Computer Use in a Multicultural Classroom

Abstract

AbstractThis article presents findings from a case study exploring how an effective teacher in a multicultural classroom manages computer use. The study looks at how the teacher’s management strategies accommodate differences in children’s cultural and learning preferences and provide for equitable access across gender and ethnicity. The researcher collected data through direct observation, videotaping, student and teacher interviews, and informal conversations with students and the teacher. The results parallel previous findings on effective teacher behavior and indicate that the teacher created a supportive classroom computer culture wherein there were high student expectations, options, autonomy, cooperation and interdependence, and instructional flexibility. The article suggests a number of additional questions for further research.