Cultural Sensitivity and Classroom Management of Teachers

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INTRODUCTION
The diversity of culture in schools has been increasing and becoming enormous over time (Serdyukov, 2017).Managing classroom with diverse demographics is one of the concerns of teachers nowadays as diversity and inclusivity become very significant in teaching-learning process.As the classrooms get more diverse, teachers are now on the verge of moving from the less effective traditional classroom management strategies to more responsive strategies that address classroom diversity and implement the teacher-learning process effectively.According to Uddin and Johnson (2018), negative effects on students' learning can happen if the classes have diversity lacking classroom management strategies.
Diversity in the classrooms of the Philippines is also present.Known to be a multicultural country having a great number of ethnicities, tribes and culture, schools in the country have classrooms with students having diverse demographic make-up.Consequently, teachers are burdened with mind-boggling exercises on how to address the needs of the culturally diverse students under their tutelage.With the changing classroom demographics, they tailor their management strategies using their personal experiences and cultural knowledge as they attempt to manage their classes with cultural sensitivity.Sherman (2014) defined cultural sensitivity as a set of skills that enables a person to learn about and get to know people who are different.The cultural sensitivity of teachers may play a big role in handling this diversity.Being aware of how his or her students feel and how much he or she knows about them is one of her primary roles.In order to avoid problems of culturally irrelevant classroom management techniques, teachers must be culturally sensitive and culturally literate (Gabriel et al., 2011).As opined by Weinstein, Tomlison-Clarke, and Curran (2004), lack of multicultural intelligence can higher the level of difficulties the teachers have with classroom management.Thus, classroom management may be dependent on the cultural sensitivity of teachers.
Theoretically, proponents of culturally relevant education posited that students can have maximum learning if they get situated in a classroom environment which are responsive to their needs, including their cultural aspect (Ladson-Billing, 1995).To date, there is extensive research on traditional classroom management and a myriad of resources available on how to deal with behavior issues such as Postholm (2013) on social system; Erdogan et al. (2010) on classroom discipline; Mansor et al. (2020) on a classroom management case study; Erdogan and Kurt (2015) on classroom management literature review.However, only a handful of studies documented the influence of cultural sensitivity on classroom management.A very few have been explored

OPEN ACCESS
on its influence on the classroom management, which is very important specially in lower grades when pupils are likely to decrease academic motivation (Anderman, 2013).Locally, there are schools with multicultural composition but no studies have been made to document the ability and management approaches of teachers.It is along with these reasons that the researcher was prompted to undertake the present study.
The growing diversity in the school populations necessitates readiness on the part of teachers in employing culturally sensitive management strategies in dealing with the students.There is this imperative to evaluate and study the factors that affect the classroom management of teachers specific to its condition such as cultural sensitivity as teachers deal with more multi-culturally diverse classes (Cortez et al., 2020).With this undertaking, educational leaders and teachers will be able to devise appropriate intervention and capacity building to best cater to the needs of its students.Hence, this study aims to evaluate the bond that exists between cultural sensitivity and classroom management in the context of Filipino teachers.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study aimed to relate the cultural sensitivity ad classroom management of teachers.Specifically, it endeavored to answer the following questions: 1. What is the level of cultural sensitivity of the teachers?2. To what extent do the teachers employ classroom management practices?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
This study was based on an inclusive approach to learning and teaching that tries to fulfil the unique learning needs of each individual student and views them as an opportunity rather than a problem (UNESCO, 2005).Using Diversity Pedagogy Theory (DPT) as a frame of reference, the study argued that the teachers to become effective in managing their classes, they must acknowledge and understand the critical role the cultures of students play in teaching-learning process.The Diversity Pedagogy Theory (DPT) contended that there is a natural and inseparable connection between culture and cognition (Hernandez, 2009).In the context of this study, the specific association of cultural sensitivity on the teacher's classroom management was explored.
The argument of this study comes in complementation with the framework of culturally responsive education of Ladson-Billings (1995) which pointed out that students learn best if catered with appropriate management methodologies after significantly considering their cultural background.This construct shows the importance of allowing students to learn in all aspects by knowing their cultural referents to contribute knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Tamayao, 2013).
Moreover, the framework is supported by the Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura (1997) as cited by Smith and Berge (2009).This theory stressed that an individual learns from his or her interaction with other people in a social context.Similar behaviors can also be developed by observing other people's behavior.This theory is important because the teacher has to adapt or accept the culture of others to prevent barriers from one another and could therefore lead to higher cultural sensitivity.
Figure 1 shows the research paradigm.The independent variable of the study is cultural sensitivity and the dependent variable is classroom management.Moreover, the arrow represents the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable.

METHODOLOGY
This was a quantitative study that used a correlational research approach to ascertain the association between cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers.The data collection instrument was a survey questionnaire for each variable that was content validated by experts and subjected to a pilot test to ensure its reliability.Moreover, the quantitative data were complemented by the narratives generated from the one-on-one interview with accessible teachers.
This study analyzed data collected from all thirty-one (31) accessible respondents who were handling culturally diverse pupils officially enrolled in Dadiangas South Central Elementary School during the school year 2015-2016.The data have been collected using paper-andpencil questionnaires that the teachers filled out.Three (3) accessible teachers were also interviewed to validate the quantitative data of this study.
In addition, the two self-reported questionnaires were used to collect the needed data for this study.These are the modified Intercultural Sensitivity Scale of Fritz, Mollenberg, and Chen (2002) and Classroom Management Scale adapted from Sugai and Colvin ( 2004) with Cronbach's reliability alpha of 0.839 and 0.977 respectively.To complement the quantitative data, the researcher prepared guide questions for cultural sensitivity and classroom management made based on the data gathered.

RESULTS
The present study widens knowledge about the cultural sensitivity of teachers in school.The means imputed for the independent variable are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 presents the cultural sensitivity of the teachers.The teachers strongly agree that they enjoy interacting with their pupils from different cultures (M= 5.00); respect the ways of their pupils from The result complements the result of the interview that the teachers show respect to the pupils of different cultures.In one interview, the teacher said she showed open-mindedness to her pupils by allowing them to express and disclose their cultural norms and values.In general, the cultural sensitivity of teachers obtained a weighted mean of 4.22 described as agree.
Table 2 displays the classroom management of teachers in Dadiangas South Central Elementary School.The teachers often speak with their pupils with respect and dignity (M=4.39);provide specific activities for students to get to know one another and solve problems collaboratively (M=4.35);arrange room to maximize (teacher tostudent) proximity and minimize crowding and distraction (M=4.32);prepare lessons/activities such as filler activities, materials readied, fluent presentation, clear directions (M=4.32);use varied methods to check students' understanding (M=4.32);use general classroom procedures and student jobs to enhance student responsibility (M=4.32);provide students with self-control and self-monitoring strategies (M=4.32).To sum up, the teachers employ classroom management with the mean of 4.16 described as often.
Table 3 displays the result of the correlated variables.The bivariate analysis shows that cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers is moderately significant.This is supported by the r value of 0.616 and a p value of 0.000 which is less than the 0.05 margin of error.The statistical result of the data showed that only 38% of the classroom management of the teachers is affected by their cultural sensitivity.Thus, the result suggests that there are other factors that can affect the teachers' classroom management (62%).

DISCUSSION
The present study endeavored to determine the cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers.Generally, the findings revealed that the teachers have high level of ability to assess and evaluate other cultures to know how a teacher can appropriately approach the pupils and communicate with them accordingly.The generated evidences suggest that the teachers are making effort to understand and try to adapt to the new culture they have been encountering every day in the classroom.This result complements to the study that teachers have high level of cultural competence in terms of message skills, intercultural management, behavioral flexibility, identity management, and relationship cultivation (Panuncillo, 2016).Also, the result strengthens the suggestion that an effective crosscultural communicator should not only tolerate ambiguity well but also be able to adapt to "new social conventions and behavior demands", and then understand his or her own culture and its effect on personal behavior.Anent to this, one study further affirmed that teachers were open-minded, and gave the positive interaction to people of another raise (Jantawej & Inada, 2011).
However, the outcome contrasts to the study which revealed that that though teachers had extensive preparation in handling a diverse classroom, they still suffered from a cultural shock (Killick, 2008).This suggests that the teachers are sensitive enough to know the actions they will be intervening without offending the children of different cultures.The length of stay has exposed the teachers to pupils from different cultural orientations and this exposure has made them adept to the various cultures of the pupils.Theoretically, this condition can be explained by the acculturation theory which according to Acton and Walker de Felix (1986) as cited by Polok (2006) is a continuous adaptation to a particular culture without intentionally forgetting one's original and native identity.
In terms of classroom management, the teachers have employed effective classroom management that create positive classroom climate within which effective teaching and learning can occur to great extent.Generally, the teachers employed non-punitive practices.According to Eleftheria, Kafenia, and Andreou (2013), non-punitive practices include establishing and re-establishing rules, encouraging children to be responsible, promoting students to discuss a topic involving behavior, emotions or situations of concern.One of the interviewees of this study shared that she incorporated reflective consequences when mistakes are created and develop the students towards self-regulation on speaking words that are not good and helpful.Evidently, these actions are reflected in the indicators with the highest mean.Thus, these findings corroborate with the result of researches on classroom management that are grounded locally.Local studies conducted in General Santos City and Sarangani Province also found out that the teachers employ classroom management to a great extent (Celajes, 2015;Digo, 2009;Durato, 2013: Yusop, 2014).
In addition, the study yielded modest relationship between cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers.This implies that the cultural sensitivity of teachers influences the classroom management.For instance, another teacher interviewed revealed that she used a language that she thought was appropriate and understandable to all her students.She considered the pupils background when interacting with them involving certainty of the words she is uttering.The finding corroborates the Diversity Pedagogy Theory used as a frame of reference for this study.It is revealed that teachers view classroom management to be more effective when they acknowledge the role of culture in the classroom set-up.Moreover, the Culturally Responsive Teaching of Ladson-Billing (1995) supports this as teachers consider their students' culture when dealing with them.This result strengthens the findings of some studies that use constructs associated with cultural sensitivity such as emotional intelligence and social intelligence.In fact, experts like Cherbosque, Gardenswartz, and Rowe, (2008) stated that awareness of the impact culture has in shaping behavior is a crucial part of emotional intelligence.Hence, cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence are interrelated to one another.Moreover, Dong, Koper, and Collaco, (2008) suggested that social intelligence can serve as a foundation for, and help facilitate in the development of intercultural sensitivity.As such, social intelligence and emotional intelligence are significant pointers to be considered in this study.
Generally, the result of the research suggests that there are still other factors affecting the classroom management of teachers.Manalata (2011) specified these factors such as effective instruction, setting and implementing rules, managing intervention, feedback on appropriate behaviors, and classroom environment.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study has given account on cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers.The results of this paper revealed that the teachers have high level of cultural sensitivity with high level of ability to assess and consider other cultures.In terms of classroom management, teachers have done activities that create a positive classroom climate within which effective teaching and learning can occur to a great extent.This paper indeed revealed that cultural sensitivity has modest influence on the classroom management of teachers.
Therefore, the study recommends that teachers may endeavor to initiate intercultural dialogue with children and parent and conduct seminar-workshop on multicultural approaches to education and culturally responsive classroom management strategies.Pursuing this study with different variables is also recommended to uncover the other factors that can influence the classroom management practices of teachers.
This study acknowledges its limitation as being conducted to a small sample, however considered appropriate precautions to satisfy the purpose of the study.It does not intend to generalize the results but to quantitatively describe the cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers, and test their association.Finally, while this study is focused on a multicultural context, future studies involving these variables with larger sample size should be conducted to further understand the cultural sensitivity and classroom management of teachers across levels.

Table 1 .
Cultural Sensitivity of Teachers

Table 2 .
Classroom Management of Teachers In addition, I use the least restrictive procedure to discourage inappropriate behaviour (non-verbal, proximity, teacher reaction, re-teaching, etc.) and proceed to more restrictive procedures when only needed.

Table 3 .
Relationship between the Cultural Sensitivity and Classroom Management of Teachers