Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2024
Abstract
This inquiry-based project aimed to fill a gap in the research about the way a thorough understanding of students’ culture can and should influence teachers’ methods of building character in diverse classrooms. The main cultural consideration in this qualitative research involved the cultural frameworks known as individualism and collectivism. The researcher surveyed ten teachers of diverse classrooms, asking them to thoroughly and reflectively answer eight questions related to culture and character. An analysis of the responses revealed a basic understanding of the cultural frameworks, an agreement that culture does influence character, and a desire to understand more about effectively teaching in a diverse classroom. It demonstrated teachers’ acknowledgement that a connection between culture and character exists while revealing an overall shortage of practical ways to put this understanding into practice in the classroom. The results of the study highlight the existence and importance of the relationship between culture and character while pointing to the potential for more intentional cultural training for teachers in diverse classrooms.