Author:
From Exclusion to Inclusion: My Journey Through Cultural Responsiveness
I grew up in a multilingual region where traveling just one kilometer could mean encountering a different language. Nigeria, my home country, is a highly populated nation of over 2 billion people, and my early education was deeply influenced by its cultural norms. I was eager to start school, but an informal rule determined eligibility. As a young child at age 5. Being enrolled in the early class was a bunch of frustration because the only cultural way of assessing your eligibility was to make sure that your hand goes across your head and touches your ear; otherwise, you are disqualified, which was informal in an educational setting, yet we practiced it.
My mother, a civil servant, could not stay home until I turned seven, so despite not meeting the criteria, I was allowed to stay in the school environment, not as an official student but simply to be near my father, the headmaster. Being physically present in school yet not officially recognized heightened my sense of exclusion. School uniforms were valued as a marker of identity, but I had none. I looked different from my peers, reinforcing my unofficial status. The system lacked provisions for children in my situation, and this lack of cultural responsiveness made learning more difficult.
Additionally, outdated textbooks and the absence of hands-on learning materials limited engagement. Gender roles were also strictly enforced, girls sat on one side of the classroom, boys on the other, and even during breaks, we were not allowed to play together. These cultural norms shaped my early learning experiences but did not encourage inclusivity.
Gay (2000) and Villegas and Lucas (2002) define culturally responsive teaching as an approach that acknowledges students’ diverse learning needs, recognizing that these differences stem from background, language, family structure, and social identity. They emphasize the importance of nurturing cultural uniqueness to create an effective learning environment. Reflecting on my early education, I now see how the system I grew up in failed to accommodate diverse learning needs. There was little recognition of students’ individuality, and the structure of education remained unchanged.
It got me thinking until I came to Canada and began my MEd program at TRU that I truly understood what it meant to be culturally responsive. Despite my accent, my professors never expected me to speak like a Canadian. They acknowledged that my language, culture, and background shaped my accent and communication style, creating an inclusive environment where I felt valued. Unlike my early schooling, where teacher-centered methods dominated, my current learning experience embraces collaboration, interaction, and student-centered approaches. Males and females engage freely, which makes learning easier and interactive.
Joanne Brown’s perspective in class reinforced this understanding. She emphasized that culture should be valued and respected, regardless of where we find ourselves. Her words connect deeply with me, and most of the things she said are similar to my culture as well. As I reflected on how cultural responsiveness extends beyond acknowledging diversity, I realized that it requires intentional efforts to create an environment where all learners feel included.
This reflected my struggles in Nigeria, reinforcing my conviction that true inclusivity must be actively practiced, not just acknowledged. For example, in my early schooling, had my early school recognized diverse learning needs, there could have been alternative eligibility criteria, inclusive seating arrangements, and culturally adaptable teaching strategies. This would have created a more welcoming environment for students like me.
After completing my education at TRU, I would approach improving Nigeria’s educational system through a culturally responsive perspective, ensuring that teaching practices acknowledge and embrace students’ diverse backgrounds, languages, and learning styles.
REFERENCE
Brown, M. R. (2007). Educating all students: Creating culturally responsive teachers, classrooms, and schools. Intervention in school and clinic, 43(1), 57-62.
Your Nigerian story, where a hand-to-ear test barred you from official enrollment despite a multilingual backdrop exposes a system rich in culture yet poor in responsiveness. As a parent, I’ve seen education’s power to include or exclude; your unofficial status, sans uniform, and gender-divided classrooms scream missed opportunities. Gay (2000) insists culturally responsive teaching must honor diverse identities, yet Nigeria’s outdated tools and norms failed you. Villegas and Lucas (2002) echo this, urging recognition of family and language in learning your Canadian shift proves it works. Joanne Brown’s culture-valuing stance inspires me. How might Nigeria weave its linguistic diversity into a curriculum that truly uplifts every child?
Thank you for this insightful reflection and for drawing connections between my Nigerian educational experience and the broader discourse on culturally responsive teaching. Nigeria’s linguistic diversity is a rich asset, yet, as you noted, the educational system has struggled to integrate meaningfully into the curriculum. As I mentioned in the conclusory part of my essay, I would approach improving Nigeria’s educational system through a culturally responsive perspective, ensuring that teaching practices acknowledge and embrace students’ diverse backgrounds, languages, and learning styles. I think it is achievable through an intentional policy shift prioritizing multilingual education. This could involve implementing mother-tongue instruction in early childhood learning, as research suggests that children learn best in languages they understand before transitioning to additional languages like English.
Furthermore, I would introduce teacher training programs that emphasize culturally responsive pedagogy, ensuring that educators recognize and affirm students’ diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Curriculum designers must also engage with local communities to incorporate culturally relevant content, moving beyond colonial-era frameworks that often neglect indigenous knowledge systems.
Thankyou for your Insightful reflection. It’s really appreciable to see your insights back Nigerian educational system.Your experiences can be seen as a powerful examples of various inclusive strategies such as diverse teaching methods and seating arrangements within classroom context.
Joanne Brown’s perspective deeply connected with you, emphasizing the importance of valuing and respecting culture in all settings.
Hi Chinyere,
Thank you for sharing your journey from exclusion to inclusion. Your story highlights how deeply cultural norms shape educational experiences and how a lack of cultural responsiveness can impact students’ sense of belonging. I was particularly moved by how something as simple as a school uniform symbolized inclusion for you. Your reflection on how teacher-centered methods dominated your early schooling compared to the interactive, inclusive approach at TRU resonates with me. It reinforces the importance of creating learning spaces where all students feel valued, regardless of their backgrounds. Your commitment to improving Nigeria’s education system through culturally responsive teaching is inspiring. I learned that inclusivity is not just about recognizing diversity but actively ensuring that every learner has an equitable and meaningful place in the classroom.
I appreciate your opinion, Vivek, but I want to respond that in a school where uniforms are the norm, being the only student not wearing one can make you feel different, isolated, or even left out. This demonstrates how cultural norms and systemic practices shape students’ sense of belonging in schools. Just as not having a uniform can create a visible distinction between you and your peers, other factors such as language barriers, socio-economic status, or cultural differences can also contribute to exclusion in learning environments.
Your reflections on cultural disequilibrium from your example of being excluded from class even though you were there physically adds depth to the narrative. It demonstrates how students can feel a sense of belonging in schools or not.