Cultural Responsive Teaching of Language Teachers in Indigenous Classrooms: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Abstract

This phenomenological inquiry aimed to investigate the experiences of language teachers in indigenous classrooms of Pong-Pong Elementary School, New Bataan, Davao de Oro, Philippines. This also investigated the different coping mechanism of these challenges encountered in providing a cultural responsive teaching. The study utilized the purposive sampling technique which included seven (7) teachers for focus group discussion and for in-depth-interview; thematic analysis is used and themes were identified in this inquiry. In providing cultural responsive teaching experiences, themes revealed that teachers: use code-switching, linguistic contrast of teachers’ and students’ native language, challenges in the implementation of the curriculum, lowering the filter of anxiety level, and availability of language exercises in the target language. On the coping mechanism of teachers, themes are: use of student-centered strategies, immersion to students’ diverse cultural backgrounds, making the classroom into a class-home, translation as a strategy and mastery of basic literacy skills.