Offline versus Online Learning Environments: Exploring Cultural Minority Student and Teacher Perceptions of Inclusiveness in Higher Education

Rinotha Senathirajah; Jana Vietze; Marieke Meeuwisse

doi:10.24059/olj.v29i2.4336

Authors

Rinotha Senathirajah Avans Hogeschool
Jana Vietze
Marieke Meeuwisse

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i2.4336

Keywords:

higher education, remote teaching, inclusiveness, cultural minority, qualitative research

Abstract

Perceived inclusiveness of the higher education (HE) learning environment plays a major role in the academic outcomes and well-being of cultural minority students. In this qualitative study, we investigated how cultural minority students and teachers perceived inclusiveness of their HE learning environment after the transition to mainly online education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted online focus group interviews with twelve cultural minority students and with five cultural minority teachers at a large urban university in the Netherlands. Thematic analysis revealed four themes related to perceived inclusiveness in both the offline and online learning environment: inclusive curriculum, culture-related and caring teaching practices, culture representation, and available resources. Students and teachers perceived caring teaching practices to be more important in the online compared to the offline learning environment. Teachers considered access to technological resources particularly important for making online education more inclusive for students. Insights in cultural minority students’ and teachers’ perceptions of inclusive and online learning environments are discussed.

Keywords: higher education, online learning environment, inclusiveness, cultural minority, qualitative research

References

Aronson, B., & Laughter, J. (2016). The theory and practice of culturally relevant education: A synthesis of research across content areas. Review of Educational Research, 86(1), 163–206. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315582066

Banks, J. A. (1993). Multicultural education: Historical development, dimensions, and practice. Review of Research in Education, 19, 3-49. https://doi.org/10.2307/1167339

Barbour, R. S., & Morgan, D. L. (2017). A new era in focus group research: challenges, innovation and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58614-8

Baysu, G., Agirdag, O., & De Leersnyder, J. (2023). The Association Between Perceived Discriminatory Climate in School and Student Performance in Math and Reading: A Cross-National Analysis Using PISA 2018. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52(3), 619–636. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01712-3

Bhatti, M. A., Alshagawi, M., Zakariya, A., & Juhari, A. S. (2019). Do multicultural faculty members perform well in higher educational institutions?: Examining the roles of psychological diversity climate, HRM practices and personality traits (Big Five). European Journal of Training and Development, 43(1/2), 166–187. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-08-2018-0081

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Campbell-Whatley, G. D., Wang, C., Toms, O., & Williams, N. (2015). Factors affecting campus climate: Creating a welcoming environment. New Waves Educational Research & Development, 18(2), 40-52.

Carrasco-Hernández, A., Lozano-Reina, G., Lucas-Pérez, M. E., Madrid-Garre, M. F., & Sánchez-Marín, G. (2023). Impact of an emergency remote teaching model on students’ academic performance during COVID-19. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(1), 483-508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09665-7

Centraal Bureau Statistiek. (2021, June). Hoeveel mensen met een migratieachtergrond wonen in Nederland?. https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/dossier/dossier-asiel-migratie-en-integratie/hoeveel-mensen-met-een-migratieachtergrond-wonen-in-nederland-Centraal Bureau Statistiek. (2021, May). Persoon met een migratieachtergrond. https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/onze-diensten/methoden/begrippen/persoon-met-een-migratieachtergrond-

Civitillo, S., Juang, L. P., Badra, M., & Schachner, M. K. (2019). The interplay between culturally responsive teaching, cultural diversity beliefs, and self-reflection: A multiple case study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 341-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.002

Civitillo, S., Schachner, M., Juang, L., van de Vijver, F. J. R., Handrick, A., & Noack, P. (2017). Towards a better understanding of cultural diversity approaches at school: A multi-informant and mixed-methods study. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 12, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2016.09.002

Dayley, C. (2020). Student perceptions of diversity in technical and professional communication academic programs. Technical Communication Quarterly, 29(1), 49-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2019.1635210

Fine-Davis, M., & Faas, D. (2014). Equality and diversity in the classroom: A comparison of students’ and teachers’ attitudes in six European countries. Social Indicators Research, 119(3), 1319–1334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0547-9

Fletcher, T. L., Jefferson, J. P., Boyd, B., Park, S. E., & Crumpton‐Young, L. (2023). Impact of COVID‐19 on sense of belonging: Experiences of engineering students, faculty, and staff at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Journal of Engineering Education, 112(2), 488-520. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20512

Funes, M., & Mackness, J. (2018). When inclusion excludes: A counter narrative of open online education. Learning, Media and Technology, 43(2), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2018.1444638

García, I., Jackson, A., Harwood, S. A., Greenlee, A. J., Lee, C. A., & Chrisinger, B. (2021). “Like a fish out of water”: The experience of African American and Latinx planning students. Journal of the American Planning Association, 87(1), 108–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2020.1777184

Gardner, K., & Leary, H. (2023). Online learning for first-generation and underrepresented minoritized students: A literature review using a model of student engagement. Online Learning, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3392

Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106-116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003

Gay, G. (2013). Teaching to and through cultural diversity. Curriculum Inquiry, 43(1), 48–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/curi.12002

Gravlee, C. C. (2020). Systemic racism, chronic health inequities, and COVID ‐19: A syndemic in the making? American Journal of Human Biology, 32(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23482

Jiang, X., Nam, B. H., Tian, X., & Jin, H. (2023). How to cope with emergency remote teaching for university academics: The case of a high-profile language university in China. Sage Open, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231158026

Kaplan-Rakowski, R. (2020). Addressing students’ emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective on text versus video feedback in online environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69, 133-136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09897-9

Korthals Altes, T., Muftugil-Yalcin, S., & Slootman, M. (2023). Belonging in Online Synchronous Classrooms: Experiences of Minoritized Students in Dutch Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Education Sciences, 13(10), 986. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13100986

Kim, Y., Kumi-Yeboah, A., & Mohammed, Z. (2024). Promoting culturally responsive teaching in online learning: Experiences and challenges of instructors and students in higher education. Distance Education, 45(3), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2024.2345635

Kumi–Yeboah, A., Dogbey, J., & Yuan, G. (2018). Exploring factors that promote online learning experiences and academic self-concept of minority high school students. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 50(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2017.1365669

Lee, W. C., Matusovich, H. M., & Brown, P. R. (2014). Measuring underrepresented student perceptions of inclusion within engineering departments and universities. International Journal of Engineering Education, 30(1), 150-165.

Levitt, H. M., Motulsky, S. L., Wertz, F. J., Morrow, S. L., & Ponterotto, J. G. (2017). Recommendations for designing and reviewing qualitative research in psychology: Promoting methodological integrity. Qualitative psychology, 4(1), 2-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/qup0000082

Leyerzapf, H., & Abma, T. (2017). Cultural minority students’ experiences with intercultural competency in medical education. Medical Education, 51(5), 521–530. http://doi.org/ 10.1111/medu.13302

Meskhi, B., Ponomareva, S., & Ugnich, E. (2019). E-learning in higher inclusive education: Needs, opportunities and limitations. International Journal of Educational Management, 33(3), 424–437. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-09-2018-0282

Navarro, O., Ronan, B., & Reyes Patron, I. (2022). Teacher candidates of Color experiences and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching within teacher education: “They hit the target, not the bullseye.” Journal for Multicultural Education, 16(4), 374–386. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-01-2022-0007

Pinto, S., & Araújo e Sá, M. H. (2020). Researching across languages and cultures: a study with doctoral students and supervisors at a Portuguese University. European Journal of Higher Education, 10(3), 276-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2020.1777449

Platt, L., & Warwick, R. (2020). COVID‐19 and ethnic inequalities in England and Wales. Fiscal Studies, 41(2), 259–289. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-5890.12228

Radstake, H. (2017). Quick scan for ‘diversity sensitive teaching and learning’. Retrieved from: http://learningindiversity.com/diversity-scan-diversity-inclusion/

Rice, M. F., & Deschaine, M. E. (2020). Orienting toward teacher education for online environments for all students. The Educational Forum, 84(2), 114-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2020.1702747

Robson, S., Almeida, J., & Schartner, A. (2018). Internationalization at home: Time for review and development?. European Journal of Higher Education, 8(1), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2017.1376697

Sandoval, M., Vázquez, C. M., Simon, C., & Sandigo, A. M. (2020). Student and faculty perspectives of inclusive teaching practices in teacher training degree programs. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 26(4), 551-554.

Schachner, M. K., Noack, P., Van de Vijver, F. J. R., & Eckstein, K. (2016). Cultural diversity climate and psychological adjustment at school-equality and inclusion versus cultural pluralism. Child Development, 87(4), 1175–1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12536

Schachner, M. K. (2019). From equality and inclusion to cultural pluralism – Evolution and effects of cultural diversity perspectives in schools. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 16(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2017.1326378

Schachner, M. K., Schwarzenthal, M., Moffitt, U., Civitillo, S., & Juang, L. (2021). Capturing a nuanced picture of classroom cultural diversity climate: Multigroup and multilevel analyses among secondary school students in Germany. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 65, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.101971

Schirmer, B., & Lockman, A. (2022). Culturally Responsive Teaching in an Undergraduate Online General Education Course. Online Learning, 26(3). 142- 148 https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i3.2805

Shea, P., Li, C. S., & Pickett, A. (2006). A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses. The Internet and higher education, 9(3), 175-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2006.06.005

Shyman, E. (2015). Toward a globally sensitive definition of inclusive education based in social justice. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 62(4), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2015.1025715

Syed, M., & Nelson, S. C. (2015). Guidelines for establishing reliability when coding narrative data. Emerging Adulthood, 3(6), 375-387. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696815587648

Tamtik, M., & Guenter, M. (2020). Policy analysis of equity, diversity and inclusion strategies in Canadian universities – How far have we come? Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 49(3), 41–56. https://doi.org/10.7202/1066634ar

Thompson, K. M., & Copeland, C. (2020). Inclusive considerations for optimal online learning in times of disasters and crises. Information and Learning Sciences, 121(7/8), 481-486. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0083

Tseng, H., Kuo, Y. C., Yeh, H. T., & Tang, Y. (2022). Relationships between Connectedness, Performance Proficiency, Satisfaction, and Online Learning Continuance. Online Learning, 26(1), 285-301. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v1i1.2637

Van Wig, A., Yang, S., Bahlmann Bollinger, C., Chen, X., Karkar-Esperat, T., Pole, K., & Wilson, N. (2022). " Simplicity Is Key": Literacy Graduate Students' Perceptions of Online Learning. Online Learning, 26(1), 203-220. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i1.2607

Vietze, J., Schachner, M. K., & Juang, L. (2019). Peer cultural socialisation: A resource for minority adolescents’ cultural identity, life satisfaction, and school values. Intercultural Education, 30(5), 579-598. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2019.1586213

Woodley, X. M., Mucundanyi, G., & Lockard, M. (2017). Designing counter-narratives: Constructing culturally responsive curriculum online. International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD), 7(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJOPCD.2017010104