and school experience of Belki (a child used as an example in the opening narrative of the article) would be if a teacher could get beyond their own limited views and become fully responsive to Belki's cultural and linguistic challenges. Instead of emphasizing the educational deficits a child such as Belki may face, Villegas and Lucas would rather the teacher take into account all of the life experiences of Belki and incorporate these experiences into the classroom for Belki.
Reviewer's application:
It is hard not to feel sympathy for children such as Belki, when reading the article. Villegas and Lucas do an admiral job advocating for the needs of children such as Belki. After all, they would hold, Belki is far more than a simply a child in a classroom who is struggling with English and math. She is a unique and special child with positive traits that may not show up in the classroom. Though this advocacy is admirable, I would question whether it is truly practical or achievable.
While the authors argue for a new construct with regard to teaching of new immigrant students, they primarily seem to address their article around Latino or Hispanic migrants rather than a large cross section of other cultural groups. The only example of becoming culturally responsive is their brief narrative about Belki, who is from the Dominican Republic. Nowhere else in the article do they mention other cultures or suggest ways to address the needs of those cultures. So while they may or may not say it, their article appears to focus solely on the demands of teaching Latino and Spanish speaking students whose parents may or may not be in the U.S. legally. To this author it would seem that if you want to address the needs of Latino immigrants, then why not come right out and say it? Why hide your views behind the guise of being a culturally responsive teacher, when in actuality the only culture you wish to address is the Latino culture?
To me it seems to be disingenuous to address the needs of multiculturalism when in actuality you are asking teachers not to be "multi" cultural, but only "one or two" cultural? It would seem to me that in order to be an effective culturally responsive teacher, one would need to be aware of numerous cultures and languages. Here in Los Angeles County for example there are 224 identified languages spoken at home, and 92 of these languages can be specifically identified as spoken at home by Los Angeles Unified School District students (Ivanov, 2000). So, from this statistic it could be perhaps concluded that if a teacher is to be truly culturally responsive or relevant here in LA, then that teacher needs to be able to relate to and to understand a minimum of 92 specific linguistic and cultural groups.
Again, the question I would ask after looking at the challenges of a district such as Los Angeles Unified, would be, can the approach advocated by the authors of the article actually work in a place like LA? I would agree that if you look at the six salient points above, you could conclude, yes, this approach may work. After all who can argue with the noble goals of such points? But it's not the points that should be argued, for they are admirable and achievable and most good teachers would already be doing such things in their classrooms with their children. Rather, I would hold, it is the theory and the philosophy behind the main points that is incorrect and in my view impractical.
Our educational system in my view has become so focused on what feels good or what sounds good, we seem to forget, what works good. As stated, I would hold that all good teachers aim to achieve the above points not only with their students from diverse cultures, but all students, regardless if they are of a Dominican, Mexican or Guatemalan heritage or English, Irish, German or French heritage. Good teachers want to be responsive to the needs of all their students regardless of their heritage or cultural or linguistic background.
It is true that Spanish speaking migrants today may face unique challenges, but so too did the Italians, Poles, Russians and Greeks who came to the United States for a better life. I would argue that all of these groups, whether they are current or past immigrants to this country, would or did benefit far more from direct instruction, core knowledge and mastery learning than they would from the feel good philosophies of constructivist and progressive education. So while it's possible, the author's views do perhaps sound good, I would far rather imagine a system that works well and educates all children to their fullest potential regardless of their cultural or linguistic background.
References
Gurian Institute (2008). Mission Statement. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://www.gurianinstitute.com/
Vyacheslav Ivanov (2006). Language Spoken At Home by Individual Los Angeles Communities, Persons 5 years and over, City of Los Angeles, 2000 Census. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://www.laalmanac.com/LA/la10b.htm
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