Three Cs in becoming a culturally responsive teacher: Canadian physical education teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT

Schools in Canada recently experienced rapid demographic changes in their student populations. Such cultural diversity amongst students can make teaching in physical education (PE) extremely complex. Therefore, the ways in which PE teachers remain responsive in their teaching should be fully examined to promote inclusiveness. There is however a limited knowledge of how PE teachers establish and maintain responsiveness in their day-to-day teaching. This study investigated Canadian PE teachers’ perceived responsibility and their everyday endeavours in pursuing culturally responsive pedagogic practices. This research supplemented the lack of empirical studies on how PE teachers understand and attend to cultural responsiveness in teaching. A generic qualitative approach was employed. Seven Canadian PE teachers participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and the data were analysed thematically. Three Cs of responsive pedagogy emerged: (1) Constant efforts for communication and relationship maintenance, (2) Celebration of differences as a goal for PE, and (3) Confirmation of teachers’ role as learning teachers. Cultural responsiveness was enhanced through student-centred and differentiated pedagogic approaches that challenges teacher-student hierarchy and standardised learning outcomes. Findings suggest that reframing teachers’ roles as lifelong learners of educational contexts can reinforce their culturally responsive teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical education in Canada
• culturally responsive pedagogy
• teacher education
• diversity
• multicultural
• inclusion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics

This study was approved by the institutional research ethics board, as well as school divisions and the schools where participants were affiliated.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express sincere thanks to Drs Joannie Halas and Erin Cameron who offered critical comments and constructive feedback during the entire research process.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Younghoon Lee

Younghoon Lee is a doctoral student in the area of pedagogy studies in school-based physical education and community-based sport education at the Applied Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Kyoung June Yi

Kyoung June Yi is an Assistant Professor in the area of equity, diversity, and social inclusion studies in physical activity at the Department of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Science at McMaster University in Canada.