ABSTRACT
This chapter explores several teaching and learning contexts: learners' individual and cultural differences, characteristics of educators, organization and instruction, the teaching and learning environment, and cultural perspectives that influence the teaching and learning process in multicultural settings. It is important that teachers perceive elementary and secondary learners objectively, regardless of cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, socio-economic, or religious differences. It is an understatement to suggest that teaching and learning situations must demonstrate an emphatic acceptance of learners in all their cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious diversity. Students are often organized for instructional purposes on the basis of test scores, previous grades, teacher recommendations, and other supposedly objective information. Ability-grouping patterns often parallel students' nonacademic characteristics, such as race or ethnic background, socioeconomic class, or personal appearance. Cooperative-learning procedures can reinforce the efforts of culturally diverse children to continue their schoolwork successfully. Language diversity is so great in some parts of the United States that sometimes classroom communication is virtually impossible.
