Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence in an Urban Context

As our modern day society continues to grow and evolve, the modern education system must adapt to these changing conditions. The continued influx of immigrants, and an increased sensitivity to cultural norms and values, has created a need for diverse teaching skills. American schools face a difficult task in identifying and responding to the needs of minority and immigrant students. As opposed to some foreign countries, where gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status affect the quality of schooling available to a child, the modern American educator must try to ensure all children receive an equal education.

            It is the access to quality schooling which represents the greatest flaw in the American education system. There is evidence of a lower quality education in economically impoverished neighborhoods due to limited financial resources, decreased local funding, and prioritization of concerns other than education. This can directly lead to stunted cognitive development. Ironically, it is the children most likely to benefit from quality education who are less likely to receive it. This inequity is reinforced by the fact that school budgets are connected to property value. Distributing money evenly across neighborhoods, equal opportunity can be established free of socioeconomic status.

            The modern education system must also display an understanding to an increasing diverse population. It must recognize the importance of language and culture to academic success. Any cultural or language difficulties an immigrant student experiences can be complicated by the standards-based education system, in which children are expected to master a skill set regardless of experience or socioeconomic class. This problem gets worse when we realize that there is a finite time frame in which the teacher must include ever changing cultural concerns, while also ensuring the students achieve a mastery of basic knowledge and skills. These problems may be combatted by creating universally accepted national academic standards, that won’t change from state to state. This will allow all students to be exposed to the same content, while still allowing a teacher the freedom to vary coursework to suit specific needs.

            We must also account for the effects that culture has on learning style and group dynamics. Teachers must apply cultural sensitivity in planning lessons. Some foreign students display a preference for a collectivist style of learning. These students downplay individual achievement, a trait which doesn’t coincide with performance – based testing. To reduce this disadvantage, special training programs can be used to sensitize teachers to specific needs. Attempts to suppress this cultural asset can have a negative impact on the child’s performance. It is important to recognize that a student’s active engagement is linked to cultural familiarity. This can be achieved through adding culturally diverse literature, and incorporating demographically relevant lessons to the curriculum. Active engagement can also be attained by giving students more options in their assignments. Students should be given the choice of working in a group or by themselves, and should be permitted to display their knowledge in either written, verbal or kinesthetic forms. It is upon modern educators to remain flexible in their approach, and not to blindly subscribe to obsolete methods.