Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - 11180362
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED218380 AUTHOR: Ramirez, Manuel, III
TITLE: Cognitive Styles and Cultural Diversity.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1982
NOTE: 15 p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association (New York, NY,
Mar 19-23, 1982). Some sections may be marginally legible
due
to small print.
ABSTRACT: Research indicates that minority students are
more "field sensitive" and less "field independent" than
non minority students in their approach to learning. This
means that minority students are more group oriented, more
sensitive to the social environment, more responsive to
adult models, less competitive, less sensitive to spatial
incursions by others, less comfortable in trial and error
situations, and less interested in the details of
non-social tasks. Differences in cognitive styles, which
are greatly influenced by cultural and family
socialization, must be considered in improving educational
programs. A cognitive styles framework would be useful in
developing multicultural education that reinforces familiar
ways of learning and at the same time encourages
flexibility in cognitive style by introducing students to
new ways of learning. Learning experiences for
multicultural educational programs based on this framework
have been developed from assessments of students' learning
experiences and preferences gathered through direct
observation rather than through traditional research and
testing tools. In schools where such programs have been
tried out, program participants have performed better on
achievement tests than non-participants of comparable
background and have shown improvement in self esteem and
respect for cultural diversity. Furthermore, teachers
involved in the program have demonstrated increased
sensitivity to individual differences among children.
(Author/MJL)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Academic-Achievement; Cultural-Influences;
Cultural-Pluralism; Early-Childhood-Education; Educational
Improvement; Socialization-; Student-Evaluation; Teacher
Attitudes
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Cognitive-Style; *Individual
Characteristics; *Minority-Group-Children; *Multicultural
Education; *Teaching-Methods
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